Alde Lewis

0 (0s):
Hello and welcome to DanceTalks. Today is May 7th, 2020. And my guest is Alde. Lewis LD is the founder and director of a L efficacy movement. Alde welcome to DanceTalks. How you doing you? Great. Thank you.

1 (15s):
I'm doing good. Doing good. Good.

0 (18s):
Well, I want you to share your amazing life story with us. Can you give it to us from the top?

1 (24s):
I guess I could. So now when you say from the top, I assume as a, the very beginning, meaning even as a kid. Yeah. Okay. To start with dancing in my family, not professionally, but just in general was a, was a, a, a normal thing in, and, and we even had competitions within the family as who is the best dancer in the family, you know, always, and to his uncle that we call Bilbo, his name is Charles Collins. That was always considered the best dancer in the family.

1 (1m 6s):
But that was from, of course he was particularly era. And I was like a little kid when I first started hearing about his exploits as a dancer. And if I think on it, his era would have been the Lindy, you know? Yeah. It would definitely be, it would've been the Lyndie so 1930s with where he was going in the twenties in the twenties. So that is, you know, pretty much it, he might've been born around 24, 1924, something like that. So to kind of it, you know, what his ear would have been, but anyway, I just would here of his exploits.

1 (1m 53s):
I never ever actually saw him. And it wouldn't be just his bath dancing. When I saw him, I saw him Dance it was, it wouldn't be just as fast dancing or UpToDate dancing, but it would also be the way that he, they said he would smell names. And even in his slow dancing, there will be flips that will does, you know, and it will be what I guess you would call what kind of Dance would there be as like a slow drag is a slow drag, but at the same time, umm, well, it can't be, it was the style where Fred Astaire would do ballroom or another way of saying it would be like ballroom in the snow drag combination.

1 (2m 46s):
And again, from what I would hear and from the description, that's what it was find on. Like anyway, I always knew about that for my whole life. And then people didn't know that in, when he came to UpToDate dancing or contemporary dancing, how people were seeing me in high school and my, my family had never really seen the dance and to talk to my senior year when I in high school. And then that's when he started comparing, started throwing up parents, Oh, you better than Bilbo.

1 (3m 27s):
You bet on billable, you know, and all that kind of stuff. So, but outside of that, when it comes to dancing, technique-wise it all really started when I was in the fourth or fifth grade, might've been at fifth grade. It was probably fifth grade where my sister had his teacher name, Dolly, Dolly Johnson. And she overheard one of the kids mentioned about dance classes at a studio and she was interested.

1 (4m 8s):
So she, she came home and asked my mother if she could take dance classes. And so my mother agree and took her to the studio were the key is we're taking classes and this case it was ballet and tap primarily ballet and tap. And I just went along just to watch and be, you know, to be part of it, umm, in the studio year to watch it because the parent's at the time you could come sit in the studio and watch your child.

0 (4m 45s):
Okay. Not waiting to lobby.

1 (4m 47s):
Right. Does it is probably not a thing, a wig in the lobby cause of the place, then the space didn't have that kind of a waiting room type deal.

0 (4m 58s):
Yeah. And this was in Flint, Michigan around what, what year?

1 (5m 5s):
It doesn't say. And so, but anyway, so I'm taking so much sister taking class and it was her, it maybe one of the African American and everybody else was white. So, but it was still one at a time that parents were feeling uncomfortable about touching anyone that was of color. So we're towards the end of the year when my sister needed a partner for ballet.

1 (5m 53s):
That's when I was asked if I would willing to take class to partner her for her, for the recital. So it wasn't like I had interest in Dance is really to help my sister participate, doing the recital that I actually got involved in Dance so anyway, so from that point on, I started taking tap and, and when I say tap, I'm speaking to really bare basics, would you just know what the shuffle is? The bar chain, a couple of riffs, you know, things like that.

1 (6m 39s):
So w it wasn't, it wasn't advanced of any type, which is, as I say, basic tab. So that's how I actually got started in Dance. After a couple of years, I was asked to participate in what they call the Flint ballet theater. I was the first African American excepted into the Flint Valley theater. And this occurred because my, my teacher who was a Dolly was one of the teachers that was part of the organization.

1 (7m 28s):
And so the only way I assume, in order for you to be part of the plant Valley theatre, you had to be a student from the association of teachers participate. Okay. So I, I assume outside it is elsewhere. Couldn't be involved. But at that time, I didn't know. I just knew that the request that I would participate occurred and by my mother green for me to do it, that's how I became a member of the Flint ballet theater. And so, and again, it wasn't a thing where I was like, just interested in Dance is just that I could did.

1 (8m 13s):
I just knew how to Dance. And, but when I, in the ninth grade, knowing the 10th grade, I was, it became very, very interested in wrestling in the sport of wrestling. And at that time I was told in order to wrestle, I had to come due in the evenings and stayed late, which meant I would have to eliminate any dance classes in order for me to participate a resident that was fine with that. But what the outside of not taking dance classes in order to be a part of the Flint Valley theatre, the requirement was that you had to be taking classes from your regular teacher yeah.

1 (9m 8s):
And did to participate. Well, at that time, I had made my decision that I was going to wrestle and that was it at first he said, OK, well, you can't be in the bed like the house. I said, okay, good. So I went and bought my business, but then they wanted me to continue at some point in. And so they say, okay, you don't have to take class, but we still want you to be part of the company.

0 (9m 33s):
And what'd you do with them like Nutcracker every year? Or what was the season like? You know,

1 (9m 37s):
No, no, this was, there were a, that Peter Hansel and Gretel and Peter pan and a couple of core pieces of choreography that they would have a guest artists from around the country come in, in a choreograph or the front of ballet theater. So that was the, that was my experience with the, the ballet theater now, afterwards. And I go to college, I remember I had stopped taking classes around a ninth and 10th grade.

0 (10m 16s):
Thank you for on to college. When you, when you grew up with your family, having these competitions, did you not participate until you said that you Dance until 10th grade? Yeah. You were just your family competition, like just like, and the campaign or, you know, what was that like? And when did you, when did you hop in?

1 (10m 37s):
Well, I only knew of the competition in the minds of my family. Okay. It was not because they, everybody, all we just simply spoke on who was the best dancer and I was not ever part of that conversation because no one had ever actually saw me. Dance only people that saw me Dance were kids from school. And

0 (11m 3s):
It was more like a legacy that anybody and the family knew

1 (11m 7s):
Got it. Right. And even then I was winning all the Dance contest. It is that the kids would have of my generation. So he and I became known around the city as the best dancer in the city. But even then my family didn't really know. So by the time they saw me Dance and I think it, in fact it happened at the I'm not a graduated. It was, it was prior to graduation. And I went to a club and some of my family members were there and Oh, and my cousin and one of my cousins is playing.

1 (11m 51s):
He wasn't playing the ban at that club. And so when people got up to Dance, you know, it was kind of a little dance contest going on and I got up dissipated it, then the whole place went, wow. And then my, when, you know, remnants of my family that were there saw me Dance and keep. But, so that's when all of a sudden they start say, what did you have better than people? And then, you know, so that's how my name started caring. His weight was the family through word of mouth, the word of mouth, even if the others hadn't seen me.

1 (12m 37s):
But anyway, outside of that, when I went to school, which was Michigan state university, I didn't, I was studying first. I studied preventing preventative medicine. Then eventually I changed it to pre med. And then as time eventually, well going into everything, I would just say by the time I, I was there for four years, I had changed it to engineering, anything to do with math and science. So, so interest in terms of theater and things, their saw, it didn't occur, theater, dance or anything didn't occur until my, towards the middle of my sophomore year at school.

1 (13m 23s):
And that only occurred because someone had approached me because I have, you know, again, dance contest is in on campus. And I was winning all of those. And this freshmen, I was a sophomore and his freshman came up to me and asked me, why was, why, what, why was I in college? And of course I said, well, do you know, studied to become a, wanted to become a doctor at some point? And that person said, well, my understand is that when you come to school, you come there to re to obtain some kind of a trade or a what kind of career that you could have in some type of profession and things of this sort, would you so give to them What you do when you Dance?

1 (14m 22s):
I don't understand why that's something that you wouldn't pursue, because if you become less, you become a, a cardiologist, what are you going to do? Jump up and start tap dancing on their heart, to meet them, to know Now, mind you, I wasn't really tapping at this time, because again, only at the very basics attack, which is to use that analogy, which is kind of funny, right?

2 (14m 52s):
So that's probably the first time that the seed was planted in my mind, because not long after that, you had sororities approaching me to, to do a fundraiser in part of their own raise would be that they would rent out of room and then help people play to pay 25 cents a piece to come in and just watch me dance. I said, no, I'm not doing that thought. It was crazy. You know, so, yeah.

2 (15m 36s):
But at some point my mother called me and there was some kind of competition, not Dance competition, which is a town, it contests of a radio personality that she knew, and they were putting it on. Is she at it? And she knew how the key, as you say, you would respond to me in terms of the Dance. He said, what would you come home, participate in this talent contest. That's it. Okay. Okay. So what I'm going to do, she's in what you do, what you do, you see it. Okay. So I come home and it was at, it was a competition. Does the run by the radio station and whoever won the competition was going to be having the opportunity to participate window.

2 (16m 23s):
How high your players, very, you know, so a group of their turn, the higher the players were going to become into the city. And that person will open up for Ohio players. I remember this competition was mostly vocals, you know, or come on a comedian of some sort. And so I was the only person they walked up in there and started dancing. And I freaked him out so much that I ended up winning. So that of the guy, somebody saw me at that, at that performance, a producer, a local producer, and came up and asked me what Apple form at another event.

2 (17m 13s):
And he would pay me, how much would I charge now? No one had ever asked me, how much would you charge today? Dance it was like, I don't know. He said, well, go ahead and shoot, go ask your parents and tell them. Right. So my mother was there. So I asked him, we didn't know what to ask for. So she just said $250. He said, you see it? Cool. And so I went on and did the performance that he was talking about. And then afterwards he told me, you know, would have paid you 2000, if you had actual,

0 (17m 52s):
Huh. Good to know.

2 (17m 56s):
Okay. Well, glad you took to tell them now, you know, so I see it. That's when that's, when it wasn't the Dance that was intriguing. It was a moment of time that Apple form, which is lifting five minutes to receive $2,000 possibly in the future. Right. Then I started putting that together in my mind, and I was saying, and I was thinking about the way, you know, the amount of money that my parents and they were making, how many hours he had to work on the regular night, five and things of that sort.

2 (18m 37s):
That was, it means this is, this is something I need to think over it. And that's how it really kind of got started in my mind of changing what I will probably pursue. Once I got back to school, I continued doing the math and science stuff, but my mind started going towards the hair. And then the last part of what was the icing on the cake was that I had seen while in the ninth grade, Ellen Hey, come to town.

2 (19m 20s):
And that's when they would first becoming nationally known. And for the first time I saw African American male and female as a Dance group, dancing on stage. And even then I may have said to myself, man, I love what I just saw, but it didn't occur to me that that's what I would do in the future. But Alvin Ailey ended up coming to our campus as it was either sophomore, junior that's you know, to go see, I want to go see this, because I remember from the ninth grade, how the hell I saw him and how it affected me from their performance.

2 (20m 13s):
So they came to the campus and prior to the performance, they held a workshop. Now those who attend the workshop would be those who are in the dance department, but they didn't have here many African Americans in the theater or the dance department. Well, at least they had some, so they were asking people if they will be willing to come and participate, if you ever had Dance in your life. So to speak, if you have to American on campus, if you would come and participate in this workshop, that's it? Oh yeah, I'll be there.

2 (20m 53s):
So I went there and took the class and realized that I'm all the techniques that I had gotten to. Cause it was primarily ballet that I had never went away in. Most people that were in the dance department were in there doing modern in jazz though. They took ballet, but they weren't ballet dancers. So when I show up and participate, everybody looking at me like, well, why aren't you in the Dance department? Well, what did you do this and that Alvin Ailey comes up to me.

2 (21m 34s):
And the thing that comes out, his mouth, his, if you ever come to New York, look me up because I will put you on scholarship. So in my mind, he's eight, the company that I had seen in the ninth grade and I was so excited when he approached me and said that that's what I knew, had to take it really serious about what it is that I may want to do. And again, from that point on, it was just a matter to me standing there for the next two years, at least in speed. But I changed my major to engineering because the map and science is, is going to take another two years or so.

2 (22m 17s):
And I had already made my decision that after the fourth year I was going to hit to New York because the movie, the movie of fame and the television version of fame, it would come into play. And I saw there that kids 14, 15, 16 were turning professional, which means the decision was made long time ago. And so on in my mind, I said, okay, I'm going to do my four years. But when his four years, if though I may not finish out of here because I can't wait any longer, not for what my interest is in.

2 (23m 7s):
And that's how I ended up going to New York

0 (23m 12s):
At that point. What, what is your personal style? Like you're saying you, you know, you did a little tap and ballet, so what would you look like when you did your performance and

2 (23m 24s):
The RA Dance? I was in my mind, I was still a raw dancer, but even when I went to New York, people saw that I had technique. I didn't see myself as taking, I never thought of it in terms of technique. I never knew that my body had already taken on in the muscle structure. And in the muscle you have the muscle. That was, that was, there was part of what made me this dancer when I would dance in these competitions for the up-to-date dancing, but it was responsible for what they, or weren't able to do.

2 (24m 8s):
I hadn't, I didn't have that type of, of atomization going on in my mind cause I didn't know it. And so when I got to New York in my mind, I was doing the, you know, the locking, no, the soul train lock in the robot and it, but at the same time could do any form of Dance. And even when people would start, when I'd take a class and listen, it was a jazz class, authentic jazz class. It was automatic because this my, that move, it was normal in my body because the way my, my family as a, my family moves naturally.

2 (24m 48s):
So I would take those classes and they would think I had been doing authentic jazz my whole life in terms of as a professional, as a, as a, you know, to study. And I hadn't had it at all, but my body would automatically go right into it. So again, I didn't see it as anything special other than I could do this. And Our you will in class. Well, at some point I was asked to say what style I was doing. I would just say pretty much it was the, it was a lock in a loan with steps. Cause I have very quick feet kind of like the James Brown kind of stuff.

2 (25m 29s):
So it didn't really any type of form of Dance that would consider it is authentic Jaz. It would be very easy for me to do cause it was already in my body. So I was, I was a, is it called the tapestry, the movement that Our, that was already in my body and was the technique of Dance that only made it even better for those who were seeing him. The first time as I was going to class is going to auditions it. Then at some point, the first time I took a class with her name of steel Myhill she taught off the JS.

2 (26m 18s):
She saw me in our class and I did something that was out of the ordinary, just feeling on the floor, laughing and immediately ran into the other room. We immediately ran into the other room. He told other teachers y'all gotta come see this. Right. And so, and then afterwards she made a phone call. She made a phone and that phone call was, she had told me during the class, she said, I don't know who you are. All I know is this, you wanted the best Dance that I have seen in 20 years of me teaching.

2 (27m 2s):
Awesome. And then she said, but there's one thing that you need. She said, you need discipline now. I didn't know what she meant by that because you know, when you say discipline as a child, right, you need the discipline, right? You said, what do you need? Discipline? Is it, my attitude are, what are, you know what, but she said, and I'm going to do this voice. So she'd go into the other room. She makes it a phone call at the very next day. She, she said this long, what you do it tomorrow. I want you hit over to the album, the dance studio. So I go over there and as I got over there, that's when I found out that was on scholarship.

2 (27m 48s):
So I didn't have to go through the audition process, just the phone call from, from the only to heal. And so, so I was there for three months. It was during the summer and it was really extensive. So for those six months, I mean, for those three months I had, Dance more than probably any other time in my life in terms of taking classes and getting the, the, the, the, literally the technique that I needed with the discipline. And then, so from there I continued.

2 (28m 31s):
So, you know, any other questions?

0 (28m 33s):
Well, it sounds like you got to New York, like drawn to you. You signed up for an authentic jazz class, knowing that Alvin Ailey had already requested for you to call them when you got the town write. And then that teacher still just, you know, she saw that. I mean, I don't know. He maybe had already passed her class or she just wanted you to have, that is interesting to me that you went that route. And how did that, how did that discipline benefit you?

2 (29m 5s):
It took me to a whole nother level because prior to me taking the class at Clarkson, I didn't have any money. Right. So a lot of times I would go to Clark center and just watch class. So a lot of people knew me. Lot of the kids there, they were, they didn't necessarily know me dancing wise. They just knew I was a first, they always showed up at class. It was just watch my ass. They knew I wanted the desk, but they follow it. But they didn't know. Well, they figured it off because no, everybody was, you know, was lacking in terms of money. Then the, everybody probably knew what I wasn't taking the class.

2 (29m 47s):
It just so happened. But that particular time I took the class with prior to that, I was already on a scholarship at sound and motion sounds emotion, which is Diane MacIntyre, which is to this day, I consider as my mentor or one of my mentors. And so I was taking classes there for free. So when I first got to New York, or that brings back, I forgot about mentioning Dorian, Dorian Williams. She had come to Flint to teach a class cause she was already living in New York.

2 (30m 32s):
And I was at home during the summer. And there was a class is being done. Then I heard about it. So I went and the only two people showed up myself and one other person. And so he went on talk to class and then she was another person that kind of fed into my mind. She said, you need to come to, you need to go to New York, they need meal dancers, like you needed to come to New York. And that was the reason that I actually said that I will also go to New you will be calls. And she said, if you come to New York, I'm gonna hook you up with sound and motion and you know, just give me a call. So that was the initial reason I went. Cause I was already going to be on scholarship at a place.

2 (31m 13s):
Now it didn't have to take class. I mean, to have to have to pay for class. So, but the awhile there that's when people would mention about Cox center. And, and so that's when I started going down to Clark center just to visit this place at these other dances, kept mentioning. That's how we ended up down there. Got you. How did you survive? I had a friend of, I had a cousin of mine that knew I was going, wanted to go to New York. He was working in what we call the shot, which is the cars, automobile factory. And he said that he would pay for me to go to New York and he was going to call a re his father and that he had just met and see if I could stay there.

2 (32m 6s):
So when I got to New York, I had a place to stay. And so I had a place to stay of food. I had food, I just didn't have money to do anything. So at what point of view, I got a job. I had a burger King for is not the only nine to five job I had for years, but I did that for a short period of time. And that's what allowed me to have transportation money to go back and forth, to take classes. Yep. Alright. I think we're caught up. Keep going.

2 (32m 47s):
Okay. So from there, I was just simply taking classes, but also Dianne McIntyre was sound's emotion. A lot of times we'll allow her students to participate in certain performances with the company. So I will get a little bit of performance experience that way. When I went to Ailey and spent all my time there, that mean that meant I wasn't spending any more time. It's how I was emotion. But when I came out after those three months, it was as if I had been danced for, or you had to study for you to see four or five years, but that's because I had already had the technique in my body.

2 (33m 44s):
I just didn't know it. And then I didn't have the discipline to, to, to go over and over and over with my, with my body and my muscles to obtain what I was able to obtain. So that when I left out of there is it started going back to sound and motion. That's when everything, he started to move because I was immediately put into her company. And then that's what I would start a touring and all this other stuff. And then people start hearing about me. You had to start hearing about me.

2 (34m 25s):
And then this, it was from there that I got involved in. Somebody came up and was involved in a theater project and he will look for someone to who could do mine. And I was a person that could do mine because of the robot. There is always up stuff that I had taught myself. And then this what started me in the theater portion of, of my life and was to there that even while at that particular place, participating in that particular theater piece, then someone else asked me to come to an audition for 'em the knick here for a project that she was doing.

2 (35m 17s):
And now she had done a couple of Broadway shows as a director. And I w I got that audition. And that's when I ended up meeting Talley Beatty, who is the choreographer? Kelly Beedie is the one that from everybody that I spoke to, when I first got to New York, they would speak of Alvin Ailey, the company, but they say they will always say, but it was Talley. Beatty's choreography that the Alvin Ailey company got his reputation. And he was also the course, Alvin Ailey's revelations, and a couple other pieces that he came masterpieces.

2 (35m 58s):
But up until Ailey came up with those pieces. And throughout the years with choreography for his company, it was primarily Talley Beatty's courtyard. So tell him, he sees me in this audition and I get the audition. And from that point on anything that tally was doing on other dance companies, that it feels a solo segment that was to take place. He would invite me to come to the rehearsals of these dance companies that then this didn't know who I was.

2 (36m 40s):
And he was choreographed the peace and being, you get to that park where he would Crete the solo space, that's where he would invite me to these companies. I would walk you through. He was saying, okay, Alde I want you to call right here. And I want you to do this, this and this. And now the answer to the CME for the first time. Yeah. Right. And the solo there is being given to the piece is not them. So they're kind of like created, you know, some issues down the line. Yeah.

2 (37m 22s):
Wow. You know, so, right. So this is strictly modern, modern, jazz dancing. Like you have nothing to do with tap. Yeah. One day, you know, what did you say? You can dance. And we don't know the kind of Dance you doing what you say you can dance, but he said it. So he says I'm Mmm. If you can dance, like you say, you can, why don't you go to the Apollo? It's the pain and their competition amateur night at the Apollo was the night, amateur night and their problem.

2 (38m 9s):
And so we made a bit, I told him I will, when he had the spins of how people respond to me, you know? And so he didn't believe it. So I said, okay, I'm gonna go. It went on and I need an audition. I've went to the stage door because you were supposed to send in a postcard. But he told me, I went to the stage door. The guy told him, you got to put in, you got to send them the post card to request an audition. And then a, once they choose you, you've got two weeks have come in and audition, blah, blah, blah. So winning where you stand in there, this is staged dormant.

2 (38m 53s):
So I said, okay. He said, so by right away. So what do you do? I say our Dance you said you gave it a year, because again is what the competition that usually vocals and comedians, you save you days. What kind of day is you do it? Why do different times? So he said, he said it. So I started to walk away. He said, he said, do this. I create something. It didn't come back here. And B here at six o'clock next Wednesday.

2 (39m 35s):
I'm to try to get you on. I said, okay. So I did. And sure enough, he got me on stage, get on stage. And I call him to not ask your problem. And the audience went crazy. Awesome. It was like, you know, they had booze. So folks off, but on stage, when I got on stage, they, they were running up to the, it was like Michael Jackson or James Brown and the heyday, the way he pulls his run to the stage.

2 (40m 17s):
And when it was over the guy that was, the host came to this grade and he said to me, a Dance or hit one at the Apollo of over 25 years. And he said, if you could have to go it alone, what you have naturally, there'll be nothing of the world had to stop you. There was Charles honey Coles, who was the host of amateur night at Dance. Wow. I didn't know who Charles on the coast was.

2 (40m 58s):
I didn't know anything about tap. I didn't know about tap dancers. All I knew, I looked at him. It was just somebody. It was, you know, up in age, there was saying some to me about something and I wasn't really interested. And I just didn't as a Derr, you know? And so he said it, all that to me, I'd just, you know, I just brushed it off. I was feeling good that he fell about good about it, but it still wasn't nothing. I was that impressed with until I will go down to Clark center, Dance studio and people will be tossed in the hallways and the missile.

2 (41m 42s):
You, at some point I was so, you know, you, you know, I, well, you know, astronaut at the Apollo, do you know what you did? Yeah. Here. And I said, yeah, you know, this guy, this guy named C I think you said his name was the honey Coles. And then I would get how many calls, how many calls? You mean me, honey Coles. So you had this guy named honey. He goes, no, no, no, no, no one, no, Charles honey Coles. So, yay. I got that enough time.

2 (42m 24s):
I see. Well, you know what? I think I need to go to the library. So went to the library to look up who this guy was. The everybody was freaking out about when I would mention his name. Oh yeah. And when I went to the library and saw and rail, all the stuff, I was so happy he had given me. Yeah. If, and when you ever decide that this is something that you might consider, I want you to call me. So I went from the library at that time, it was no cell phones.

2 (43m 6s):
Right. You know, and got to a phone I'm calling and he set up a time space at the studio suite to work out. And that's how I started tapping. Now he is even over you remember it? I was 20 more 21. Yeah. I was a little worried. Cause remember I was know it all before he was in college. It happened pretty fast to me. Right, right, right. So now I'm not even 21, two and 20 too. By the time that 20, too, by the time I ended up, you know, well, no, I was still 20.

2 (43m 49s):
I was turning 21. That's what it was. I was turning 21. So by the time I got with him, I was 21. But anyway, so, and this was in the beginning of Lucy in the beginning of stage. So I was already, I had done that and I was still on scholarship at sound and motion. And I hadn't done anything yet. I hadn't done anything yet. So kind of like backtracks to get to that point about, to tap that as I'm talking with you, I knew it was so far, we had get to the point about me dealing with chat because everything has spoken to up to that point was about my modern and jazz, which I had become known for the first.

2 (44m 35s):
Yeah. Anyway. So, so I'm in the studio with honey and he goes, he said, I'm going to show you a couple of things here, but I'm unsure to you. Cause it will give you a way to be able to practice because you have a New bit of something that I've given you. But at the same time, I'm giving you something that is mine. So that down the road, you will be able to tell folks that you got this step from honey. Cody okay. You saw it. But at the same time you see it. I don't want you to be a, a cookie cutter tap dancer.

2 (45m 20s):
So I do not want you to go and start taking classes. I want you to teach herself to tap and I'm giving you a foundation here, give you something to work on. And now we're going to, we're not going to see each other a lot. But when I do see you, I want you to show me what you've come up with. And that was our relationship. Cool. Okay. So the next time that I saw him was not the next time, but a couple of times later, at one point we hadn't seen each other in and in some time. And then I hear that he was doing boom, the Brown shoe or on Broadway.

2 (46m 3s):
Cause at the time I saw him and initially when I first saw him, he was in retirement in some kind of way. They pulled him out of retirement and they got him and do blood on the Brown sugar. And I found out about that. So I go backstage to see him and I showed him what I had come up with from the last time we had seen each of which had been really over a year. But what he did know was I had moved from my cousins relatives place to a space where I was, it was a downstairs in no one was underneath me, which meant that I could tap hours at a time.

2 (46m 53s):
And then from there I moved into a, a hotel space. It had become a residential space that for artists that allows you to make as much noise as you want all day long until 10 o'clock at night. Cool. So it gave me all this time to work on whatever tap I wanted to do and things that I was comfortable with too. The point where I attacked more, probably in that six month period tool, a six to nine month period, more than all this, then the tap who have been going and taking classes. You probably haven't taken class for years because I will start tapping this thing like nine o'clock in the morning.

2 (47m 40s):
And I would think I would have tapped for probably 45 minutes to an hour, but it would be six hours. It would have passed by. Wow. So, and this was happening on a daily basis. So what was really concentrated, that's it?

0 (47m 58s):
It is listening to music in there. Just, you know,

2 (48m 1s):
Just me, no music. Nope. Just me and taps.

0 (48m 6s):
Yep.

2 (48m 12s):
And I was teaching myself to go for one thing to the other from once. And it wasn't, I wouldn't teach myself, I wouldn't teach myself pap combinations. I was teaching myself to hear what I was doing and how can I go from that sound and that rhythm and flow into this other sound and this other rhythm smoothly. So for a long time, I never knew what I was doing. I just knew how to do it. And I was know how to do it because it wasn't the tap steps that I was keeping in mind, but it was the feeling of my legs and the way of my legs moved.

2 (49m 5s):
They created the sound that came from my feet. And so for a long time, I didn't know the names of the tap steps I was doing. I just knew how to flow right into him. So what point is, I say it moved to see you, honey, when he was in South wrote about sugar. So while there I showed him what I could do, his eyes booked because it was like, this guy just started falling into Support and he's already at a level that he could be considered one of the best tap dancers.

2 (49m 52s):
I don't see it right now

0 (49m 53s):
Ever. Well, I dunno at that time,

2 (49m 56s):
No, not that time. I don't know about Kelvin, but he knew he had seen those young cats that were tapping, that he considered me is the best young Tapper out there.

0 (50m 15s):
So you got caught up in under a year. Do it again. You got caught up and under a year with sheer determination and self discipline and tapping into your own creativity.

2 (50m 31s):
And then is there a, not long after that? I remember when I went to the library at one of the comments that was made in that documentary that I had seen, was it a hundred? He had done the same thing. Yes. He was known for whatever it is he was doing in Philadelphia. But then his part of the lips who is part of a group and they lived, is it some kind of way they disbanded for what he did. He went into a room and didn't come out for almost a year before anybody knew about him past that, of what he already had started to become known for.

2 (51m 22s):
When he came out of that room, he was as whole of a tap dancer that people just, you just move people away. Now, even though I had seen that it didn't Dawn on me. That that's what I did. I actually paralleled what he had done.

0 (51m 47s):
Do you, he taught you to do that. He, like you said, mentor you to follow his footsteps, not step for step, but through his creative process.

2 (51m 59s):
Exactly. And that's why it's the TC, his main thing was I do not want to become a cookie cutter dancer. And usually if you take class and you, you just simply be a classroom tap dancer and you can be really, really good technically as a tap dancer, but it won't confirm you will come from one out of you come from out of you. And so people won't feel what it is that they need to feel that which comes from him. You wow.

0 (52m 35s):
He really wanted to see you, not him, but he didn't wanna see his reflection.

2 (52m 40s):
Exactly. So in my mind, I wanted to be a tap dancer like him, but in my mind, my thing, when I saw him, I saw how fluid he was compared to the tap dancers that I was seeing. I saw how he made it look so smooth and so easy. But I thought it was because of the Heights that he carried and the slimness than he was the charge of his stature. And so he would do things. It'll be like, just floating. So in my mind I was saying, okay, I want, so what I say about my legs, I would kind of like try to imitate the look of his legs when he was tapping.

2 (53m 31s):
Sure. That's it. So when I realized that I wasn't to creating steps, I'll read on creating movement that created the styles of the steps that I was doing, but it that's why I said it's took me years later to break down to myself what it was that I was doing. And then I'll say, Oh, okay. So this is what they call the, you know, the power of role. This was what they call a, you know, to kind of self the names of, of steps that were being done. You know? So yeah, yeah.

2 (54m 13s):
Then years later, you know, I started coming, not usually, but not long after that. When I go to these auditions for Broadway shows and things, my tapping was like, nobody, can you compare? Right? The, the shows that to show that I ended up getting those is my one and only hand and big deal. Even now you have to audition for big deal. That's what by Fauci. Cause it was off is called me for that particular production. But when our district for my one and only it was due to the tab and sure.

2 (54m 54s):
And, and it was after I got the show when our first deal rehearsal that honeycomb is, and I realized we were doing the same show though. He was one of the principles in the show. He mentioned it to be the Tony award. And I was in the course. And so it was such a wonderful thing that his mentor was participating in a Broadway production that he didn't have anything to do with, in terms of me getting the shell, we find out doing the first day of rehearsal that we both do on the show.

2 (55m 36s):
So you can imagine how we felt you will never union, so to speak. Yeah, that is awesome. Can you tell us what it was like to dance on Broadway? Oh, okay. When someone asked that particular question, I'm just figuring out what, what is, is really asking. It was exciting. It was a gold, it was a dream. Then it come true and performing in that moment.

2 (56m 18s):
It was, it was good. It was good. Everything was positive. But outside of that,

1 (56m 25s):
Just like in general, then, you know, there's always things that occurred, but just in general, when it comes to the Broadway, I feel really good and positive about the expensive fact that Charleston, the Kohl's was part of my first experience of actually doing all the way up until then I had done a couple of shows that we're on their way to Broadway, but they never made it. So this particular model was perfect for that. Yeah. And then the other Broadway show that I did was a big deal in their particular case, I really didn't have to audition. I got a call from by policies office and they were letting me know that he was very interested in me doing a particular character that they were creating for this a regional piece that he wanted to do.

1 (57m 16s):
I say a regional piece, the story of self was an old piece from the 1959, I think 1959 movie. And I've get the name of the movie, but the storyline, it was kinda the same point of this in this case who is going to be an all black production in terms of actors and actresses called the big deal. I also, the name of him to think about it, the main to the them, I think was big deal on Medina street. And I think it was 1959 female. And so the story was, was about it.

1 (57m 57s):
Mmm Mmm, Mmm. You know, the learning and not necessarily, you know, him, but, you know, poor white, maybe Italian or whatever. And big money to them was the, was to bring it to a par shot and take the money that's there. And he was supposed to live the life of Riley, so to speak. If he ever got the money that I was in their car and shot. And so things, lot of things happening, it goes awry and it never really comes to fruition. Was it the same thing to happen with, of course, in our story about it? So what the show itself was wonderful.

1 (58m 38s):
Cause he ended up getting to the Tony award for choreography for a piece called Mmm. The daddy ate to the bar from that song from the, I guess the thirties, the day to the bar. So that was one of the songs that it was used. But again for Broadway, I really enjoy doing probably cause it's the pinnacle of what one Sikhs to achieve as a person in theater, dance and theater, but specifically theater and anything that it happens past that with television or film is like Iceland on the cake where when it comes to and film, you make the real money, put the prestige of doing Broadway will always be there because not everybody gets a chance to do Parkway or have the talent to do Broadway, but you can get away with things when he comes to do and television and PR.

1 (59m 41s):
And so that's why you would see back in that time, then allowed the superstars that were doing, they were film stars through it. All we say on these talk shows that at the ever had a chance, he would love to be able to do a Broadway show though. They never really got a chance to do

0 (1h 0m 2s):
Let's flash forward to today, you are working on a show called we to that is a retrospective on your life. Can you tell us about where that starts and how you've created it?

1 (1h 0m 17s):
Yeah, actually it started from, well, I read a movie of what I would bring to the table if I ever, besides to write all right, be the author of a project. And one day I was asked while living in Michigan, I was asked to participate in this Tori storytelling event kind of like a moth type event. And which is a, the goal is to stand with the pin light on you and a microphone.

1 (1h 0m 57s):
And you don't use the stage. You just stand there and just tell your story. And one spot you tell you a story and it was, was Support. It usually convene with them for minutes to use the around 10, 11 minutes at the most. But this person created this opportunity for people to get involved with a moth light presentation, but we could go over the 10 minute Mark. And in that particular case, when she asked, how would I be willing to tell my story? Cause she knew he had been in New York and through it, all this stuff, but she also knew he had a child, a raise a child.

1 (1h 1m 37s):
So as a single parent, so she, she asked, was there any stories that I could bring to the table to make it exciting for what she was being the cure rate of four? So I said, okay, let me think on it. And then I'll get back with you. And then that's when I started, I put something together and went and did this, this, this event told my story and the story deal with me, raise my child, my daughter, as a single parent, umm, and the trials and tribulations, they come with raising a child teaching in and, and giving your knowledge and passing that knowledge on to your child, hoping that you're receive it enough so that when they're not around you, that their thinking capacity we'll allow them to reach back or somethings that they may not know no what to do, what, how to do what they will hear your voice in the background.

1 (1h 2m 42s):
And in me understanding that that's where I deal with her. So I wrote the story to tell it their, and it will just about her and myself to, she went to college. Well, after that, I was in New York, this happened, I'm thinking around 20, 20, 14 of 2013, this it might be around 2013. And so when I moved down to Houston because the water issue in Flint, Michigan, and I moved here because my daughter had come here.

1 (1h 3m 29s):
Ah, and what the school here, it was staying in. And she wanted me to come down and start my life again by living here in Houston to get away from the, the poison or the water in Flint. So while here, at some point I was, I was going to New York to meet up with someone on another situation or another opportunity. And I met up with this guy. It was just so what happened that he had this space that he had just purchased a studio space, that he wanted to allow people that were following the theatre to come and know that this rehearsal and, you know, performance space existed.

1 (1h 4m 15s):
So he knew it when you have me from my past. So he paid that as he could give me to come there to do a piece that I might be able to bring some people down that will be interested to come down two to see his face and how I use the space by doing a project. So he asked me if there was a project that, that I could bring to light in of the attrical way that could, that could be done in a studio. And I said, I have a story, but I had written it in a theatrical way. So, but with an opportunity, they're getting meeting the reason to use it, take my story, expand the story and make it a one man show.

1 (1h 5m 4s):
And so I did. And then after I get back to Houston, I'm doing something at the ensemble theater for, you know, for a corporate performance. I'm usually asked to participate when it comes to the ensemble theater here in Houston. And after that particular performance, I was told that there was a grant available for new works or works, that it, that one has a work on, but it still had themes.

1 (1h 5m 44s):
They could be beneficial if it was put on his feet, uhh, in the BrightBox at the theater. And I told them, yes I do. And so I said, I have put in, since I Apple formed this other project, you know, we, to, when it was in New York, it was called a 1 million of Dance that's what it was called. And, but when, but when I came, when I created for here, the director that, you know what this grant, the a at the ensemble, they were gonna be able to choose someone to direct it.

1 (1h 6m 26s):
If I need a choreographer, if I needed a musician, if I needed a musical director by and the costume, they would going to be able to take care of all of that s**t. You know? And I'm like really excited because I was like, Oh man, let's get real. You put on his feet. Right? So the guy that, one of the people that looked at the script and got excited about the scripts, he said that he would like to do. And that's it. And it wasn't no one who is our writer for him to direct it. I said, sure, I'll be fine with that particular person. So we get together. Then he tells me that after reading the script, he saw it no longer as a one person's show.

1 (1h 7m 10s):
He saw that there are a lot of lines in my script that I speak on these other characters. And so he said, well, maybe let's do this. Let's get someone else that have the ability to present different characters in your fees while you continue to be the narrator of the piece, as opposed to is telling you is what they said, have this other person actually act out to the scenes that I was speaking about. And then of course there would be times where I would be acting with that character will come back and forth because the story is still speaking about certain scenes.

1 (1h 7m 56s):
So then became a two person play and we ended up calling it. I ended up changing the title two week to week and, and I loved what that director brought to the table. And with that vision, I, I see myself as he is taking it elsewhere or the form of elsewhere and it becoming a tour. So my goal is New taking it on tour, around the state, in and around the country. And if need be to take it to where it could actually be an off Broadway show, the reason why I say all Follow way, as opposed to Broadway, it'd be because I feel it's the type of show that should be in a more intimate setting and it will create the feel.

1 (1h 8m 50s):
It will be easier to creep in the field in that type of atmosphere, as opposed to a large theater. So,

0 (1h 8m 57s):
Which is really about a father and daughter. And yet the audience can access those words of wisdom that you raised your daughter on.

1 (1h 9m 8s):
Exactly. Exactly. Beautiful.

0 (1h 9m 14s):
It does it have Dance in it?

1 (1h 9m 17s):
Yes, it does. It was good. Yes, it does. You call it some, my reputation in the, in the tap community, it means from over the years, a one of the things that was guaranteed, even in the one main show made sure that that at one main show that it did in New York, I was wanted to create a situation where not only would I be able to tell this story about myself and my daughter, but I would expand the story where I was expanded, where at the beginning of it, it would be add it on where's the story I had told as the, what as the storytelling event is started, that would actually be the second act.

1 (1h 10m 7s):
So I had to create the first act. And at first act, I decided that as part of this story, I can, I can dwell more into my history as a performer. And so I decide to begin the story from the moment that, or the day that my daughter was born. It just so happened that the day that my daughter was born, I was actually in rehearsal on the soundstage for the film, the cotton club, which is now called the cotton club Encore, which is on blue rate and DVD as of this past December 35 years later.

1 (1h 10m 50s):
So you wouldn't want to see that you'll be able to see me in that, in the movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. So my story of wheat to begin on the set of meat doing the number is that that was their, was to be featured. And the film, there were two numbers. I ended up doing, wanted to give the flair of what I've always done in terms of Broadway and things of that sort. And then of course the number I called, the one man, Dance that is kinda like the, the hit of the show because everybody just got like, it stops the show actually, as I'm performing it.

1 (1h 11m 40s):
And then it flows into the history of me performing on Broadway in things that occurred when, once I knew how to show them my one and only in, and got the show and got the film, the cotton club. So anyway, so that's, so yes, there's definitely tapped in it.

2 (1h 12m 9s):
And you show how you chose to walk out of the limelight to be there for your daughter.

1 (1h 12m 17s):
Yes. That's part of the story. And even with that, I just wanted to leave with them and I want people to come and see this show to get the story. Cause I don't want to give too much away on it. Yeah.

2 (1h 12m 38s):
How do you know I've seen some of the developments of it and nominal, I can't wait to see what you do with it and how, how it comes really, you know, to be as in the way that you're dreaming about it. What, where you at in terms of stages of development I'm what do you have left to do for it?

1 (1h 13m 1s):
Well, once I finished doing the workshop and the CIT and the other thing was created for the set, the opportunity passed that was that I was able to use the set that was built specifically for their production. And there's this it wasn't named the theater. Hmm. Can't think of that theater. Yeah, I did. You love it. Thank you. The last theater, which is newly renovated, they're allowing me to bring the production there, so it can be actually done on the stage as opposed on a black box and to know as in, and so that is, and because the size of the, of the theater and the seating capacity, it actually reminds me of, of what on Broadway theater would look like.

1 (1h 14m 6s):
So I'm very excited that out that I'm being asked to perform there initially may the 15th and 16th and 17th, I think were the days that we were actually supposed to perform. But because of the shut down of everything you cause of the virus, we do not know exactly now when that opportunity going to present itself. But when it does, there's also another theater called Mecca or T V H M. That is also I'm speaking with that was I perform it at that at the deluxe that I'll then be able to move it to that theater provided their dates are our open it because of this virus.

1 (1h 14m 58s):
I'm quite sure they're going to be a lot of dates open now because no one knows when and how they have going to revamp themselves to get their projects up and running for the audience to want to come out and see it. And that's the other thing I got to take into consideration. I really don't know how soon that I'm going to be willing to actually put it up because it's not going to make sense if people are still afraid to come out and to be close, to see the, and not feel that the, in a position that'd be my, you know, catch the virus.

1 (1h 15m 42s):
So that's where, that's where I am right now in terms of not knowing, but yet in my heart, I'm still excited because I still know that I have a project as ready to go. It's just, that is just a matter of win that is to take place. I can make sure that it does. Now, in the meantime, there, I am working on a, a script, more of a book on the experience that I had before I came to Houston in terms of my spiritual life and the things that came to me in terms of revelations.

1 (1h 16m 29s):
So I'm working on that during this time. Cause I don't have anything by the time. So once it came to my mind that I've been wanting to do this since 2003 is giving me the opportunity to sit down and write in chronologically things that occurred during that particular time is going to be exciting. So this is another project that I can put my mind and effort into doing this time of solitude.

2 (1h 17m 4s):
Yeah. Would you like to share one of your experiences with

1 (1h 17m 14s):
Yes, I can. One thing, one experience that I see when, when I was kind of like in a meditative state and I had never thought on these things before, but it just simply came to mind that had to do with the Lord. And one of the things that came out of the revelations was that I got to know who he was because of who he told me. Cool. He was in the understanding that occurred in my mind and was so new to me that it, it became the immediate paradigm shift as to what I was receiving and understanding when I read the Bible was totally driven as if I was reading a totally different book, because the way it comes to me.

1 (1h 18m 12s):
And one of the things that come to me was knowledge of knowledge of the word, the knowledge of the word, the understanding of the knowledge of the word and what all that entailed in terms of one spirit. And that in itself in him telling me that the knowledge of the word, what does the sign, which is why it's called the word, it's the words and expanded out of the mouth of Jesus, not the physical man. Jesus is as being a son, the son of God, actually being the word and the spirit of that word that was expounded out of his mouth. Not only through understanding of that word only he can give his through the Holy spirit.

1 (1h 18m 60s):
If you have four, the Holy spirit is operating out of the understanding of that knowledge. The only he can give from the knowledge of him and then him actually ended up being truth and truth when verbalized his wisdom. So on the only way to get to true, which is the father. You first have to have the knowledge, therefore, when you win, the word says, I am the truth. Then what is the life too?

1 (1h 19m 40s):
I'm a very bad with memorization. It wasn't the way I am the life, the truth and the light. Thank you. The way the truth in life, in our way to get to me is through my son. Right? So in, is it that made sense to me when all this came to me, because in order to get to the truth, you first have to get the knowledge. And the understanding that understand is actually the, the life and the light, which brings to who he is. It doesn't make you, him. It makes you understand who he is and how he operates out of you. And a wisdom when verbalized partially you see a truth when verbalized is called wisdom.

1 (1h 20m 27s):
That's why in provers, the whole book provers is the Lord himself operating in terms of debt, which is hell, which is a book of wisdom. If you obtain that wisdom and receive it in your heart, then you operate out of that wisdom and not out of the world. So to speak and not say the world, meaning, which is not the truth of wisdom, which is offering what you think is right and wrong. So I don't know if that was clear the way that expressed it, but that's the best way I could do it at this at this time.

1 (1h 21m 19s):
Well,

0 (1h 21m 21s):
Let's say, do people an idea of how, how special you are in as an artist by really just saying in your own words, what your style is and what you've innovated, how you are, you know, who you are as in you conform, umm, and you know, tell us really what you think, what makes you unique?

1 (1h 21m 55s):
Okay. Have to say that when it comes to different styles or styles, I feel that movement, there's never a new movement that comes into play ever is it just becomes new form. It comes new for a generation. They have not experienced of suing that movement. And so therefore people would say that they create their own. But what I was saying is that because of those who came before me and the things I've seen of them, but I can only relate to them, even if I hadn't seen them do, I mean, do the movement the same.

1 (1h 22m 42s):
I didn't necessarily create it, but at the same time, those who is seeing it on me or seeing it for the first time. So to them, it's a new creation. So with that in mind, I would say that if you want to think of the style in which I Dance, if he can he speak in terms of cab dancers, if you have to be a combination of honey Coles, Jimmy slide and bunny Briggs, if you just watch me for the first time and you know, a funny braise, you would think it was strictly bunny breeds, but my flown is different because my approach is that of honey.

1 (1h 23m 26s):
But the result because of my ability to do different things and move a certain way and do slides, you could then say, okay, you call Jimmy slide was known for his lives. Then I have that influence as well. So you have to think of as a combination or accumulation of the three and try to visualize what that is. Then you can say in the one who is that I am, that will be me, but North, will you just, do you have to know the visual of the other three?

0 (1h 24m 5s):
Where can people find you and connect with you online and see you?

1 (1h 24m 11s):
Okay, well, I have my own channel, that one to go to, but I also have a website that will also take you to my channel. So let me give you a, the website and then where people can see me in the notes to, yes, you can put in the notes. The website is, is H L if you could see movement and there's E L E F F I C a C Y M O V E M E N t.org, a L, which represents Audi.

1 (1h 24m 54s):
Lewis a L E and then efficacy, E F F I C a Y. And the movement.org. That'll take you to the website and you can take a look at, you know, different things. You can see my resume bio and things as sore, but other things I've also done just browse through it. Then you get that. And then there's on every page practically that you go on the website, there's a link to something that can actually take you to my channel. Okay, great.

0 (1h 25m 34s):
And then in terms of digging in a little deeper with the history to see honey calls and Jimmy slide and funny Briggs,

1 (1h 25m 47s):
All you have to do is go in YouTube and type in their name. Great. And you'll be able to see what their styles are you. Okay.

0 (1h 25m 58s):
Okay, great. We've got some research to do.

1 (1h 26m 4s):
So did I actually answered all the questions that at the end that he was just asked was it, was this one, it was just something I'm missing.

0 (1h 26m 12s):
Yeah. Yeah. We're up to date. I think I just kind of wanted to ask you, like, have you been dancing like since day one or, you know, at this point, I mean we're eight weeks. We're on, we're on week, eight day to the shutdown as you described it. So have you been dancing?

1 (1h 26m 40s):
Well, actually I've not dead specifically meaning live, but because I was asked to participate in events that it was supposed to be alive, they decided to do a virtual and I was supposed to create something here at my apartment, but because I do not have the, the material to be able to do that is all copy. I don't have a wooden floor, anything. And they said, well, okay, well, since we have, uhm, in our archives, a, a performance that you did for us, this was, is called 10 tiny dances, right.

1 (1h 27m 24s):
That they said, well, could we use that? There's in our archives in create in and allow your performance from DSV part of that. Particularly as series of dances, there is going to take place within a week and a half or two weeks. And I said, sure. So in that case, as opposed to me actually performing live myself, it was a video that they had filmed when it actually performed for them a couple of years ago. And so that was brought to the masses as a new piece. So it was all good as if I was before me lie, he had, and the audience, whereas with the others that are shown, except for one other a of the other dances of that call came tiny dancers.

1 (1h 28m 17s):
They actually created their own. So it's with our audience, the mind it is, is that the audience?

0 (1h 28m 23s):
So you're really not dancing at home. They're not just modern boogeyman.

1 (1h 28m 29s):
Oh, in my apartment. Yeah. Well, I think it is always tapped or, you know, about the day, whether it's incompetent, anything he has not, you know, I'll have to have my camp. She was on because my motion of what I, you know, what I'm listening to music. It usually there's a tool called caravan here that I like to. Ah, and ah, and usually when I'm playing that I'll start doing movement, tap movements. You, cause again, I'm not worried about what I'm creating in terms of smell with my feet, but the motion of my legs.

1 (1h 29m 10s):
So you already knew him. I'm achieving whatever it is that I need just by moving my legs. And so, yes, I'm dancing every day in essence, but you know what I do that I never think of him as working out. I just do it because I just do it. It's like breathing wonderful. That's your motto. My motto would be stay focused and know that when you have a purpose, all that you do will be for him, meaning God to be a part of this.

1 (1h 29m 59s):
Right.