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Line Dance Connection: |
What's your name? Do you have any
dance nicknames that you're known by? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
My name is Terrence LaVaughn Payne Sr. and
my dance nicknames are Nuke, T-Payne & **JaggerLipz**
(recently given to me by KayKay Kindrow
of DPK) because she says when I’m dancing and really feeling it, I start
poking my lips out! |
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Line Dance Connection: |
Where are you
from and what city do you call home? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
I was
born and still live in Akron, OH. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
What do you do in your
professional life? Any hobbies outside of dance? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
I’m a
Youth Counselor & Case Manager and Shipping & Receiving
Supervisor/Manager My hobbies
include football, softball, basketball, golf and grandbabies. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
So what do they call this dance
craze in your home town? Line Dancing, Hustling, Sliding, Other? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
In Akron, we call it Line Dancing. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
Are you affiliated with any group
or groups? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
Yes,
I’m with the JustUs Line Dance Crew (President
& Co-Founder) and RYGT Step Urban Line Dancers |
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Line Dance Connection: |
How long have you been dancing? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
I’ve
been dancing all my life, but I’ve been hustling for 4 years. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
How did you get involved in
dancing? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
In
2001 after being sick and feeling very exhausted continuously for a week, I
finally went to the E.R. and a day later I was diagnosed with Diabetes. They
gave me a pill called Metformin which helps control the Diabetes with a
strict diet. I didn’t heed the warning then and in late 2007 they finally had
to put me on insulin also to control my sugar. Along with being Diabetic, my
weight had spiraled out of control and I reached 398lbs.... Needing to
drastically change my life I started eating right after which I started me to
lose a little weight by being more active. In
2010 I started throwing a monthly Networking Event called "First Friday
Akron" where I met a good friend Carmen "BabyBoo"
Cooper who said to me "You think you be jammin
on the dance floor, I like the way you dance." Knowing that I was
diabetic and looking to do something fun instead of the casual workout to
lose weight, she invited me to Line Dance Wednesday in downtown Akron. One of
my Ex Co-workers was an instructor in the class so I felt welcomed and
absolutely LOVED that line dancing wasn't just the Cupid Shuffle. The weight
started to just fall off of me instantly and I began to feel like my old self
again so I haven't stopped. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
After you attended your very first
class, how did you feel? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
After
attending my first class I was like who is making up these dances….. Professional Choreographers??? |
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Line Dance Connection: |
How did you get into choreography? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
Dancing
in talent shows with friends, it was always me who would have to come up with
the routine that everyone liked the most. So when I started Line dancing with
RYGT Step, Ronnie Clay asked me to help him come up with a dance to Justin
Timberlake's Carry-Out and I ended up creating the whole dance. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
How many dances have you created
and what was the very first dance you created? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
I
have created 12 dances so far and “T-N-T” is my first dance done to Carry-Out
by Justin Timberlake. |
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Line Dance Connection: |
Of all your dances which one would
you say is your favorite? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
Of all my dances I truly don’t have a favorite dance but the one
that I have the most fun doing is "Just Grown." |
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Line Dance Connection: |
In your own words, what makes
dancing special? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
Dancing is special to me just because that’s all I did and was
most known for in my city.... It has always been a way to express myself and
helped keep me off the streets... Now I have all the fun in the world just
relaxing with my dance Fam!!! |
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Line Dance Connection: |
If you could change one thing
about dancing, what would it be? |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
The RESPECT of certain things such as creativity..... if someone takes their time to create a hustle, you should
take the time to learn that original hustle and teach it the right way.... Thatisall!!! |
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Line Dance Connection: |
Tell me one thing about yourself
that the dance community would find surprising. |
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Terrence Payne Sr.: |
Most might be surprised to know that BabyBoo
and I are not married yet.....but Happily Engaged!! |
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