Faye From The Way

Fay From The Way1

Jennifer Lopez don't have nothing on me (smile). Being the child of 2

Robert and Vercella, two of the best dancers around town, it was going to be hard to miss. They won dance contest from New York to Tennessee.  My Mother used to tell me that at the age of two years old, she would find me dancing on my toes so dancing was seriously infused into my DNA. "Jenny from the block"  meet "Fay from the way."3

It would become my theme, the thing people would identify with me. It was like,  "You know little Faye don't you? The little girl you see dancing in front of the building?"  Always an artsy person music, art, writing and dancing were my havens from an early age.  My greatest creations occurred between the ages of eight and twenty.  I won ribbons in elementary for my drawings, kudos and A's from my English teachers for my writing (although I was never good at punctuation) as a teenager.  Then there were art, dance and drama classes which were taken in between.  If dance was associated with it then so was I.  It is with the fondest memories that I recall my debut as a dancer, beginning in elementary school.  The play involved jazz renditions of the nursery rhymes. Our class did the Cat and the Fiddle, to which I played the cow that jumped over the moon. The object was to dance my way to the moon before jumping over it.  Let's just say you have never saw a cow jam like that.  4

My next moment of glory would come when my Art class performed the Dances of Many Nations.  Our group would be assigned the Asian theme.  I wanted to be one of the nations with more athletic and physical moves in their dancing but my group was still an exciting group. We wore make up of white faces, golden eye lids and red lips, all decked out in beautifully crafted kimonos with those triangular shaped straw hats.  We felt so beautiful.  We would file out on the stage taking meek, short steps until we developed into several rows.  After we reached our positions each girl simultaneously,5

picked up a fan and waved them in graceful sweeping motions, bringing them in front of our faces.  Last, we slowly lifted the fans to the stars that also doubled as stage lights.  Afterwards, we heard the thundering applause of the audience. Yes, another shining moment...but not the best.6

Being a choreographer danced through my head through the next fews years and was in my plans after graduating high school.  By the time I reached the eleventh grade something happen that made me decide that a celebrity life style was more racked with problems.  Star status started to look less attractive and although there were a select few who have managed through the over exposed, extremely hyped, whirl wind lifestyle.  It wasn't a desired existence for me.  However, there would be other opportunities for me to indulge my skills. 7

There was a buzz among members of my congregation of a talent show and I thought, "Wonderful" I'll get to work.  This would be a chance to showcase my dance/choreography skills and the dancing group was readily available among my seven beautiful Sisters and two handsome Brothers.  Only one Brother would be used the other wasn't old enough.  I orchestrated everything from the routine to the costumes, which a family friend made. Since my Brother was good at "locking" (a dance still popular today only upgraded).  He would be used in a different capacity.  I took my queue's from a few videos and used some of the dance steps in our act.  The night of the talent show we were poised and ready.  We positioned ourselves on the floor in a diamond format and when the music started we began a prance step with rotation.  Every forth step we would each perform a different free style dance, each dancer generating a different move from the other and then resuming the prance and rotation, counter clock wise.  When I think about it now it makes the hair on my arm stand up.  We then followed with synchronized movements which were comprised of some of the most striking moves I knew and would send a chill through out the audience.  8

Before we reached the end of the dance it was time for my secret weapon...my Brother. Upon his entrance and the expertise in which he executed his locking routine, the audience jumped to their feet and began dancing along and cheering him on.  We won that night.  We were the hit of the talent show.  I didn't walk on land for the next four months.  Those who were present during the show couldn't speak highly enough of our performance.  I never became a choreographer but I am still a very skilled dancer .  As a matter of fact my moves can still clear a dance floor when ever I do.  But then why not?   I'm still Fay from the way.9