When it comes to struggles, Dancin' Dynamites duo Marlando Shirley and Menase Hines are no strangers to it. The two, who comprise the dance group, Unlimited Dancers, have had a life filled with more grey skies than sunny days.

And on the back of those disappointments, Shirley and Hines have been given a lifeline where they can set aside the thoughts of failure and focus on something they have dreamed about all their lives. Both men have combined their creative energy with the hope of winning the Red Label Wine Dancin' Dynamites competition.

The Sunday Gleaner went into the poverty-stricken community of Maxfield where Shirley and Hines opened up to talk about life, its challenges and how they plan to make use of an opportunity they might never experience again.

"Pupa, make me tell you, it hard," said Hines, as he rocked back on a broken piece of stool.

"A man might think say through me in the competition (Dancin' Dynamites) mi have it. But me know what it is to bear hunger for days and this is reality. All turn mango me use to eat," added the 24-year-old.

Numerous challenges

Hines grew up in several poor inner-city communities where he faced numerous challenges. His parents, Elaine and Donovan Hines, struggled to put food on to the table and send their five children to school.

In 1997, he lost one of his brothers, Salem, at the hands of criminals, who chopped and beat him to death. Hines has also found it difficult to provide for his eight-month-old daughter, Shenai.

But these obstacles only serve as motivation for Hines, who believes he has turned a new page in his life.

"At one point when I was at Lime Tree Lane (off Bay Farm Road, Waltham), a badness me did a grow up in. But, I always maintained a focus and I always wanted to be a star.

"Me not even get the right schooling, but my mother did her best. When me enter the competition I said I could make myself a man out of this even if I don't win. I lost my brother and that still have a big effect on me. Every time I go under pressure I remember about it," said the Penwood High School graduate.

Hines' dancing partner, Shirley, 21, was a bit more composed as he told The Sunday Gleaner of his circumstances.

"You want to hear about my struggles?" he quizzed with a smile.

Honest living

Shirley said he had to fend for himself from an early age and always sought out opportunities to make an honest living. He recalled the times he spent at school studying on an empty stomach and living off the generosity of his peers.

He grew up not knowing his father and struggled with his now 35-year-old mother, Jennifer Robinson, to make ends meet.

"Me never have anything from me born. School did hard for me because I had to sell bag juice in order to go to school," he said.

According to Shirley, those sacrifices have shaped him into the person he is today.

"The way me hungry for this thing me just a go use it to win the competition. I don't regret anything even though (I have nothing). Look at it, I not even got the chance to take CXC," Shirley revealed.

The Dancin' Dynamites competition, which is in its fourth year, is widely consider the premier competition that promotes the development of that creative art in Jamaica.

An opportunity for dancers

It offers an opportunity for dancers to develop and showcase their skills from traditional to contemporary dances.

Orville Hall, the dynamic dreadlocked dancer, teacher, and one of three judges on Dancin' Dynamites, said dancing was a saving grace for many Jamaican youths, himself included.

"It saved my life. A Jackson Town me grow up, and I see everything bad you can think of there. If it wasn't for dancing I wouldn't be here right now," said Hall.

Hall, artistic director and founder of Dance Xpressions, recalled the early years of his career as troublesome. "When I started dancing, my father never believed I would make a living out of it. I had to break from dancing for a while and started to repair shoes, but I realised that dancing was the only thing for me," he added.

Builds professionalism

Now a lecturer in urban contemporary folk dance at Excelsior Community College, Hall lauded Dancin' Dynamites and the avenues it has created

"This competition opens up windows of opportunity where they (dancers) can show the world the talents they have. It also builds professionalism in dancing which was seen as (nonexistent before)," said Hall.

"I see a lot of talent in these dancers and Menase (Hines) reminds me of my youthful days. They just need to be focused," he added.

Whether they win or not, Shirley and Hines would have benefited tremendously from the experience of competing. They now have a more positive outlook on life and hope is renewed that better will come.

"If we don't win it's still a plus because this competition has put us out there and we can take from this experience - it is a sign of better things to come," said Hines.