AJ Dance Legacy

ADULT SKATE-MLK EDITION

Starring: KAI ALCE, RON PULLMAN & CULLEN COLE

19.01

No roller skates are rented.

No roller skates are permitted.

No in-line skates are rented.

No roller blades are permitted.

Adult Skate is not a roller rink.

Adult Skate is an annual event where various tribes gather to dance to the hottest disco and house music south of the Mason-Dixon in the wee morning hours of the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Holiday at MJQ Concourse on perhaps the coldest night of the year thus far. Listed is the top 14 defining moments & music played at Adult Skate-MLK Edition.    

14.  Warming up to the First Lady of Paradise Garage. The late Gwen Guthrie’s “It Should Have Been You” meanders into talking guitars and finger snaps provided by The Steve Silk Hurley Mix of

13.  Yolanda Adam’s prayerful anthem that has arms elevated and voices belting “Open My Heart.”

12.  Next, riding the disco thumper via heart-pounding four counts courtesy, DJ Kemit presents The Lounge Lizards featuring Jill Rock Jones’ “Wake Up & Stand Up” (Kai Alcé KZR Dubstrumental) as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior proclaims “Let Freedom Ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia” from his beloved “I Have A Dream” speech that scorches dancing feet and heats up the party.

11.  Is that Cinthie’s “Everything I Say?”

10.  Hearing the galactic sounds of Sandman & Riverside featuring Jeremy Ellis’ “Into Your Story.” The Kai Alcé Distinctive Remix, enough said.

09.  Boom!!! Detroit Techno steps into the room. Kevin Saunderson presents Inner City’s “Good Life,” causes ears to bleed, not from the content, but the volume that is pitched to screeching decibels. 

08.  Experiencing the jazz ambience of Gregory Porter’s “On My Way To Harlem” (Kai Alcé Interpretation Radio Edit) that closes Kai’s musical selection. 

07.  Watch out! Onstage, don’t get stabbed by the spikes of stilettos from the woman wearing big hair. 

06.  Sharing hearty hugs with familiar faces from yesteryear; the King, the 2-stepper, and the Tambourine Man.   

05.  Ron Pullman taking the decks and surprises playing Tamia’s “Still” (D.F.A Mix). 

04.  Smiling as Mrs. Nightingale with eyes closed mouths every lyric to Shaun Escoffery’s “Space Rider” (Spinna & Ticklah Mix). 

03.  Behold, standing, surrounded in a zombie apocalypse of mouths lipping, “If I lose my woman.” The sight is uncanny. Even Mr. Kai Alcé is entranced, 2 stepping, spinning around and singing on cue to the classic Kenny Lattimore (Masters At Work Remix). 

02.  Experiencing the peak hour rush of being raptured by Peven Everett’s “Burning Hot.” The Timmy Regisford & Adam Rios Mix ignites the room in flames. Sending dancers to the floor and bodies capsizing midair. 

01.  The AS-MLK Edition’s brainchild Cullen Cole getting on the decks and delivering spaced-out sounds.

wrds: aj dance

grphcs: aj art

FREEDOM PARTY

The air within the club donned a rich celebratory spirit. A spirit that loudly resonated true freedom had yet to be obtained but immense strides had been gained. In response, several faces entering the club displayed notoriety that announced, “Although I’m not totally free at least I’m freer than what I once was.”

The reminder that freedom not yet a global mandate was quickly reinforced by the vast amounts of medical supplies collected at the club’s front door for recent earthquake victims in a poverty stricken nation. Although, there still lay ahead a long journey towards true freedom, at least tonight they could freely celebrate what freedom they possessed.

Let’s reference the times when people were unable to freely gather or assemble to celebrate. Let us remember when certain individuals were unable to freely assemble in certain venues due to the name of discrimination. Just think there was a time when music could not be played at certain venues; a time when certain genres of music or songs were not played based on the singer(s) uncontrollable physical attributes. Then there were the times when people were unable to physically dance in public establishments. And to think those times were not in the distant past.

Thankfully, progress had been achieved in certain areas and Tambor represented this achievement the changing of the old guard from the new. Tambor possessed such a unique contrary in the city’s stagnant nightlife. There were no airs about one’s appearance, dress, creed or sexual orientation. Tambor was about the love of individual freedom. So much so that the point to honor past activists and civil leaders lingered on the minds of Tambor’s founders. As a result, “Let Freedom Reign” banners hung throughout the club’s throngs. Black and white photos of slain civil rights activists graced brick and mortar walls to illustrate the current generation was more than bricklayers and manual laborers but brain surgeons, business lawyers and civic leaders. Sure there was much left unaccomplished by the smiling civil legends hanging on the walls but tonight a celebration ensued to honor their legacy that was sure to not die for generations to come.

For this reason Tambor initiated Freedom Friday; to celebrate the rite of freedom. Freedom from bondage, freedom from oppression, freedom from depression, freedom from suffrage and freedom from pain.

Photography courtesy of John Crooms

Photography by John Crooms