Pregnant dancer Mara Jackhammer ‘bumping’ on the dance floor
Published:Thursday | March 2, 2023 | 12:55 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Expectant mother and dancer-choreographer, Shamara ‘Mara Jackhammer’ Sullivan, is determined to continue ‘making moves’ up until the time of her delivery. In January, the dancer, who is currently in her third trimester, completed a one-week tour of Chile, in collaboration with South American-based Groovefest for its Campeonato International Dancehall .
“I can’t help but dance and plan to do it right through my pregnancy. I did it with my first – who is now four years old – and I never stopped dancing at any point, not even at the beginning because I’m one of the luckier women whose symptoms are manageable,” Mara Jackhammer told The Gleaner.
On the tour, the dancer led two workshops for a camp which focuses primarily on dancehall culture, a live performance and acting in the role of judge for a dancehall competition. Although she has not been taking a lot of contracts to choreograph dance routines for music videos, Mara Jackhammer has been very active and, “I never tone down anything.”
Over the years, she has competed in Dancing Dynamites and the World Reggae Dance Championships, and has earned a reputation for doing daring dance moves. Mara Jackhammer said that she is aware of the risks associated with some dance moves but that her baby bump has given her a different outlook on life and her career.
“I didn’t envision that I would be where I am in my career at all. I’m a very independent woman who likes to get my own and I won’t force myself to do something I’m uncomfortable with, so all that I’m doing is because I want to. Plus dancing adds to me having good pregnancies, the music and the fun I have,” she said. “Honestly, I’m still learning about myself, as a dancer and as a mother. The love you receive from your child, the very bond of growing together and sharing a love for something, should make any woman feel reassured. That’s what dancing is for me and my children. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m willing to take on a challenge and that I love adventure … this is one of those challenges I’ve experienced and have been prepared for.”
She has been consistent in sharing videos of herself performing several routines with students as well as dancers who have visited the island from South Korea and European countries. Much to her surprise, a lot of dancehall enthusiasts and pregnant women have been reaching out for private sessions with her and she is already looking to return to Chile in the summer or by the end of 2023, for a complete tour.
Mara Jackhammer said, “The first visit was amazing and I feel the country has more to offer and I have much to give. I’m already in the process of confirming another tour. And hopefully persons will see my dedication and I can take dancehall through my dancing to Japan and Africa, two of the places I wish to go to spread our culture. To my supporters, I’ll be doing a gender reveal by the end of March.”