By Tracey Bivens
Once again, the city of Detroit is making national headlines in the world of steppin. Thanks to exposure from Markie Bee, on Steppersusa.com and the endorsement by Mak 3 founder, and the Dance Doctor, Dave Maxx, inquiring minds want to know about the Detroit Steppers Network aka the DSN.
Back in July of 2010, Sherry Gordon and I were sitting down discussing what some of the best ways were to grow a steppin community of men. Long story short…we found that you had to get your existing steppin community to come together and launch a vigorous student recruitment campaign. After coming up with The Detroit Steppers Network name, we reached out to various individuals in the community and prayed that they would buy into the concept. Well, that campaign turned into Project 300. Project 300 simply centers on the fact that the DSN hopes to get 300 men AND women from various localities (very rarely marketed to) around the Detroit metropolitan area and exposing these people to steppin for one day and night. Under the leadership of entrepreneur and former Enchantment group member, Bobby Green and WLSC winner Ann Hunter, we came together and developed a mission statement. The statement speaks to the fact that a group of instructors, DJs, promoters and members of the general Detroit steppin community have come together in an organized fashion to make this project come to life on August 6, 2011.
The event will feature a 3 hour workshop which will have 10-12 instructors teaching (not counting) the same basic pattern to a room full of 300 beginner students. That’s right…you heard it correctly. Our instructors have come together and will all teach the same way, that same day for the good of the cause no matter what count anybody does in their classes! It is hopeful that the instructors will buy into the concept of pattern teaching so that our city can be on one accord when it comes to instruction. Pattern teaching being “left, right, left…etc...etc…” That night will culminate in a steppin gala in which our general steppin community, along with supporters from surrounding states, will come to welcome these new steppers to our “family” through a night of what else? Steppin!
Other Detroiters who are donating their time to this worthy cause are DJ Rockin Rodney Mack, Sherry Gordon, Brock Powers, newcomer Keesha Reeves, James Pacely, DJ “K-Mix” Kirk Peterson, Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten, Drew Alexander, Jeff Clark, Bonita Williams, Steady Steppers co-founder, Larry Collins, Deborah Dixon, DJ Steppin E, DJ Paul Ross “The Boss”, Karla Jeffries, and a ton of others.
While it is an ambitious project, the DSN is moving forward and is letting nothing stop them! See you August 6!
It's great to see the DSN come together to lead the way for the entire stepping community! You and any other community across the country have my support for this type of positive action to spur growth in the dance.
ReplyDeleteThis is how steppers represent!