Remembering House Dance Pioneer Marjory Smarth

We are saddened to find out that we lost a very important and pivotal figure in the House Dance community, when Marjory Smarth recently lost her battle with cancer.

Originally hailing from Haiti, she grew up in New York City and began dancing in her formative years. Deriving influences from the native dances of her culture as well as from the different styles of street dance and eventually from the clubs, Marjory became a driving force in New York’s dance community.

In this emotional video, Marjory describes why she taught a dance class just three weeks after surgery for Stage 3 cancer:

Aside from performing and choreographing, she taught numerous House Dance classes all over the world, inspiring hundreds if not thousands of future dancers.

To Marjory dancing was about expressing oneself, connecting with one another on the dancefloor and living life to the fullest. She always had the biggest smile, and forever a kind word to say to everyone. She was pure love and light.

“DJs are oftentimes praised for raising high spirits and transcending multiple emotions on the dance floor (if you’re doing your job right),” DJ Spinna noted in a Facebook post. “Well for me, I always thank the dancers for giving me the energy to do what I do. Marjory Smarth’s presence always raised me up. If she was in the house I knew it was ON! Her movements were empowering to me as a DJ.

“I’ve seen her do everything from cry to ferociously demolish dance floors with sweat from every pore of her body, many times, while I’m working. That energy is what gives the DJ power. It’s a 360 degree reciprocal communication, a blessing, and she always gave me her gratitude for it.”

Our deepest condolences to her family, her friends and to the New York dance community.