For as long as he can remember, Stephon Davonte Kriegel-Duck has been a performer.
Whether it was taking part in school plays, dancing with friends at recess or winning talent shows at the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus, Stephon, 9, has enjoyed being the center of attention.
But it was at the Cotton District Arts Festival this year where Stephon”s talents really shined. There, next to Cotton District Cafe, the Ward-Stewart Elementary School rising fifth-grader awed festival-goers with his Michael Jackson-inspired dance moves.
Stephon”s parents, Myke Duck and Alexandra Kriegel-Duck, knew their son had been practicing his Michael Jackson routine, but the performance at the Cotton District Arts Festival still came as a surprise.
“It was like the more people that came, the better he performed,” Alexandra Kriegel-Duck said. “It”s always been like that. The more people that are around, the better he gets.”
Stephon was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but his father is from Starkville and the family moved back to the Golden Triangle about a year and a half ago, Alexandra Kriegel-Duck said.
How did you get into dancing?
Well, first I got into break dancing because I kept on watching break dancing videos. I kept rewinding and rewinding and rewinding over and over again. I would watch it and I would learn.
How old were you?
I was pretty young. I think I was about 4.
Do you do competitions and talent shows? How much are you dancing these days?
I dance a lot. I was in a talent show (at the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus) and I won.
What else have you done?
I”ve danced at people”s birthday parties, and at summer camp (Summer Enrichment Camp at Armstrong Middle School) there”s this program at the end of camp (on June 25) where we dance and I”m going to do a freestyle.
So do you make up your own dance moves or do you borrow from other people or what?
Well, some of the dance moves I made up by myself, but some of the moves other people have already done.
Where do you ultimately hope to go with this?
I want to become a dancer some day and become famous.
Who are some of your favorite dancers out there right now?
Michael Jackson. He”s dead, but I also like Chris Brown.
What is it about them that you like?
Well, Chris Brown is a good singer. Usher, he”s a good singer too. And they dance real cool.
When you perform in front of all these people, do you ever get nervous?
I”ll get nervous and I”ll get butterflies in my stomach, but when I get real nervous, I actually do pretty good. It seems like when I get nervous, I do good.
What else do you do? Do you have any other hobbies or interests?
I”m in drama and I had the lead role in a play last year at school.
What is it about performing that appeals to you? Why do you like getting out there and dancing and acting in front of all these people?
Because I want to show I have talent.
What are school dances like?
I”m out there putting on a show. Me and my friends.
Do people try to copy what you”re doing?
Yeah. Me and my dance crew, we”ll rap at recess, and while a person is rapping, we”ll dance and draw a big crowd.
Do you take classes or lessons or anything?
Yeah, at KMG Creations (Dance and Fitness LLC) with Kayla (Gilmore).
So how much do you dance in any given week?
With KMG Creations, one day a week.
What about at home? Are you just bobbing around the house throwing moves down all the time?
Every day.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.