Walking into Ozone Cinemas, I bumped into Gerald Dosu Yovo, Nigeria’s No. 1 dance choreographer, currently working with P-Square, and immediately decided to chat him up. Yovo is also the MD/CEO of Sequential Entertainment. The dance king had a chat with YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine’s. Enjoy it.
Who is Gerald, please?
My full names are Gerald Dosu Yoro Olayinka, I am a Nigerian and an assistant choreographer with P-Square, CEO of 60mins TV and that’s all about me.
When people see you, what is the first thing they notice about you?
(Laughs) Well, they see dance, and they notice that I am such a nice guy.
Give us a brief description of your fashion personality, like what inspires your fashion sense?
Actually, right from my childhood, I had always dressed so simple, and my profession is dance and I need to dress like one. I just dress normal.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from my family because everyone in my family is into entertainment. It’s just an inbuilt stuff.
So, every member of your family is into entertainment?
Yes, but that was then.
How did you get to where you are today, take us on a journey on how you got to this height?
Wow! That is the most important part I always look forward to. I love it because I always use myself as an example. It started way back in secondary school where I was dancing for a group called Ignite Entertainment, which we created and we are still the ones dancing for P-Square as official dancers and choreographers. Had so many ups and downs, but I overcame them. I never gave up.
You are always with P-Square and most times in Square Ville, what is your relationship with them?
Like I said earlier, I am their assistant choreographer and official dancer, so that’s the relationship and even aside from dancing, we have this kind of heart-warming feelings, love that we share in common.
What is being with P-square like?
Hmmm! It has been a great journey, it has been fun, hard working and a successful wish that came to pass, and still growing.
How do you view the Nigerian entertainment industry?
Waoh! I give all the credit to them. If I’m to rate, we are No. 2 in entertainment in the world. It’s really growing. Whoever wants to blow comes to Nigeria to blow.
What are your challenges as a dancer?
None at all. I don’t have any challenge; I love every bit of my career.
How do you as a dancer cope with women?
(Laughs) Yeah, they are our fans. You can’t get to ignore them and mostly the females are the high fans that could blow you immediately. If you are a guy, a girls will blow you, if you are a girl, a guy will blow you.
How do you schedule your rehearsal not to affect your relationship?
Rehearsal is just for the time being, just short hours, short minutes. My family and I have a full time. Rehearsal does not disturb us.
Do you always have time to hang out with your friends?
Yes, I will say yes. Despite the fact that I always find time to hang with my friends, some friends still complain. But trust me, you can’t satisfy everybody.
Your educational background.
Waoh! My education background? My nursery school was at Toria Nursery and Primary School, Yaba, Lagos. Then, I later switched to St. Dominic Primary school, Yaba also. Then, I proceeded to St. Finbars College, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, where I was in the commercial class and people taught I was in science just because I moved with the science students then and that was where I got inspired. Then, later went outside the country for university education. Benin Republic to be precise, where I got my Bsc and Masters in International Relations.
Why do you like ‘stroking’ ladies?
I don’t stroke, I just keep them company. There was a time my friend was sick and I kept quiet and she was like Gerald, if you don’t stroke me, I won’t be happy with you and I was like are you kidding me? So, I don’t stroke, I only keep them company. Only that most ladies misunderstand me.
Which of P-Square’s song do you consider the most successful and most challenging?
All of their songs are challenging and all have come out to be successful.
What is it you like being a dancer?
Hmmm! Let me see. It’s actually great being a dancer because I spread the gospel dancing. Dancing is not a useless thing, it’s a beautiful profession.
What is it you don’t like about being a dancer?
Nothing. I love my profession. No one thought dancing was going to take me this far. Some people call me Alajota.
Who is the greatest dance instructor in Nigeria?
That should be, me Gerald Dosu Yovo.
Okay, tell us about Sequential Entertainment. What you are about and so on?
Sequential is an entertainment company with different offices under it; from dancing school, tv entertainment programme, managerial company and more. But right now, it’s focusing on 60minstv and it’s to be lunched very soon in Benin Republic, hopefully, before this year runs out.
Where do you see yourself and Sequential in two years’ time?
Well, would be very recognizable like every other entertainment company and going global because that’s the main focus and it’s gonna be the first entertainment company to go global worldwide. Because right now, we have networks in America, London, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, China and Japan hopefully.
Some words to your fans.
To my fans, please, never give up, keep it real. Humility should be your No. 1 priority and don’t have pride, put your head low to listen to anyone when you are being corrected, just to acquire knowledge.
NB: First published April 2015