Meet the Ryders!!!
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| (Back) Shelbra, Joy, Trina, Ivy, Jennifer (Front) Leveall, Tabaka |
Core Members
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I started
at the young age of 5 in ballet until 12 years old one of two blacks of
Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. Then became an avid roller skater traveling with
the group AK Roller as a Lady AK Roller. I was also
in the RYGT Step line dance group. I was introduced to ballroom in 2009 by my
coworker and studied under Lyndia Nation. After completing 2 years
of ballroom, I became a teacher of beginners ballroom with ATCNB. In 2011
started stepping and fell in love with it. I love the dance and
interaction with the many people I've met through my travels to different
events and states.
I have
been a Rhythm Ryder for 1 1/2 years.
Ms Trina
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| Shelbra Keaton |
While experiencing personal loss and tragedy in my life I needed
something good, pure; liberating. From the urging of two of my best friends,
Marva Broaddus and Brenda Wallace, I reconnected with my love for dance in 2009,
the dance community reached back and I’ve been dancing ever since.
Dancing gave me the opportunity to channel my energy into
something positive. I started with line dancing with the Master Dancers class, of
Akron, OH. While line dancing I noticed
Urban Ballroom and fell in love with the dance.
Instructors Jessie Williams, Terry Stovall, Tabaka Osonduagwuike of
Akron, Ohio. Terry Suits, Leon Jenkins;
and Perfectly Paired Ballroom Dance Class in Cleveland, Ohio.
Chicago Steppin came on the scene, everyone was steppin, and
the natural transition was to learn steppin.
Instructors Vos the Stepper, Val
and Selwyn Hodges of the 330Family, Jennifer Toles, Ivy Chandler, and Tabaka
Osonduagwuike of the Akron Rhythm Ryders all of Akron, Ohio. Leon
Jenkins, Jerry Rhodes, Cookie, Kendra Willis and Jerome Moore all of Cleveland,
Ohio, all had a hand in my evolution in Urban Ballroom and Chicago Steppin.
Dancing has taken me places, allowed me to meet wonderful
people I never imagined. It’s been my
haven of rest and refuge, when the storms of life come raging. Dance for me is pure it doesn’t cheat you,
but gives back as much as you put in a fair exchange.
God used dancing to shine a light life into my world,
brought me out of my shell, built my confidence, gained a fresh perspective;
and helped realign my purpose. It’s one
of the rare times I feel completely free and uninhabited.
This is my story,
Ever evolving
Shelbra Keaton
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| Ivy Chadler |
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Witty, innovative, creative, loyal, spiritual, committed,
first person up in the morning, time challenged, and at times poor-filter
control. Surprisingly domesticated; enjoys
cooking, sewing, indoor plants, and household chores. I habitually participate in walking, weight
training, and swimming under duress.
I
enjoy people most of the time, engaging in bottomless conversations to exchange
opinions, beliefs, and feelings. I labor
as a Mental Health Therapist and a Hospice Social Worker to pay the bills. For amusement I enjoy dancing, traveling,
shopping, and hanging with the Boyz. The
Boyz are my 5 younger grandsons, I have a total of 6 grandsons and 4
granddaughters.
I take pleasure with my
involvement with the Rhythm Ryders group, promoting the growth and positive
development of this organization and the people within. I enjoy reading educational and historical
material whenever I sit still long enough.
I hold numerous ideas and business thoughts in my head, always looking for
a hook! I recently began celebrating my birthday in the past few years that has
now grown into an obsession. I have a
desire to become an author and grow a garden, just need someone else to manage
it. Ivy in
a glimpse!
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| Leveall Foster |
A few years ago, I got introduced to hand dancing at Lawton street community center. I dabbled with that for a brief span. Later on, I went to a cabaret hosted by the group from Lawton and towards the end of the night I picked up a flyer for a Detroit style ballroom class.
The following Friday, I was in that class not knowing what to expect at all. The trio that made Akron To Cleveland Ballroom Dancers were good instructors. Jackie, Priscilla, and Tabaka got me Urban Ballroom dancing and that was saying a lot for a guy who never danced socially before then. Although the trio taught Urban Ballroom, come to find out there was another dance style that was even more popular called Chicago Steppin'.
My first experience with Steppin' was at the Factory in Cleveland. It became apparent that everyone else in the room was doing a different dance. Over the next few months I saw more Steppin' going on at events like the Blackout and other area dances. Within a few months, at the end of my yearlong ballroom training, I ventured into Chicago Steppin'.
What’s ironic about Chicago Steppin' is that I was actually born in Chicago. Cook County Hospital to be exact. So over my experience with learning the dance and experiencing the culture as an out-of-towner brings back all those memories of my original hometown, Chicago - memories like riding the L train, double buses, Shed Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Rainbow Beach. I moved from Chicago when I was nine. I do recall a small amount of House Music and its dance but I have little to no memory of Chicago Steppin'. So now, learning Chicago Steppin' and being a part of the Rhythm Ryders dance group brings me back to my roots and give me an opportunity to share this unique culture.
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| Tabaka Osonduagwuike |
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| Joy Bufford |
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| Jennifer Toles |
Around the same time I saw the movie Love Jones and decided I was going to learn how to Step. Period. Somewhere around 1999/2000 I got my first taste of Chicago Steppin at a "Step 2 Step Clique" class in Detroit, Michigan. Workshops made their way through Cleveland featuring Larry, Kammal, and Beauford (all of Michigan) over the next couple years but it wasn't until 2003 that Cleveland had any local, weekly classes. As soon as I learned of one, I was there…
Belinda Haywood was my first instructor in Cleveland and to whom I give all credit to building the foundation on which Northeast Ohio's Steppin' community would develop. Belinda studied under Brian Patterson so Steppin' B gets credit for my base understanding of the dance. Belinda opened the door for many other instructors to come in and share their knowledge with we baby steppers….Elvis, Sherry, Dre, Cliff, L.C, Steve Matthews, Carolyn Patterson, James & Rose, Ken & Lou & Tanya, Lady Margaret… Eventually Belinda & Donald (Gardner, III) created the first steppin' group in Clevleand - Step 2 Cleveland. Other members included myself, Erika Little, Janee Dozier, Kenny Moss, Lakisha Moss Dorroh, Stephen Dorroh, Theresa Letson, Vivecca,Walker, & Ambrose West. When Belinda decided to go her separate ways, many of the remaining members decided to continue what she'd started. Eurhythmic Flow Entertainment was born and myself, Erika, Kenny, Janee, Kisha, & Stephen carried the torch. We continued to bring in Chicago instructors - Tykmyn, Maurice, Swan, Charnice to give exposure and opportunity to the local community.
I have continued my studies in the dance gaining insight from the likes of Dave Maxx & MK3 Dance Club, Claudell…but a great deal of my growing in this dance has come from my group members, dance partners, and students - the people who've gotten stepped on, knocked in the head, twirled dizzy, twisted up, elbowed, confused, fussed at, and whatever else in attempts to figure this thing out. (Thanks all!!!) I'm still learning and growing and loving every minute of the process, the music, the bonds made across state lines. I look to seeing what the next chapter has in store for 2009's newest Steppin' family - them there Rhythm Ryders….
