Ayi Jihu Joins up with Ryan Jenkins Choreographer

‘So You Think You Can Dance’,

Ryan Jenkins joins up with Ayi Jihu

 

 
Ayi Jihu – WOMAN of ACTION™ here at A Celebration of Women™,  is known for many things, however, what she has at her core is dancing. If you one goes back to her village in Leibo China and mentions her name, all will refer to the “little girl who was always dancing and singing.” In fact, she has been dancing ever since she could walk and whenever she dances people pay attention.

Ayi Jihu is about to take her dancing to another level as she collaborates with “So You Think You Can Dance?” dancer, choreographer, and director, Ryan Jenkins.

In addition to all of this talent, Ryan is also a trailblazer and it was his work with the Vietnamese Musical Theatre that played an equal role, as his unquestioned dancing abilities brought these two together. After many years of searching for the right person to help her develop her dancing style further, Ayi Jihu has finally found someone who understands her, and who she feels can assist greatly in taking her performance to the next level.
 

Ryan’s resume is impressive, from X-Factor to Grease; working with legends like Michael Flatley and Molly Molloy, he is a man in great demand. He is also a man with his eyes firmly set to the East and the new opportunities it brings for him to expand globally.

“I love working with Asian dancers and artists,” stated Ryan. “I just love their whole approach to things and they seem to like me too. When I was approached by Ayi Jihu’s management, I did my homework and was quite impressed.

In fact, I was ‘wow’d’ — this girl is something else!

As hectic as my schedule is, and with all I have to do, including working with the Dream Idols who are blowing up right now, I felt I had to work with her. She inspires me.

When we first met it was at a nightclub in Cambridge and I thought I would see what she was really made of, so I whisked her away onto the dance floor and put her through some moves right away. Nothing I did was a challenge to her, rather, she made it all look so easy. I knew then and there that I had met someone exceptional. The best dancers make it look simple.

Of course, with someone like Ayi, there is much more going on than simply natural dancing ability. She is currently working on a diverse range of projects, all of which are destined to create an explosion. With that in mind, I will be working on her new promo videos and live shows as well as helping her with in her movie debut in ‘As Blue As the Sky.’ where she will be dancing and singing. It is all very exciting and we are equally looking forward to what we will develop together.”

Around the world, particularly in China, Ayi Jihu is famous for her style of dancing. Some call it proactive and sensual, but most just drop their jaws in disbelief. Along with the feel of her lyrics and her independent status in Asia, it has made her a controversial figure; an artist that seems to polarize opinion. “I’m like marmite,” she says. “People either love me or want to kill me, but thank God most people accept and like what I do and the manner in which I do it, even if it is not yet quite understood.”

2013 looks to be a monumental year for Ayi Jihu. She has spent most of 2012 in preparation. “My new album will be released in 2013. It will be my first album for a while and I know a lot of people are waiting to hear what is coming next. I am also blessed to be working on some film and television projects both in the West and China; nothing too grand, but significant steps for me. Yeah, it’s all about 2013 for me and I have been working like a dog to be ready for it all. I face many challenges but have confidence that I can rise to them all.”
 

“Finding Ryan Jenkins has been a godsend for me. I have had some great Choreographers in the past, like Taz, who helped me get to where I am now, but I wanted to develop in another way and I needed someone who understood where I was trying to go. I looked at Ryan’s work, and was impressed all around. I loved his understanding of the Asian culture and how we think, move, and express ourselves. I love the way he gets the grimmy RnB and dancehall stuff that I love so much and mix with contemporary dance. Ryan just gets me and we get on so well. Too well sometimes — we are a crazy pair when we are together. I am so happy about this. I know I have been driving my whole team crazy with finding the right person for this; I can see them all breathing a collective sigh of relief, but I knew what I wanted and it had to be the right person otherwise, what’s the point?”

 
Shlepp CEO, Stevie Eagle E, sees this as a significant move for Ayi. “We are very choosy at Shlepp and the process of finding the right people to develop an artist is never an easy one when you are not dazzled by either reputation or money. We are searching for integrity, character, talent, and understanding. Ryan Jenkins means we now have our core artist development team in place for 2013 which is a key year for us and for Ayi. She is moving fast; constantly wanting to try new things and push herself and she has been very selective with regard to filling this position. It is important that the artist is happy. Some would say it is key, but at Shlepp we think differently. We think it is important that the team is happy and the team is very happy with Ryan Jenkins. He brings a lot to the table and will play a significant role in the development of Ayi Jihu along with JR Skeete and the rest of the artist development team. Everyone is looking forward to what these two will come up with together as it is already apparent they have great chemistry. We have a lot happening over the next few months and I can now confidently say we are ready!”

For more information on Ayi Jihu visit her website.