|
Line Dance Connection: |
What's your name? Do you have any
dance nicknames that you're known by? |
|
De Barker: |
My name is De Barker and I
have a few of nicknames: Line Dance
Queen, Passionate KC 2Stepper and Mama De |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
Where are you
from and what city do you call home? |
|
De Barker: |
I am from Kansas City, Missouri…yet I lived in Los Angeles for 22
years (my other home - where ALL my immediate family yet resides). |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
What do you do in your
professional life? Any hobbies outside of dance? |
|
De Barker: |
I’m a Technical Database Support Manager working with our
soldiers in the Army – I absolutely love it! As for hobbies, technical jargon, programming languages…database
support…my job oftentimes becomes my hobby. |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
So what do they call this dance
craze in your home town? Line Dancing, Hustling, Sliding, Other? |
|
De Barker: |
We call it Line Dancing |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
Are you affiliated with any group
or groups? |
|
De Barker: |
1.
IDWD (“I Dance Wit De” –
www.idwdproductions.com) 2.
DeUnyt (Under the umbrella of IDWD) 3.
KC2SS (Kansas City 2 Steppin’
Slyddaz - Under the umbrella of IDWD) 4.
NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
How long have you been dancing? |
|
De Barker: |
I’ve been dancing my entire life! As a toddler…my daddy use to
wake me up in the wee hours of the morning when he came home with his boys
from a night out – he would have me do the twist, the mash potatoes, the jerk
and other dances to entertain them as they would admirably cheer me on and
even give me dollars as I danced. I
wouldn’t take any change, it had to be a buck or
more….so they started calling me “Buck Benny”. Then they would sing ”Buck
Benny Don’t Take No Pennies”…quite funny as I look back on it! |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
How did you get involved in
dancing? |
|
De Barker: |
My parents enrolled us (my 4 sisters and I – “the baby”) in tap
dance, gymnastics, ballet and other dance-related activities. And as I
stated, dancing for my daddy’s friends…also, my sisters and cousins and I use
to be the entertainment at family gathering.
After high school and one year of college in Iowa… I left Kansas City
and moved to Los Angeles. After living in LA for 22 years…I moved back to KC in 1999…got to
be a regular at a club called Ol’ School - there is
where I saw a need for teaching dance.
I started a Wednesday night line dance class and I would teach 2Step
as well to those who were interested.
I started rewarding the students who learned the line dances with a
graduation ceremony and they loved it! --- It has been emulated many times
over to this day! |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
After you attended your very first
class, how did you feel? |
|
De Barker: |
I felt energized and after I taught my first class I felt so
fulfilled - as I have a very nurturing spirit and I just LOVE to dance. The combination of the two is what drives
me! |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
How did you get into choreography? |
|
De Barker: |
Well early on I started with the dance routines for the family
gathers I mentioned earlier. I would also makeup dance routines in college –
as my 1st Degree was in Physical Educational Sciences – so I had
to study the kinetics of the body and the effects of physical activity …I
mainly chose classes involving dance. When I started the line dancing classes in KC, I would then make
up dances to teach in class along with teaching other nationally-popular
dances. When I started The KC Coolers in 2003 (The 1st Line Dance
group in KC), I would choreograph routines for our special events and ALWAYS
choreographed dances performances for my birthday celebrations. The premier performance group of the KCC (DeUnyt) kept me and my other choreographers, Kim Watson
and Renita Shelton inundated with flavorful and
top-notch performances and showcases with became the catalyst for the entire
city as many other performance groups have sprung up with very similar
agendas since the inception of DeUnyt. |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
How many dances have you created
and what was the very first dance you created? |
|
De Barker: |
I’ve created over 100 dances and probably the same amount of
performances/dance routines for adults, children - groups and individuals My first dance was HeadSprung, done to
LL Cool J’s song HeadSprung. It became the favorite for many men and the
reason some of them started line dancing as it was more accepted as
male-oriented. You see most men in KC do NOT line dance and KC is mainly a
2Steppin town!!! |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
Of all your dances which one would
you say is your favorite? |
|
De Barker: |
There are actually two dances that come to mind. My first fav dance
is Flirt, done to I’m A Flirt by R. Kelly.
My next fav dance would be My Ish. I had so much fun creating it - I was in the zone
and also because so many people just love it!
Makes my heart glad. |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
In your own words, what makes
dancing special? |
|
De Barker: |
The synchronization of the beat, the rhythm, the bass and the
melody coupled with the innate passion you have for moving your body
harmoniously to that combination - which overtakes and captivates your dance
flow. |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
If you could change one thing
about dancing, what would it be? |
|
De Barker: |
The competitive inclination people tend to let over-shadow the
passion and the sheer joy of dancing – just for the FUN OF IT!!!! |
|
|
|
|
Line Dance Connection: |
Tell me one thing about yourself
that the dance community would find surprising. |
|
De Barker: |
I can stand on my head…and STILL dance! -IJS! |
|
|
|