It’s a Wednesday night at Seventy West, a nightclub on Central Ave., and approximately 40 Black women in cowboy boots are standing in evenly spaced lines, stomping and chanting in unison.
“Who are we?”
“Pink Steppaz!”
“What do we do?”
“We step!”
The PNK Steppaz, led by Shanden “Pinky” Jackson, are adding their own flavor to traditional line dancing.
“One thing I tell them is put that music up under your feet,” Jackson said. “Close your eyes, feel that beat, and put your own stank to it.”
The “stank” Jackson refers to is a member’s own style and swagger — an element that is custom for this line dancing group.
“We’re a unit. We’re in sync, we’re together,” she said.
The PNK Steppaz group was established in December 2021, after a night of line dancing at a birthday party turned into guests requesting that Jackson teach a class. What was supposed to be just a biweekly occurrence garnered so much interest that Jackson now teaches two line dance classes a week.
“Everybody starts somewhere, and everybody that comes, when they come, got three left feet,” Jackson said. She encourages her members to remain patient when learning new routines.
“It takes consistency, it takes dedication, and I’m going to be your perseverance,” she said.
Line dancing is a choreographed set of steps that is repeated and performed in lines or rows. One of the most notable line dances is the Electric Slide. Despite its western roots, this dance form has transcended its various music genres.
The majority of the PNK Steppaz are in their 50s or older, with some younger adults attending classes from time to time. Despite the various personalities and experience levels, the members unify under one cause — sisterhood.
LaDonna Williams has been a group member for just six months, but has already seen significant changes to her overall health and wellness.
“They encourage me to do better, not just with my dreams and goals, but with my health,” said Williams, who credits the PNK Steppaz for her 40-pound weight loss and lowering her A1C levels. “It’s good for your health and you’re having fun.”
Jackson said one of the mantras she underscores is to enjoy the sessions despite the difficulties.
“If you have fun the moves will happen,” Jackson said. “It’ll come through who you are as a person.”
However, when it’s time to perform, Jackson said it’s all about “looking clean.” Before a routine starts, Jackson may tell members to step out of the formation if they haven’t fully grasped a routine.
“We need that room, we need that space,” Jackson said with a laugh. “You’re in the way. Throwing everybody off frustrates people.”
The PNK Steppaz do perform in public as well as in regular meetups at Seventy West; in August, they were featured at the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival.
Jackson has a few line leaders who become substitute instructors when she is unable to attend. Line leaders also become guides throughout the lesson for those who need to learn the steps. Nancy Jacque has been a member of PNK Steppaz for three years and has gained the reputation of being the line leader with an easy pace.
After moving back to Rochester to take care of her mother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Jacque felt isolated and alone. She credits PNK Steppaz for saving her life.
“I was very depressed and withdrawn,” she said. “I just was not in a very healthy place at all.”
Until she found sisterhood and fellowship with her new line dancing team.
“Who are we?
“Pink Steppaz!”
“What do we do?”
“We step!”
Racquel Stephen is a reporter with WXXI. She can be reached at rstephen@wxxi.org.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
