Makin It Look Good!

Exclusive Interview with Dancin Dons and Divas’ Allen Davis

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Allen Davis is sitting on a gold mine these days.  As a member of Cleveland, Ohio’s Dancin Dons and Divas, Allen has managed to make great strides in steppin from the organizational end to putting the “big daddies” back on the map.  In his first I Love Steppin interview, Allen talks about being a part of something bigger than himself, avoiding the pitfalls of steppin no-nos and making it count when it matters!

Tracey: I’ve been covering Cleveland events for a  minute now and I have to say that the Dancin Dons and Divas, which consists of you, Terry, Lolita, Carleatha, Michelle and Keith really seem to be marketing yourselves as more than a social organization these days.  What are some of the different hats you all are wearing as it relates to steppin?

Allen: Some of the other members are trying to expose the dance into other markets. Cleveland has a lot of hand dancers that don’t quite know how to make that transition into steppin. Michelle is DJing aka DJ Butta. Carleatha is getting into teaching with Michelle for basic women’s step class and me…I’m just all over the place! Terry does a lot of different things with DJing on the west coast. He has done a few sets out by Oakland. Keith helps us to fill in the blanks.

Tracey: I think one of the things I have always admired about you Allen is that you possess a charm that draws people to this dance. You exude confidence, grace and style which is something a lot of men and women shy away from. What do you attribute your confidence to?

Allen: Being comfortable in the setting that the dance is in. It’s always in a mature type of setting. You have a little drama here and there but overall steppin provides comfort for me.

Tracey: I was having a discussion with someone the other day and we were talking about the saturation of there being too many “3 day steppin affairs” in this country and that there is only room for the Heritage Ball in Atlanta and Rodney Mack’s White Party in Detroit. What do you have to say to that?

Allen: I agree and I disagree. Going to all of these events can get to be expensive but at the same time if you travel so far to attend someone’s else’s events, you don’t want to turn around and come right back home that same night. If I drive 4 or 5 hours away, I don’t want to come for that one party and have to turn around and drive back home. So if I‘m in another city, I would like to have something to do in between going to the parties.

Tracey: I’m usually pretty good at identifying who taught who in this dance based on people’s individual styles. However, when it comes to you I can’t do it. (Laughter) Who is responsible for what we see on the floor when you dance?

Allen: (Laughter) Let’s see. I’ll say for the first couple of years I didn’t have a foundation. I kind of was just thrown out there and fudged my way through it because I had a little bit of rhythm. Erika Little, formerly of Cleveland, now in North Carolina, took the time to teach me and work with me. I took a little bit from Greg Rashid also. As of late, “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon and Cheryl Powe have really helped me to figure the dance out.

Tracey: There is an all-male steppers calendar being planned for production as we speak and as I understand it you are one of the frontrunners to be in that calendar. How does that make you feel?

Allen: I’m flattered. I try to make myself look like I would want a woman to look but on the flip side of that. (Laughter)

Tracey: April 1-3 is coming up. What are the Dancin Dons and Divas offering this year at The Black Out that was different from previous years?

Allen: We are trying to do everything at one location. We’re bringing in some different DJs that haven’t been to our area yet. DJ Calvin and DJ Cross haven’t had much exposure in Ohio if any at all. We are also doing a mega workshop that will give everyone something.

Tracey: As I understand it, every major city that has multiple steppin organizations has social conflicts at one time or another i.e. groups having events on the same day as others, fighting over students, etc... Is this type of thing unavoidable in steppin?

Allen: Yes and no. Yes, because it’s good to give people a choice. You may be offering something that somebody else may not be offering. Just out of mutual respect I don’t think people should plan things on or around the same days. Everybody wants their event to be successful. We learned from the mistakes that other cities have made.

Tracey: Like what?

Allen: One of the biggest pet peeves of mine is DJs constantly stopping the music. People come to these parties to dance. When you’re constantly stopping the music for different things…it rubs people the wrong way. Trying to cut corners is another one. You want to make people feel like they are getting what their paying for. Everybody wants the best deal possible but you have to go above and beyond to give people what they pay for. We are offering a lot of free amenities during the Black Out weekend.

Tracey: If I asked you to define what it means to be a smooth stepper, what would you say?

Allen: Not being all over the place. I learned a lot of moves coming into this dance which threw a lot of my dance and timing off. When you are a smooth stepper you have all of that worked out. You should be able to move effortlessly versus running all over the place.

Tracey: You are one of the role models for a lot of guys who shy away from dancing because of their size. How do you feel about that?

Allen: I don’t have a problem with it. I’m comfortable with who I am. I don’t think size or looks should determine your ability on what you can do when it comes to this dance.

Tracey: Where does your destiny lie with steppin Allen?

Allen: I’m not big on hip hop. I want to be able to come out and enjoy the people and socialize without extra drama and the other stuff in between. As for now…steppin is in my blood so I don’t plan on going anywhere else anytime soon.

Tracey: This is the last question. What would people be surprised about when it comes to Allen Davis?

Allen: That I’m transparent…what you see is what you get!