He uses the art of stepping to shed light on the Black experience
'I want you to walk away knowing this history,' says Kayin Queeley, founder of Montreal Steppers
CBC Quebec is highlighting people from the province's Black communities who are giving back, inspiring others and helping to shape our future. These are the 2023 Black Changemakers.
About 15 years ago, Kayin Queeley fell in love with the art of stepping. As the founder of the collective Montreal Steppers, he's since taught it to thousands of students.
Ask him about the history of stepping, and Queeley's eyes light up.
The art form, which revolves around the use of one's body as a percussive instrument through footwork, hand clapping and spoken word, has deep roots in Black American culture.
Everything the collective does — from workshops in schools, CEGEPs and universities to live performances that also include singing and spoken-word poetry — makes the link between that history and the present-day Black experience.
It's a critical part of the collective's message: "We are going to help you engage in this art form, but you will not leave and you won't engage without knowing where this came from," explains Queeley.
"We cannot continue to share elements of our history and our art forms without the context."
Bodies replaced banned drums
In 1739, there was an unsuccessful slave uprising in South Carolina, known as the Stono Rebellion.
Enslaved Africans were armed with weapons and used the beat of drums to signal each other.
Once the rebellion was quashed, South Carolina passed strict laws to better control the enslaved population, including banning the use of drums.
"It was now the inception of using your body to replicate the sound of the drum, which was now missing," Queeley said.
Falling in love with stepping
Queeley, who was born and raised in the small dual-island Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, left home to study at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh.
That's where he saw his first live stepping routine, at a gospel concert in 2008.
"There's something about that rawness of you creating the music with your body," said Queeley. "... a group of people collectively doing this simultaneously, doing all of it together, synchronized, but at the same time doing different steps, as well, that all build and connect with each other."
WATCH | Montreal Steppers and Ensemble Obiora perform together:
He soon joined a local step team, eventually going on to lead it.
Plattsburgh, where Queeley found stepping, is also where he met his wife, Liza Selvarajah, a fellow student and a Montrealer who eventually persuaded him to move to Quebec.
"I didn't expect my life to end up in Montreal, I can tell you that, my friend," he said.
"I'm an island boy through and through."
More than just dance
Shortly after arriving in Montreal, Queeley began volunteering in schools, teaching students about stepping.
He was also part of a group that performed at McGill University in 2016, blending gospel songs with a step routine, followed by a brief presentation outlining the history of the dance style.
That presentation resonated with the audience and got Queeley thinking about starting a group whose mission would be to introduce people to the history of stepping, through the art form.
"I don't want this just to be [about] performance. There's an element missing when we only do performance," he said.
"I want you to walk away realizing that there's potential in yourself to use your body to explore this art form but I want you to walk away knowing this history."
Montreal Steppers was officially born in 2019. Since then, Queeley says the Montreal Steppers have given 400 workshops, reaching about 11,000 students.
The group has about 20 members, including Winnie Daniel, who's been involved from the beginning.
Daniel credits Queeley's leadership and work ethic for the group growing its reach even as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on.
"He is a very humble leader. He knows how to generously put everybody where they will shine," said Winnie Daniel.
Creating a dialogue
"If this was 150 years ago, why wouldn't I be allowed in your school?" Queeley asks students at the beginning of every workshop.
Some of them pause, he says.
"Why, Mr. Kayin?" they ask. "I don't know."
"Because I am a Black man," he tells them. "Back then there was segregation. We weren't allowed in certain spaces. So, now I'm allowed in this space. What are we going to do today? How are we going to learn?"
Even if the history of stepping is tied to African slavery, Kayin and his fellow steppers want the dialogue to go beyond that.
"It changed a lot how I see myself as a Black woman, just by connecting with my history," said Daniel. "Not through pain, but being inspired through art."
Queeley says he's hopeful that his work contributes in some way to making the world an easier place to navigate for his four-year-old daughter.
"We do all of that because we are recognizing what the past has led us to. And we are looking to make proactive decisions about our present that will shift and shape our future," he said.
"We all do what we can, and collectively we will make a huge difference."
The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the changemakers here.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
