The “Beat Ya Feet” dance craze first became popular on the scene of DC Go-Gos roughly around 2001, and was one of the biggest revolutions in Go Go dancing. Inspired by the up-tempo rototom and timbale grooves which were becoming increasingly popular at the time, “Beat Ya Feet” was big in chocolate city. It was a dance that shaped the DC metro culture for a long period of time — it was not uncommon to see people beatin’ their feet at the bus stop, at school, at work, on the metro, and on the streets. Now, several years after its debut, a group of skilled dancers known as the Beat Ya Feet Kings bring a new energy and fresh originality to this dance that still inspires excitement. The Beat Ya Feet Kings have performed at many venues, including Showtime at the Apollo, the Go-Go Awards, the Black Family Reunion, UDC, and they have been featured on a music video with Tabi Bonney.

 

The members of the Beat Ya Feet Kings are Jose (Southern Ave, SE), Richard (3rd World SE), Donte (6th St SE), Crazy Legs (Minnesota Ave., SE), John (Barry Farms, SE), KK (15th St SE) & Go-Go Rob (12th St SE). Their manager is Diallo.

AMADI: What is “Beat Ya Feet” and can anyone do it?

KK: It’s a dance potluck. You have to be able to do more than one thing at the same time. It came from SE DC from my man Slush, RIP, and my man C; they made it up around 1999. Yea, anybody can do it.

AMADI: So if someone does not know how to beat their feet, can they be taught?

Donte: Yes, you can be taught. You can learn this dance. But everyone got their own style and own flavor to how they put the dance down. You have to be original. People can mimic it, but you can never actually get people to dance it alike. That’s what makes it so unique.

Crazy Legs: We have the most complicated dance because the rhythm of the music is not something that people are used to. We bounce our bodies and make it look fluid to the rhythm. People wonder how we dance to these beats and make it look good at the same time. We learned how to mix different dances into one dance, and different styles of it, to make it look good.

KK: Once you learn the basics, all you gotta do is get your own style to it.

AMADI: Tells us why you chose the slogan, “Stop the Violence and Dance”, and how do you all promote it?

KK: Most of us in the group are from hoods that are beefin’— I’m talkin’ about getting into gun battles and everything, but the whole time, we put all of that to the side for this group. We gonna do whatever we can to get that message out.

Donte: We came together to be positive role models for the young people, to show them you can come together and do something else besides fighting to get your frustration out.

AMADI: What was it like dancing on “Showtime at the Apollo”, and how did the New York audience receive your style?

Jose: I think they took it good, better than the other groups. But they had a lot more people there to support them, so they won.

KK: It was a good experience, but as far the battle with the other group, I was frustrated. We should have won.

Jose: I’m gonna put it out there: actually, the guys [E3] thought we won. They came in the back and tried to offer us the check after the show, but the lady said they couldn’t give it up because it was written to them. But we got the picture on MySpace with them pointing to us saying, you know, “Yall won”, and they really meant that and told us that.

Crazy Legs: The way the show works, there are like 7 or 8 shows, and each group has to work their way up to make it to the end. We were so good after the audition that they just bumped us straight to the final. We didn’t win, but it was a good experience. It taught us that you always gotta come 100% and you can’t sleep on anything.

AMADI: Do you all battle each other, and who gets fried?

Donte: We battle each other, but not that often. Like every blue moon.

Crazy Legs: I fry everybody. (Laughing)

KK: I fry everybody. Of course you’re gonna get fried when you battling, but still, I fry everybody.

AMADI: It seems like battling has died down. Why do you think it stopped?

Jose: There was actually killing going on with the dance. The dance got very disrespectful — taking people’s hats off, stepping on them, spitting at them, smacking. It became more of a gang war thing. Instead of being about the dance, it became a thing of trying to show how you can disrespect the other person more, in front of all these people. So a lot of people backed down from doing it.

KK: But that was the art of battling: To make your opponent look as little as possible, so ain’t no jumping back. You could do like one move and they’ll be like “I quit”. Me personally, I ended people’s careers, to the point where they’re like “I’ll never dance again” (Laughing). To this day I could ask them, “you still dancing?” and they’ll be like “nah, you thought I was playing?” (laughing).

Diallo: I could tell you the truth because I’m probably the only one with an unbiased opinion. With a lot of the other groups, it’s one person teaching the group, and that person is recognized as being the best. When you look at Krump Kings, it’s Tight Eyez. With all these groups, it’s always the one dude that has committed more to it. With them [the Beat Ya Feet Kings], they all knew each other before the group, and everybody’s style is so different, so how could you have one person that’s recognized as the best? I see different ones step up at different times. Each one has their day. They got times when they cook people and times when they get cooked.

AMADI: What do you all do aside from beating your feet?

Donte: I’m a proud parent of 2 little boys. I work in a VA hospital.

Jose: I’m a parent of 3 beautiful girls and one on the way.

Crazy Legs: I work with the secret service.

KK: I’m 18, I go to Ballou, and I’m a plain person. You can catch me in the hood just chillin’. You can catch me with my little brothers, helping my little homie and them with their band, teaching my little homies how to dance; anything except for something bad. I try to do way more positive in a day than I do negative.

AMADI: What plans does Beat Ya Feet kings have for 2009?

Donte: For 2009, we are trying to get in a video; most likely, a Missy Elliot video or something like that. We’re networking, and at the same time, we’re trying to connect with the shoe companies — Nike, Reebok; so we will try to do commercials with them.

AMADI: What advice would you give people who are scared to pursue their dreams?

Donte: If it’s your heart and your dream, just go for it. A lot of times we were nervous, but we just pushed each other, and we’re just going towards our dream. Also, let your family, and if you have kids, let those people be your motivation to do what you love doing.

http://www.myspace.com/beatyafeetkings
Email: daheart@mac.com

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