Two Steppin in the KCP&L District

At Maker's Mark, 1333 Walnut


Dancing in the aisle, to the side of the room.

1333 Walnut St. Downtown Kansas City, MO

When I heard this one was going to be held my first thought was to the screw-up over a Hip-Hop artist a few months ago. That was a PR dumb play, which followed an already bad reputation among KC's black population due to dress codes which were considered aimed at keeping out African Americans.

Maybe, I thought, this was an attempt to make amends for the Hip-Hop artist incident which was initially suspicious of the KCP&L story and then totally disbelieving of the KCP&L story when I heard the longer account of events that evening.

One of the claims was that the DJ had blown out the house speakers, even though they continued later with other sound. I shoot events (video and stills) and am often hooked up to a line feed from the sound person. While the feed is sometimes too hot at the start, that is what the sound checks are designed to root out and make right, before the performance. In my own opinion (not having been there) the KCP&L story is still fishy, but, maybe this is a trek back to the right direction.

The management of Maker's Mark was not going to move back the tables to make room for dancing. So, organizer De Barker sent out text messages saying, no dancing. Just socializing and music listening. That, to a large group of folks who like to get out and really dance, not just slosh the sauce.


View from the top side: the four-tops in the center are un-occupied and the dancers are relagated to space outside the area or between tables.

The turnout was light. The tables stayed were they were even though they were not filled. The dancers were forced to find what room they could between tables and to the sides of the room, used as an aisle from front to back. All the occupants were from the 2-steppin' crowd.

The floor overall is a nice, hardwood surface. No special dance area, it covers the entire floor. Whatever area is opened up makes a nice dance area. It just needs more area (read, move the tables).


Just a couple of DJs.



Unless otherwise noted photos and copyright 2024 Mike Strong KCDance.Com and Mike Strong Photo Gallery and CV Site - Email This Page

Related Links to other Two Steppin Pages and Sites

Finals 2012 at Club Skyline

In The District - (KCP&L) at Maker's Mark (first-night attempt)
Steppin' on the Vine (9 August 2008)

Main Contests: 2005

Two Steppin - Finals 17 December 2005 at Park Place Hotel
Prelim #2 19 November 2005 at the Jazz Museum
Prelim #1 22 October 2005 at the Jazz Museum
Steppin' on the Vine (13 August 2005)

Two Steppin Fundraiser Fundraiser at Paseo - 19 October 2004
The Two Steppin Page run by De: http://www.manual74.com
Rodney and Stinson's Reel Images
De's Kansas City Two Step page
De Barkers Facebook for 2-Steppin': http://www.facebook.com/de.barker.7

Two Steppin 2003:

$10,000 Finals Contest: 18 Dec 2003
Mac's South: June 19, July 17 (2003)
Pete's Place June 25 (2003)
Pearls July 8 (2003)

View Two-Steppin' Pictures as a Slide Show