Today we’d like to introduce you to Keyana Watts and Michael Buckley-Moore.
Keyana and Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Keyana Watts, and it was about seven years ago when I first started hosting events. I was apart of a crew called Epic Collaboration who was home to many different styles of dancers. I was originally brought in by a dancer I used to date, and from there; slowly but surely I started to fall in love with what was introduced to me. My goal at that time was to create a dance platform where it focused on creating the environment in which people were able to meet and network with their favorite dancers due to the fact some dancers couldn’t afford to travel at the time. If dancers weren’t able to travel to the types of events they wanted, why not create them? I’ve had my share of both successful and unsuccessful events. However, I was determined to make a change in the Atlanta Dance Scene, and I did. After several trial and errors, and being apart of a dance crew with several different styles, I gravitated towards one in particular called “FlexN” that evolved from the dance hall and was cultivated in the streets of Brooklyn, New York. It resonated with me the most because it has similar roots and ties to my own Jamaican culture.
In 2014, my partner, Michael “Savage” Moore, and I started a new Dance Festival and Performance showcase called DAMODD. DAMODD was created to educate and expand Flexn throughout the south, all while challenging it and other styles through the art of battle. Me personally, I wanted to change people’s perspective of Flexn and show how great the style is. All and all now in 2020, we will be celebrating five years of having our brand. I finally found my place and what I wanted to bring to the scene. Flexn holds a special place in my heart because it represents me and my background, so it helps me to teach a personal connection to people learning about the style.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the start of it all, it ran smoothly due to the fact that I had the greatest intentions, and every move I made was from the heart. I was new to the scene, not that many people knew me personally. However, I guess you can say I had beginner’s luck. It wasn’t until my second event where things went completely wrong. We had a great turn out, however, due to high emotions, heat, and a huge misunderstanding we had to shut down the event. Attendees were upset, and I was left by myself to face the consequences. Long story short, I aligned my self with the wrong people, and ended up taking the blame for something I didn’t have control of. I spent time and time again apologizing and living under the dark cloud created by said event. I faced a lot of public scrutiny, needless to say it was one of my darkest times. However, no matter what happened I kept trying until I found my place. After several attempts and traveling, I met some of the most amazing people who became mentors to me along the way. I’ve worked with very well respected promoters and dancers in the industry that have helped me become the woman I am today. I’ve worked with artists such as Pandora, GreenTek, Havoc, Ladia Yates, Muriel Tarver, Reggie Gray, Dewayne “WeezyThePhoenix” Newbell, and Peachez Venn, to name a few.
I’ve faced backlash for things I had no control over, I’ve had to deal with living in the shadow of my former relationship with the dancer I used to date, and strive to become my own woman and person. In conclusion, the biggest mistake I made was not doing enough research when it came to being an event promoter, and gaining the proper acknowledgment and support before hand. A word of advice for anybody just starting out to do events, you have to really become invested, and support the community in which you desire to become successful. Not to say I didn’t support other events or the community. However, what was I doing to gain the right support to start hosting events. Atlanta is very protective over its culture, and we’ve had plenty of people come in solely for the money and/or self gain. I had the challenge of distinguishing myself from those kinds of people. Some OG’s in the Atlanta dance scene didnt respect me, but over time we’ve come to an understanding of one another, and I couldn’t be happier with my progress.
DAMODD – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Da MODD is a Festival in which we celebrate, educate, and exemplify knowledge of Flex Culture through the art of combat and performances. It’s a win/win scenario because, in our FlexN v All-Styles format, both sides are challenging each other by pushing one another in a creative aspect. Our goal in part is to spread the culture throughout the south, which in turn helps spread the culture overall. If I had to say so myself, we would specialize in some of the best and most entertaining main-event battles. However, we like to think all our battles are the main event level. More specifically, people say I find a way to make the impossible happen. If you want to see a specific battle, with the right timing, planning, and budgeting, I’ll definitely make it happen. This more than likely is what sets our apart; how far we’re willing to go to make sure our event is perfect. From the concept of the event to the talent and staff, everything is planned to a “t” and a purpose. No one event is ever the same. This includes a lot of sleepless nights, worry, stress, but in the end, it is all worth it.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career would be the 2019 event, DA MODD 4: Elements of War. I say this because from the concept to the people who showed up in support made me truly and overwhelmingly happy. “Elements of War” focused on breaking down and showing what each element of Flex Dancing (dance hall, bruk up, connecting, hat tricks, bone breaking, pausing, gliding, and get low) looks like. This is important because how is anyone able to identify something if they don’t know what it looks like. Each element went up against an opposing style such as Krump, Breaking, Popping, Jooking, and others to show if it could meet the challenge. Both sides had wins and losses, but FlexN came out the overall winner. I wonder what’s going to happen this time at DA MODD 5: DA Moddiversary.
We had such a great turn out. It was almost a surprise as to who showed up because my team and I were informed about who was going to be in attendance, and they came through to support. It was beautiful having people we’ve looked up to in the Flex community show up and support our event. It may not mean anything to people outside the culture, but having OG’s come out on their own free will, and show love to what was created was a blessing, and still is. A lot of compliments were given, and we had great feedback. It was at that point we felt as though we were starting to gain the recognition, respect, and love for all the hard work we’ve put in over the years. It was a dream come true and still is talked about till this day.
Pricing:
- Admission for Our upcoming event is $25 Adults
- $10 kids ages 8-15
Contact Info:
- Phone: 716.481.7473
- Email: damodd14@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/da_modd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DAMODD1/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIefrmhMFOPxqiB55BJxVtw?view_as=subscriber
Image Credit:
Lafayette Watkins & Michael “Savage” Moore(first photo), Carol Dragon Photography (group photo)
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