Young love: the culture of striptease and dancehall in Jamaica

When photographer Ivar Vigan decided to capture the culture of striptease in Jamaica, he did not want to take stereotypical voyeuristic pictures of objectified women. Instead, he decided to work with the topic a little differently. His photo project, which was called Young Love, combines photographs of Jamaican dancehall culture (dancehall is a kind of social street dancing with pronounced sexual overtones. — Ed.) and striptease, which echo each other. Most of the people in the photos are close friends of the photographer, whom he met when he moved to the island.

(10 photos in total)

Source: The Independent

"I have a long relationship with this country," says Vigan. He is originally from Scotland, but has been traveling around Jamaica for two years now. "I take photos wherever I am, so it comes out in a very natural way. Jamaican street culture and dancehall culture contain a powerful cocktail of transient ideas. I adore young cultures in transition. They delight me," says the photographer.

"In ghetto communities, sexuality is not a taboo topic. She is addressed constantly. Sexualized dance is a significant part of youth culture, which is why the music is called "dancehall". There are contests for the title of the queen of dancehall, during which girls compete for money, depicting grotesque sexual movements. Often, so-called fashion designers come to dance at dancehall parties. These are local girls who are allowed to go to the party for free if they are in a bikini."

"Because the dance is so explicit, the line between strippers and the rest is very thin. I recently went to two parties where the girls were either topless or in transparent mesh tops, so the step from just being at parties for fun to making money is very short."

"There are strip clubs in every city in Jamaica, and within the musical and entertainment culture of dancehall, this is, of course, a familiar environment in which you can unite and socialize," the photographer explains.

Vigan aimed his lens at the center of this vibrant culture. He decided not to rent luxury clubs with foreign dancers, which are aimed at businessmen and tourists. "These don't really interest me, and I haven't been in them. I spend time with friends in the central areas of the city, because it was the local dancehall culture that brought me here."

According to the author of the photo project, the reaction to a series of pictures depicting relaxed ordinary people at home and in the company of friends turned out to be positive. "I show my pictures to the people here every day, and they really like it. None of the people I photographed have been published before, so everyone is delighted. It is difficult for most Jamaicans to get a visa, they may never have the opportunity to travel. There are no such barriers for photos, so this photo project is an opportunity to make a statement for those who otherwise the world would never have seen," says the photographer.

But despite the photographer's good intentions, the fate of sex workers in Jamaica can be very difficult. The Jamaican Sex Workers' Rights Coalition is an organization that fights injustice on many fronts, including decriminalization of this sphere, the fight against sex slavery and violence by clients and police, and the fight against social and economic displacement. And although it is generally considered normal to engage in striptease within the youth community of dancehall lovers, it is unacceptable for broad public circles.

"The Jamaican middle class relies heavily on tradition and contains many elements of the Christian faith. There are more churches per square mile here than in any other country in the world," the photographer says, suggesting that their parishioners are not so calm about working in the field of sex services.

He himself does not consider striptease as something immoral. But didn't it seem to him that the women he photographed were being exploited or were being persuaded to do striptease?

"Not at all. I have worked with dancers in the USA and Jamaica on my two past projects and have encountered hundreds of strippers. I have never met anyone who would say that she is being forced to do this. Many people enjoy it and consider their occupation inspiring, while others do not and would be more happy to sit at home and watch TV. But all the girls I've met have done it by choice."