Setting the Record Straight Back
Sept 22, 2011
By Tracey Bivens
Let’s be clear about one thing. Detroit is very proud of their accomplishments and contributions to the steppin arena. Since 1999, several members of this community have turned out over 300 plus devout ballroomers into steppers in less than a decade. As a city, we have come very far in recognizing past mistakes and mending old wounds. One thing that I can most assuredly promise you is that we will NOT allow our community of steppers to be divided over biased articles that seek to plow wedges in what we have worked hard to smooth over.
Drewry Alexander is our shining knight in steppin armor. He holds his place in the annals of dance history in Detroit and in the country. However, to say that Drew has "outpaced” other steppers in our city is far from accurate. The steppin community in Detroit boasts of many key individuals and organizations that have assisted Drew and the dance in becoming a reckoning force on a national level. In addition to Drew’s parents, Nora and Anthony, provided him with years of multi dance genres e.g. Tap, Jazz, Greystone, Ballroom, Latin Hustle, etc. other individuals have afforded him the opportunity to hone his skills under their watch and care.
Before there was a Drew, there was a Sherry Gordon, James Pacely, Kirk (DJ KP) Peterson, Tracey Bivens, Larry Collins, Kammal Smith, Buford "Mistalocks” Collins, Darrell Brown, Jamal Brown, and Flint’s Feo Duncan who put their mitts on Drew first and gave Drew his introduction to the dance. I can count on ONE hand how many times Drew has even been to Chicago outside of competing in the Worlds Largest.
While Detroit competed quite vigorously in 2005 in the Worlds Largest, we knew deep down inside that as a city we had a ways to go. That major loss was responsible for the onslaught of the Out of Towners category being created in the first place and the beginning of a rigorous campaign to gain the respect of the Chicago steppin community. It was that fortitude that made us all want to be better and make things better for Drew when he came onto the steppin scene.
I would be remissed if I did not recognize the contributions of Larry Thomas, Donnie Davis, Tyk Myn, Malik Swan, LC Henderson and Andre Blackwell for visiting Detroit as frequently as they did in those early days and exposing us to the various styles of steppin like they did. What they exposed us to…we exposed to others…including Drew. As a city, we will forever be grateful to them! But I think that a lot of people want to pretend that Drew learned his ENTIRE step dance in Chicago and that couldn’t be any further from the truth. It hurts when the insinuation is made that he has "outdone” or "surpassed” the rest of the Detroit steppers who have been making their own contributions to the dance.
The Steady Steppers co-founders, Larry Collins, 3rd place 2011 WLSC Out of Towner winners Kammal Smith and instructor Daniella Borum, play host to one of the nation’s longest running steppin instructional organizations who has been recognized by nationally for its workshops, paraphanalia and galas in Detroit and Vegas for years. Sherry Gordon, 2008 Out of Town 1st place winner, has personally put her hands on hundreds of newbies in Detroit. On a national level, she has supplied newbies with a sound foundation in steppin. Her coaching has assisted MANY men and women in developing their styles that have competed or just represented the dance. Pound for pound, Kirk Peterson and James Pacely have some of the baddest footwork and hand combinations in the Midwest. Mistalocks is the only steppin entrepreneur who runs and operates his OWN dance studio in Ferndale, Michigan which boasts of having the largest studio dance floor in the industry. Jeff Clark of I Love Steppin, gained national recognition for his contributions with his photos and steppin paraphanalia. While I have shied away from teaching and the promotional end over the years, I choose to write about the accomplishments and triumphs of up and coming steppers all over the country. And where was Drew in all of this? He was standing by watching it all unfold and taking notes.
I guess at the end of the day, I propose that contest wins do not make the stepper…the community that surrounds him does. Detroit is not going to allow Drew to be pumped up full of insincere hype only to be torn down when someone "else” comes around. It took a village to help Drew along the way and it will be that same village that continues to love Drew when the "new flavor” has entered into the arena to try and take his throne.
By the way…stay tuned for big things coming from Darryl "Flex”, TJ, Bonita Glover, Sophia Hooper, Darryl Williams…all hailing from the D thank you very much!
