DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER, Sherrie Silver, not only grooves to beats but also uses her entertainment skills to help people.

Sherrie who has won awards like MTV VMA Award for best choreography, in an interview with The New Times, she talks about why she helps a lot and the best moments of her life. 

Charity work genesis

The award-winning choreographer says, now she has something to give but it’s different from when she started. 

By the time she and her mom moved to the UK, they didn't have a lot of money, her mom worked a few jobs, while also studying.

The artist  giving food to genocide survivors in Mageragere recently. Photo by Willy Mucyo

At nine years old, Silver began her charity work after losing her cousin to Malaria. She started by raising money for mosquito nets with an aim to end world malaria.

By selling cakes, that she baked herself, in the neighborhood in London, the amount of money raised was able to buy 20 mosquito nets.

Silver says it’s not enough for her to win all the awards in the world, buy all the houses and all the cars. Instead, helping people that can’t help you, brings a fulfillment in your heart and makes you realise there’s more to life. 

 "It would be selfish of me to get everyone to celebrate African culture when Africans are not benefiting, if African dance and culture is going up then Africans also have to rise, because they are the ones who originated the culture,” said Sherrie.

Every time she went to visit her grandmother, she had to go to the well because there was no water until 2011. This has taught her to value water even in her home. She doesn’t like to waste anything, she closes the water every time she is done and turns off the light.

"No matter how much money you have, you shouldn’t be wasteful,” she said.

Through her work as a United Nations IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural development) advocate for rural youth, Sherrie works with rural area farmers to help them discover opportunities that lay in the village instead of fleeing from it. 

Dance journey 

The dancer started her career, when she uploaded videos on her YouTube channel and people viewed them and started to like them. She said she then decided to take her dancing career seriously making sure the next videos were excellent.

Challenges in the beginning 

Silver, who has worked with big names in entertainment like Rihanna, Childish Gambino among others, says despite all the success and fame she now has, the journey wasn’t a smooth ride, she met loads of challenges.

And she still meets challenges, but in the beginning, it was a herculean task given that she was still young and black.

She says had to change her character for people to take her seriously.

 "This world is full of men, so I had to deepen my voice so that they would take me more seriously.”

"I loved to smile so I had to reduce my smiling so that they could take me seriously, I had to wear high heeled shoes because I was short.”

Being a black woman in the industry alone, was very tough, but Silver says she has been able to create her own brand and people now come to her because they want to work with her.

Statue in London 

Silver got to have her own statue in London, after she teamed up with Adidas, a design company that selected a few women that were doing inspirational things.

Other projects

Among her upcoming projects, Silver says there is an upcoming kid’s movie that she choreographed called ‘The Minions’ and ‘Scene 2,’ another animated kids’ movie. 

She also shared that she is working with an amazing drink company and to give a clue, she said it is one of the top and the best.

Sherrie says though she was busy she is going to start to talk about her dream in Rwanda, which is opening a talent development center where people can come and learn how to dance, act, sing, play basketball and develop their talents, while showcasing young people from Rwanda to the world the same way Nigeria has all these amazing talents.

Proudest accomplishments

Sherrie says 2018 was one of her sweet years, the year she won the MTV VMA AWARD for Best Choreography, it was a moment for her to be on stage with her black skin representing Africa.

"Being able to get some of the kids of the foundation who dance to travel outside of Rwanda and perform for Bill Gates in America is also a proud moment.

Being able to speak in front of the Pope and also shake hands with him was also really cool. Being able to name a gorilla at Kwita Izina in 2019, was another proud moment,” she said.  

As one who represents Rwanda, Sherrie says she loves how clean Rwanda is, the road is beautiful, the palm trees are organised, the police officers are friendly, and although they look tough they are actually very nice”.

"I love the president he so supportive to the youth, he has always been supportive towards me” Sherry said.

Sherrie says when she was 13, she has also wrote a song for President Paul Kagame, when he came to London, with the lyrics, "Come celebrate with me for the president is here, his excellence Kagame, who redeemed Rwanda, who redeemed Rwanda,” that she got to perform for him (Kagame).

Sherrie says, after performing for the president that time it just opened many doors for her, and up to now he is still very supportive towards her and the youth in Rwanda.

She also has another song with the lyrics, "Rwanda is going higher and higher. Rwanda my motherland I love you, I bless you.”