Just when we thought all of the greats were on the verge of retiring, Steppin's LeBron James checks into the game. ChiStepper is back with REAL interviews and we chatted with Detroit heavyweight Drew Alexander about everything from being approached by women twice his age, to how his parents feel about the amount of time he invests in Steppin'. "... I'm a young guy but I've always been interested in older women.." (Read on)
TP: Drew. What's going on?
Drew: Everything is good. Everything is good.
TP: This is your second ChiStepper interview, isn't it? But your first one with me.
Drew: Right.
TP: Okay. I think you did one before with Tracy. Right? (Read it here)
Drew: Yes.
TP: Good. We've got a lot of talk about. Let me dig into it. You stormed to the top of the Chicago's Steppin game in a very short time. You have steppers like Darlinda and Don Vic, two very hard critics of the dance, singing your praises. Why is this dance so natural for you?
Drew: You know what? I think because it has so much versatility in it. I'm able to pick up on so many different aspects of the dance, being able to really just put all my other dances, as well, into this one.
TP: Okay. I've heard some say that you were born to do this dance. Do you feel that's true?
Drew: Born to do the dance ... I feel that coming into the world God has a plan for you. You know, so I guess I was born to do the dance.
TP: What are your goals in Steppin at this point?
Drew: To become as good as I possibly can be. I'm not trying to be better than nobody, just becoming my personal best. That's basically what I'm trying to do.
TP: Speaking of being your best, who do you feel is the best dancer in the nation right now?
Drew: There are so many to choose from. It's ridiculous. I can't really say. There's too many people out there for me to say.
TP: Okay. I will make it a little easier on you. Who do you enjoy competing against the most?
Drew: Who do I enjoy competing against the most?
TP: Yes.
Drew: I would say, as far as the contest to compete against the most, I would say I get a lot of energy when I dance against Feo [Duncan]. I get a lot of energy when I dance against him, when I dance against Jamie [Graham]. I get a lot of energy, of course [from] Tyk, you know. Either you bring it or you don't get it at all; pretty much those people.
TP: I've heard a lot of people question, especially a couple of years back when you were first starting off, why you're putting so much time and energy into Steppin’ at such an early age. How do you respond to those who feel you should be spending more time focusing on college and hanging around individuals closer to your age?
Drew: I really don't know how to respond to them. All I can say is I deal with the people I deal with because that's the village that I hang around. They say it takes a village to raise a child and dancing was my village. That's what I hung around. That's what kept me out of trouble.
I've noticed being with my peers my age tends to bring a lot more drama. A lot more, you know, extra excitement that I don't need in my life. [Steppin’] has put me in a good spot. In a good position for a lot of different opportunities. Where I am is good.
TP: Okay.
Drew: Being able to be around levelheaded people, instead of being around people my age that are smoking and drinking and that's all they're doing.
TP: That’s an interesting way of looking at things. Speaking of an older audience, I also hear that you're getting pretty popular among the ladies. Is it awkward at all when older women demonstrate a romantic interest in you?
Drew: You know what? No, because even though I'm a young guy, I've always been interested in older women. So it's not awkward or anything like that, because of the simple fact that's all I've been around. It's not awkward at all.
TP: Okay. You actually answered my next question. That’s pretty cool. How do your parents feel about you Steppin? Are they aware of your talent?
Drew: My parents, they feel very highly about my Steppin, actually. They realize that it's something that I'm very, very, very talented at. They noticed that with the contests and just the amount of people that come to them, even when they go out of town. Like my mother [travels] out of town for work, and a lot of people come up to her and say this and that. She notices that. Wow, he's make an impact on other peoples’ lives as well.
TP: Right. Right.
Drew: So along with that, being on TV a couple of times, being all over the Internet, they see that it's something that I am making a difference in.
TP: Nice. What Stepper would you say has contributed the most to your development in this dance?
Drew: You know what? It's hard to say what Stepper, because like I said earlier, it takes a village to raise a child. Everybody constantly, constantly, even to this day works with me in making sure that I understand the dance as much as possible. If I had to really give some names, just because I have to give some names .... plural! Sherry Gordon. Tyk worked with me a lot on trios and basically getting me into more of a contest mindset. Feo and Candace put some time into me in my earlier days. As well as the person who taught me Jamal, originally from Chicago, who lives here in Detroit; of course him. James Pacely, here in Detroit. Everybody pretty much has given me a skill contributing to my knowledge of the dance.
TP: I know because you have excelled so much in the dance people want to kind of take you under their wing and give you advice. Even when sometimes you're a lot better than the people who are giving you advice. Does that ever get tiring?
Drew: No. Not at all. I am never the one who doesn't take advice. I take everything, whether I know it already or don't, there's nothing wrong with hearing something more than once. Nothing wrong with it at all. So I believe that everyone, even beginners, have something that you can learn from. I feel that any information is good information.
TP: Good. Will you be dancing in any of the upcoming contests? I know they have a few big contests coming up, one here in April. then another in June. If so, who do you plan to partner with?
Drew: You know, I was going to be in the April contest but I realized that it is clashing with Jeff Clark’s event and I am definitely going to be here for that event. I wouldn't have a partner to even dance with considering my partner, she's working. It's going to be kind of hard to even travel without my partner, Keesha [Anderson].
TP: I was going to ask [who your partner was] because you dance with a lot of different people.
Drew: Yes. Especially because it's an age bracket thing … 21-37 is the age bracket that I am in. So far Keesha is the only one that I dance with that is in that age bracket. I can't dance with Sherry because she's over 37.
TP: OK. Let me ask you this. In your opinion why is so much talent coming out of Detroit? What's happening in Detroit that is creating all of these awesome dancers?
Drew: You know, I think what it is is that Detroit, I'm going to say it like this, Detroit is competitive just like Chicago is. Detroit is competitive to the point where they want what they want. Along with the other dances, we have a lot of dances to choose from, which means that they are able to take from Detroit Ballroom and Latin Hustling. So I think that's one of the reasons why we're able to excel at the dance faster or grasp a good knowledge, due to the other dances.
TP: Okay. I'm going to put you in the hot seat for a minute. There's some real quick questions here. We're going to go over a couple of your favorites and then I’m going to let you go. Name three females that you absolutely love to dance with.
Drew: Three females. Sherry Gordon. Keesha Anderson, of course. I know that that's two from Detroit already. I'm actually going to have to go with three. Ann Hunter from Detroit also. The one I did the Walking with.
TP: Awesome. Okay. Who is your favorite DJ?
Drew: Oh, Shorty Smooth all day!
TP: What’s your favorite Steppin song?
Drew: Whoooo! That's one of those questions. I have so many. If I had to pick, my favorite song period, is Soulful Moaning by Dale.
TP: That's a Michigan song.
Drew: If I had to pick I would say that just because that's my favorite song.
TP: I love that song. That's a Michigan song. Not a lot of people know where that came from. All right. Last question. What's your favorite weekend event?
Drew: My favorite weekend event. That's a really hard one.
TP: I can't make it easy on you, Drew.
Drew: I'm trying to see because, it's funny, it's not always the bigger events.
TP: Whatever one it is.
Drew: Goodness. I'm trying to think. I'm going to go with the White Party. Because it's keeping it Detroit. It's home. I've never had any complaints at all with the White Party. I'm going to go with that.
TP: Rodney Mack will be happy to hear that. You're sticking with the home team. All right. Man, it's been great having you. One thing I can say about you is that you've always been a real kind and humble dude, with a real good spirit. I wish you the best. I know you’ll continue to take the dance to new levels. Do you have any closing thoughts? Anything you wanted to share with the people that maybe I didn't ask or didn't cover?
Drew: Basically, everybody keep on Steppin. Don't let nobody discourage you from the dance. This is the dance that we love to do. Keep it 100!
TP: Oh yeah. Tell the people … are you teaching?
Drew: I do teach. In Detroit, actually Highland Park and Hamtramck are the two spots that I'm in. 50 East Manchester at the Elks Lodge, in Highland Park Michigan. Also 2140 Hollbrook in Hamtramck, Michigan, Financial Showplace.
TP: What days? What times?
Drew: Tuesdays and Thursdays, six o'clock until nine.
TP: All right. It's been a pleasure having you.
Drew: All right then. Thanks a lot.
READ DREW'S FIRST INTERVIEW HERE
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