Janina Garraway-Phillips one of the leading dancers with R&B artiste Chris Brown is so close to her Trini roots that she had a double wedding ceremony right here in T&T alongside her sister last December when she and her family visited for Christmas.

She had already tied the knot in the US, but Garraway-Phillips wanted to celebrate her nuptials with her relatives here.

Garraway-Phillips accompanied Brown here for his scheduled performance at the Queen’s Park Savannah yesterday.

The dancer/actress is the daughter of Trinidadians who migrated to the US during her mother’s pregnancy because her father got a job there.

Garraway-Phillips, however, grew up understanding and experiencing Trinbago culture and lifestyle not only through her parents eyes, but because the family visited home regularly. Sitting down with the Express for a chat at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Garraway-Phillips reminisced on days she spent, ’down south,’ playing cards, running in the road and eating fudge. Mom was from Pleasantville, San Fernando and dad was from Siparia.

’My mother went to California with my father when she was pregnant with me because he had gotten a job with the US military. My sister, Sheena and I grew up exposed to Trini culture and lifestyle because our parents kept it alive at home. We also came here every Christmas and Carnival. I have happy

memories of coming home in those days. Being here for me meant freedom because I could go roaming around the place, which you could not do back in Colton, California where I grew up,’ Garraway-Phillips said.

Garraway-Phillips said her mother who was also a dancer, enrolled her in dance classes when she was six-years-old.

She first trained in tap, ballet and jazz before moving on to tumbling, hip-hop and modern.

By the time she was 16-years-old her mother realised that Garraway-Phillips was dancing at a professional level and took her to audition for an agency where she excelled and was immediately signed on.

’I auditioned along with 300 other dancers and was signed by the agency. This was in 1999 and I was also acting by then as well.

My first job was a Burger King commercial after which I did an ad for JC Penny. My first major dance gig was with Paula Abdul who was choreographing a commercial and hired young dancers to work on the project.

My first big tour came when I was 18-years-old. That was with Babyface and I spent some time on that tour,’ Garraway-Phillips said.

Along with her dance projects, Garraway-Phillips has appeared on a number of movies including Starsky and Hutch, Looney Tunes and 13 Going On 30. She has worked with the likes of Mariah Carey, Nelly, Lil Kim, Faith Hill and Usher. In 2006, Chris Brown was searching for a new dancer and Garraway-Phillips auditioned successfully and has been in almost every one of the artiste’s videos since. She and Brown have a very good working relationship as well as friendship built on mutual respect.

’Chris is a sweetheart. He is not wrapped up in his artiste’s world and has a very good relationship with everyone in the crew. Honestly, it’s more like a family unit that anything else.

He is a natural who loves to perform. To him it’s all fun and not work although he does take it seriously in that he ensures that he gives the fans the best possible performance.

It amazes me how Chris does it because as much as I love what I do, there are times I get tired and fed-up, but he just keeps on going and at his best at all times,’ Garraway-Phillips said.

Express asked Garraway-Phillips about the controversy in which dancers and women in general appearing in hip-hop videos represent negative, subservient or misogynistic images of women, especially black and Latino women.

Detractors accuse hip hop models of causing a misrepresentation of the morals and values of minority women. Garraway-Phillips said that one should not judge these young women without knowing the background and scenario behind each experience.

She added that although she has appeared in videos that may cause some eyebrows to raise, she will not accept jobs that will compromise her morals.

’We must not judge people and more than that, we should understand that there are sometimes circumstances that lead one to do certain things.

’As for dancers, we are very comfortable with our bodies and express ourselves in ways that people may sometimes read as exuding sex.

’I believe that we can express ourselves in ways that are tasteful and without crossing certain lines, but it takes some growing.’ ’I’ve been dancing since I was six-years-old and have become quite comfortable with my body and movement while ensuring that I don’t do anything that will send the wrong message.

’Brandon (husband) and I are seeking to set up a non-profit organisation that will help young dancers and models realise they can make it in the industry without having to get naked or be lewd and suggestive.

’We are hoping they will know they do not have to sell their bodies or compromise their morals to secure good gigs or be a success,’ Garraway-Phillips said. The true Trini to the bone said she was so happy to be here even if it was only for a couple of days.

In spite of being in the entertainment arena, Garraway-Phillips is really a homebody of sorts and not a big party girl. She said she was looking forward to Machel Montano’s performance at the concert as she had never seen him in action before.

’I am really excited to see Machel. I’ve heard all his music, but never saw him live.

’I am not a big party girl so I’ve not been to many fetes and things like that when I come here. I did play mas when I was 12-years-old.

’We now live in Valencia, California, which is a nice easygoing place that is not as fast-paced as Los Angeles or New York.

’I like that kind of environment where it’s not too deep country yet not having that big city rush.

’Kind of like San Fernando, I think,’ Garraway-Phillips said.