Dasen Moore was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. I met him a couple of years ago in Atlanta. Dasen has been steppin’ Chicago style since September 2014. Last year I was surprised to see his announcement on social media that he was making the move to Chicago. News like that excites every stepper. Dasen has been living in Chicago just over eight months now. I see him out often in Chicago and I caught up with Dasen to learn more about his move to the mecca.
Why did you move to Chicago? After living down south and on the east coast for a few years, I decided that I wanted to move closer to my family and be able to drive home in less than six hours. Chicago was a good fit because it had a hobby that I love and I am passionate about. Also I am able to go home after work and make it back to work on Monday without taking any days off.
Has being in Chicago changed your dance? How? I think so, I think I am slowly (hopefully) understanding the music more, letting it influence how I move and engage with my partner, and also just “dancing” more. I am not focusing on just doing the next move, but trying to keep my partner engaged and smiling.
Do you attend a regular class in Chicago? Yes. Since I have been in Chicago I have gone to Donnie Davis’ class and to Tyk and Charnice.
How has your dance changed since moving to Chicago?
I have been told my dance has changed some. From those who have watched me, they said I am slowing down more, but I know I have still got a lot of work to do.
How often do you go steppin’ now that you live in Chicago? About four times a week at the moment. I feel like its important to pace myself and not get burnt out.
How has living in Chicago changed your perspective of this dance?Honestly it has changed a lot. Before when I started dancing, I could not sit down. I had to dance to every song because the amount of days that were available to dance were limited. Now, because I live in a city where the dance is plentiful, I can sit back, watch and observe, ask questions and things like that. Also, I look at how the leads interact with their followers, how they engage with them, the eye contact, the body language. Is the woman enjoying the dance? Is the guy even paying attention or just putting her through moves? I notice my perspective changed when I went back home to Detroit and just truly looked at the dance floor to see those type of things.
What have you been exposed to in this dance now that you live here rather than just visit Chicago? Personally I started “walking” a lot more. Tyk told me when I first got here, “You can’t live in Chicago and not learn how to walk.” So I’ve actively made sure I walk when I can. Also just being exposed to the different styles. Everybody has their own flow and how they interact with their partner. So that’s interesting. The different populations that attend the different sets. The crowd at Hero’s and the 50 Yard Line is different than the crowd at Universal and East of the Ryan. So they play different music.
Do you still travel to weekend events now that you are in Chicago? Not as much. That was by design. I figured if I moved to Chicago I didn’t have to travel out-of-state as much, which would be easier on my pockets.
Do you consider yourself new school or old school? Good question. I am not sure honestly … still kinda learning.
What is your word of advice for any stepper moving to Chicago? If you have not visited Chicago on a regular basis get used to the word “No”. I have lived in Atlanta and the DC area and you could not keep me off the floor, even when i first started steppin’. Chicago is different. I first came to Chicago as a part of the CharRashon Workshop For Men. One of our first outings was to the East of the Ryan. A relatively new stepper who had never visited Chicago told me he had never been told “no” so many times in his life. Honestly, that is the Chicago experience in a nutshell. If people don’t know you it can take a while to get on the dance floor. It has taken me about six months to get on “the wood” regularly.
If you are moving here or just traveling here for fun, make connections, be patient and observant. In Chicago you HAVE to step your game up! I’ve learned a lot of humility and I’m still going through the growing pains from being here. And, different venues come with different attitudes. At Hero’s and the 50 women may be friendlier and dance with you all night. While the women at East of the Ryan and Universal may tell you “no” so much that you may get bored from sitting. If you make connections a bad night can turn into a very good one.
Now that you are in Chicago, do you have new steppin’ goals? Not really..the goals have been the same honestly. Just to continue to get better and be consistent in my dance and see where the future takes me.
Thank you Dasen for sharing your perspective and congratulations on what seems a successful move for you in many ways. Keep on steppin’ and see you soon in Chicago!
Winston Stewart
I like free style stepping . Many teaching the 8 count, and many Chicago steppers are way too serious. they take the fun out of the dance by focusing so much on technique and counting. It wasn’t like this in the 70″s, and 80″s and 90’s. A Guy saw a Lady came up to her and asked her dance. He didn’t determine if he would dance with you, because you didn’t know the 8 count. You can be a good dancer, a lot of the steppers won’t dance with you between you don’t know the new style of stepping, or belong to a certain group. Just can’t have a good time anymore.
Becca
Great interview and perspective!