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It is generally believed that female dancers who appear in music videos usually become sex victims of artistes and producers but the female winner of last month’s Exopa New Faces contest, Abigail Dawson, has stated that her career as a music video dancer and model does not mean she is someone’s sex machine.
“I don’t do that. I have not dated any artiste before. None of them proposed to be me before because I’m on their set,” Abigail said.
She has already appeared in several music videos including Stay J- ‘Shashewowo’, Keche- ‘Pressure’, R2Bees – ‘Kiss ur hands’, O.J Blaq- ‘Charley Wotey’, and Diamond- ‘Popping’.
Her first video was Asaseban’s ‘Dabenda’.
Along with her stunning looks and modeling antics, Abigail, during the Exopa contest, thrilled the audience with her enthralling dance steps including the Azonto dance.
Abigail told NEWS-ONE in an interview that “dancing is my talent. I love to dance. That is my talent and passion”.
Abigail, who wishes to become a broadcast journalist, said she was comfortable with being a music video dancer because it fetched her good money, contrary to reports that Ghanaian dancers did not earn much.
The 21-year-old former student of Koforidua Polytechnic was crowned winner, after she beat12 female contestants.
Abigail is not new to Ghana’s entertainment industry. She has already appeared in a number of TV commercials and is the face of Zed Pineapple Drink.
She also featured in a number of music videos and stars in ‘Esi Maame’, a TV series on TV3.
“I’m happy right now. I’m preparing to win the grand finale where all the winners will compete for the last event of the year.
I just tell my friends that they should also work harder because I am really preparing,” she stated.
Abigail was made the entertainment prefect at Akim State College where she had her high school education.
“When I went to polytechnic, I also contested for Miss Akwaaba and I was the first runner-up.
In the region too, I contested for Miss Akwentu Kesie and that one too I was the first runner-up. That was how I gradually started with showbiz.”
She said to be a good dancer, one had to be hard working and have the passion and flair for dancing. “I don’t accept to dance in any video. I shoot videos with nice video quality so I check out who is directing before I accept the job.
I also look at what kind of song we are shooting the video for. But it depends on each dancer. I do that to just know what I am getting myself involved in.” She said she took money for every video she shot.
“No, there is nothing like a free video. May be personal video will be free for me. There is nothing like a free video for a particular star.”
Asked if she would be in a video with Jay Z, if he came to town and wanted ladies for a video for free and international exposure, Abigail said, “I would not be on that field. We are talking about professionalism. I can’t shoot a video for free because it’s Jay Z or any musician.
When their music video comes out and it is nice, they get money from it. There is nothing like free video and I’m not really eager to jump on any video set.”
The 2010 Diploma in Business Studies Secretariatship graduate of Koforidua Polytechnic said some of the challenges she had with the job was the fact that people wrongly thought dancers in videos slept with artistes or musicians.
Abigail hails from Mampong Akwapim in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
