Life has been moving at an incredible pace for Junior “Jay” Mills over the last few years. If one thing keeps proving to be true for him, it’s that he was born to dance. He couldn’t have imagined where his dance career would take him, but committed long ago to being the best version of himself. Ever since the stars finally aligned, his discipline, experience and passion have kept propelling him upward. Jay shared his story with The Weekender in the afterglow of dancing on the biggest stage yet last Sunday – Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show in the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The islands have been ablaze with pride, joy, and a sense of surprise since Bad Bunny’s incredible performance, which concluded with a running sea of flags from across the Americas, including those of our small, under-represented islands. The concert’s overarching message of love and unity deeply impacted Jay, making him feel like part of something bigger than the Super Bowl itself.
The incredible experience was the latest in a string of life’s highlights. He very recently got married to his wife Elaina LaPrell here in St. Maarten, sharing the special day with many of the dancers that he grew up with. Since first getting signed just five years ago, Jay, who now lives in Los Angeles, has shared the stage with some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Usher, Cardi B, Shakira, Tinashe, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyla, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, Ayra Starr, and Becky G. Within the first year alone, he performed at the VMAs and the Soul Train Awards. He has also featured in a Reebok commercial and was part of Vogue World for New York Fashion week.
Finally having the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his labour, Jay is a big proponent of chasing your dreams, no matter what. “If you love something, you have to keep going for it. I really believe I was born to dance,” he says. “I encourage anyone who has the same love, to never stop doing what you’re doing. Know that it comes with sacrifices, but if you love it, you have to make it happen. Don’t give up on yourself because you hear stories of artists not making it.” Discipline, the right attitude, consistent healthy habits, and a sense of perseverance are key. He learned early on that perseverance and discipline in particular would either make or break his journey, having experienced a few extra hurdles compared to many of his counterparts.
Born in Jamaica, and living in St. Maarten since the age of 10, Jay had great experiences and looks back fondly at talent shows, competitions, carnival performances, dance classes, and creative surroundings. He still remembers being inspired by a carnival performance as a child, and soon afterwards being drawn to a talent show at St. Maarten Academy that he happened to pass by while walking home from school. The next day, he asked about how he could get involved in performances.
After auditioning, he joined a group called Eccentric at the start of high school, participated in talent shows and contests throughout his high school years, and eventually got involved in dance school with the Indisu Dance Theater of St. Maarten. From there, he never missed a class, and he joined another dance group, Bee-Hype. As soon as he started the dance journey, there was no looking back. His fellow dancers from this time period are still counted among his closest friends.
A pivotal experience was taking part in the Art Saves Lives (ASL) programme, a yearly Summer Intensive for performance artists founded by St. Maarten’s Nicole de Weever, who has graced world stages, and lives in New York. She brings a variety of renowned, seasoned industry professionals from abroad, offering irreplaceable training and well-rounded development for local artists.
He describes ASL as “life-changing”. It let him envision a career, and introduced him to major dance studios in New York and his future mentor, acclaimed choreographer Luam Keflezgy. However, he faced a restriction that his counterparts did not. Without a visa, he qualified but was not able to go on a major ASL field trip to New York. It was heartbreaking. Keeping on track, however, he was able to travel the next year, and had an incredible experience.
After high school, he started an online course in IT from Monroe College, and later moved to New York to live with family. Even there, with dance opportunities available all around him, he faced restrictions until the right visas came through. Eventually, when allowed to work, doors started to open. After completing his associates degree, it was time to choose the path he would really invest in. It was a big decision, and he chose dance after consulting his mentor.
In the beginning, auditions had been extremely competitive. He can recall auditions including up to 700 applicants, where only two or three would be chosen. Teaching dance allowed him to hone his skills and provided much needed job stability. He taught at Broadway Dance Center and Brickhouse New York. He started by teaching choreography that he had initially posted online, not knowing it would be a hit. When he started and classes filled quickly, it was mind blowing how things started to fall into place. Getting signed to MSA, and then to Bloc Talent Agency, he could finally take advantage of years of hard work and passion. He eventually moved from New York to Los Angeles to find more consistent work.
The lead-up to the recent Super Bowl performance involved nearly a month of six- and seven-hour days of practice, first in Los Angeles and then Santa Clara. The concert as a whole is being hailed as a love letter to Puerto Rico. Packed with symbolism, tributes, and rich imagery, it truly celebrates Latin and Caribbean cultures. It featured nearly 200 dancers spread across different stages, a performance by Ricky Martin, a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga, and a wedding, among its highlights.
The dancers actually saw the full scope of the massive performance at the same time that the public did. Everyone had to focus on their own section, and some aspects were intentionally kept close to the chest of the organisers, including the identity of surprise guest performer Lady Gaga. Jay belonged to the energetic New York-themed section – NUEVAYol!
He describes walking onto the field on the day-of as “surreal”. Despite the intense preparation, “you never fully grasp the feeling until you’re actually on the field, in real time.” Many performers were deeply impacted by the messaging of the concert, especially given the current political landscape in the US, particularly surrounding immigration issues and inclusion. “It definitely felt like a big moment for unity and love, with all the different countries being represented. That was a big deal. A lot of people were crying ’cause it was an emotional moment. It felt great to be a part of something that huge.”
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love” was the message shown prominently in the stadium during the concert’s finale, as Bad Bunny paraded among a sea of flags belonging to the Americas as a whole.
Jay was not among the flag-bearers, as he wished to clarify, but that does not take away from his sense of representation and pride in seeing the St. Maarten and Jamaican flags fly alongside those of Saba, St. Eustatius, Bonaire, and many other Caribbean islands.
Jay strongly believes that with more support and funding for the performance arts on St. Maarten, there could be many more artists that are able to make it onto bigger stages. “We need to do more for artists, it’s so important. We praise the big accomplishments but we need to help getting those things out. We need to fund them. It would be a lot easier if government and businesses got involved.”
Investing in events, impactful programmes such as ASL, and a combined performance arts centre is what he thinks would have the most impact on developing the island’s pool of talent.
Moving onward, Jay hopes to develop choreography for different artists, form part of creative teams, and continue to teach dance in different countries. He also hopes to contribute in these same ways to St. Maarten, especially in terms of contributing to development programmes and events.
