DJ Rockin Rodney Mack’s 10th Anniversary White Party Weekend Review Back
Jun 10, 2013
By Tracey Bivens
Diamonds are forever and this weekend affair seemed to take the same form. On Wednesday night, visitors started sprinkling into the Steppers Cafe from other cities. Because there were over 30 cities represented this weekend, I dare not try to name all of them but if you have a map and a finger, you can pretty run it along 30 states and find the answers you seek.
Never one to let you see him sweat, Rodney Mack had a goal as to how this weekend was going to go. After the Dearborn Hyatt, the weekend’s mainstay for some seven plus years decided it was going to close its doors last summer, Mack and team had the arduous task of finding venues that could logistically service the expected 1,500 guests for 2013. As it turned out, Novi accommodated many of the guests in various hotels and seemed to bend over backwards to cater to Rodney Mack’s needs for his convention along with the Burton Manor.
Thursday night featured Emile "DJ Steppin E” from Detroit on the turntables (Fact check: Is it really a turntable?) for the 300 plus attendees. If Thursday night was any indication of what the weekend was going to be like…we all were in for a long haul.
I embarked upon a hospitality suite project that involved chicken and waffles and other delicacies (smile) so I didn’t get out to mix and mingle as much as I would have like to have during the day. My goal was to speak to as many "virgin” white party goers as I could to get a sense of what their expectations were. In addition, I wanted to talk some people who had been since the first one back in 2003 and get them to compare and contrast for me. By the way, there will be a survey placed on DJRockinRodenyMack.com for all to provide feedback this week along with videos and pictures from the event.
Steppin conventions are funny in that the dance is often see in hotel lobbies, hallways, the pavement outside the hotel and in some stores in the mall. I spoke with a young lady from Virginia who said that she came just to see all of the fine men she had heard would be there dressed to the nines. Mark from Texas said he wanted to see up close and personal the people from Chicago that he had seen on You Tube for the last five years.
Friday night brought with it DJ Toney and DJ Calvin and their musical stylings. Pete Frazier and the first lady, Ms. Linda, were there letting everyone in attendance see how cool and sophisticated they always appear to be at these functions. When someone at my table asked why Pete and Linda were so important, I offered this explanation. Pete Frazier and the Majestic Gents set the tone for organized, grown and sexy steppers sets back in Chicago and helped out of towners understand and witness how a true steppers set ran in the mid-90s to now. Linda always offered genuine greetings, grace and class to many of us who marveled at her youthful appearance.
The World’s Largest Steppers Contest Pre-Lims offered a glimpse of several contestants who would be entering. It pains me to say this but I really feel people are being pushed into competing when they may not quite be ready technically or performance wide. Seasoned veterans posted around the dance floor expecting to see a lot of "wow moments.” However, Ann Hunter, a Detroit protégé of Damion and member of James Pacely’s SLG (Sophisticated Ladies and Gents) and Richard Cochran, produced by The Steady Steppers out of Detroit, gave onlookers the energy that there were expecting to see. You will be hard pressed to find many women that can match Ann’s stop on a dime spins and charisma on the dance floor. Whew!
After parties are generally not my thing but you always have people who want to step until the wee hours of the morning and it is my understanding that a light crowd did come out to hear DJ Cross out of Chicago. I hate I missed him. All of you out of towners reading this review, if you get the opportunity, book DJ Cross at your sets.
Saturday brought more people, which meant more cooking in that hospitality suite for me (sigh and laughing) but it was all about making it special for everyone who came through. Where else can you go and laugh at DJ Shorty Smooth exercise his comedic skills and present you with his famous mixes at the same time along with DJ Toney out of Florida?
The workshops used to be the star of the mega weekend affairs but they appear to be slowly fizzling out. The Magnificent 7 however, featuring Tony and Dominique Dow, Sherry, Ann, Royce, Andre Blackwell and L.C Henderson offered a culmination of various skills and instruction to attendees. In Addition, Dominique Robinson had the workshops and privates on lock all weekend. Robinson’s marketing skills are superb! Good lookin out to TJ "Vanilla Nice” and Edward Donaldson out of Detroit for helping out Saturday in the workshops.
The swimsuit grab bag contest. Well…(clearing throat)…I can’t endorse the objectification of women being presented in front of a lot of men around a pool ogling them but I do applaud the confidence the women exude regardless of size, shape or other assets. Maybe next year a "Steppin in G-String” component can be added for the men around the pool and we women can bring our dollar bills and gaze upon their front line assembly. Okay…I’ll stop.
As it turned out, Rodney Mack gave all 2,000 attendees (yes, the angels had to count the bands) the white cornucopia of linen draped chairs, those signature white balloons and a sea of white this and white that and vendors. DJ Smooth held down the fort until DJ Mellow Kris walked on stage. I was asked by Jeanne that evening, "Why is there such a stark contrast between the DJs from Chicago and DJs from other places?” Now my response to that is simple. The steppers from out of town studied their craft and tried to play catch up for many years to meet the acceptance of the Chicago steppers. The goal was to be able to blend with the Chicago steppers and not stand out. Well…a couple of DJs like Mykel "Shorty Smooth”and DJ Butta developed their own signature styles in playing and presentation. But many steppin DJs it seems, are just satisfied with the "push and play” method. Now don’t get me wrong, if you are EXTREMELY charismatic like DJ Rockin Rodney Mack, and personally toured the country for years building relationships, more emphasis will be placed on your voice and how you come across to your audiences. Just my opinion. Maybe a World’s Largest Steppin DJ Contest is in order at the next white party. Oh yeah, great trio show by Tony Dow, Torri Lynch and Nike. That’s what’s up!
Another after party and then we come to Sunday. I ain’t even gonna front. I was turnin’ over in my bed in the morning. As the years go on, I think many of us can say our stamina for enduring the 12-14 hour steppin event days get a little cumbersome. I understand that the presentation from Terrance Pratt which was a "name that tune” of sorts fared well. By the way, I will be interviewing Terrance Pratt very soon. I can promise you…this interview will launch rockets. We are arch rivals in the world of website steppin information. (wink)
The picnic was…well a picnic…food, dancing, steppin and typical Michigan weather...unpredictable more often than not! All attendees I’m told seemed to have had a good time…once they found the picnic shelter. Again…give us time to address some of the problems with location logistic folks!
Oh yeah…a little housekeeping. I propose that we retire this phrase from events like this one, "He/She didn’t speak to me so I’m gonna stop talking to them!” People, please take the initiative to go up to the person YOURSELF and speak. Sometimes we think people see us and they don’t. Half of the disagreements in the dance world stem from this mindset believe it or not. Okay…back to our regularly scheduled programming.
By Sunday night, the afterglow brought about 140 people back to the Sheraton for more steppin that night. I did get an opportunity to laugh at Keith Hubbard who moderated along with DJ Mykel who kept the crowd laughing while DJ K-Mix played the music. Keith is always gonna make sure you learn something from him when he is behind the mike. "Keep that floor tight fellas!” "Stay in your lane ladies.”
I spied Rodney Mack plopping down in a chair with his famous hat and glasses tipped down his nose smiling at a young lady from California who thanked him for such a wonderfully put together weekend that was worth her every penny.
Shouts out to the White Party Angels, thank you Patrice Pye (Sweetie Pye Productions), Terri Odoms and Becky for the extra help in going above and beyond. The Chicago old heads that stayed to the very end to support the afterglow, Ronnie B, Chris, Ron Ragsdale, Lawrence Parker, Tony and Dominque Dow. In the house were Jeff Clark I Love Steppin.com, Simon Wilkes (Toledo), Rhonda Chandler (Atlanta) with that smoking footwork!, Popeye (Toledo), Donnie Davis and G, Sharon (Grand Rapids) your steppin is definitely educated!, Amanda Anderson, Mrs. Keesha Peterson (Congratulations!), my school teacher buddies Geri, Ingrid, and Joyce, Detroit’s Golden Elite, Mr. and Mrs. Ira and Gail Blakely, Lynne "Ms. Cheesecake” Batten (how about that chocolate cookie dough creation?), Karen Ware, Darnell "The Videomaster” Brown, Bobby Green, Nora Alexander, Tonya Harris of HarrisProDesigns.com…and to everyone else whose name begins with an A-Z.
Since we didn’t do it Saturday night, let’s all raise our cell phones in salute to Rodney Mack. Thank you for having a vision, thank you for making these events happen and thank you for helping our national dance community make history in steppin by being first to bring all the dance genres together in the Detroit Metropolitan area for the mega set weekends! Salute! See everyone next year.
