Dance-off Led to Rumble

The Wichita Eagle ^ | 9/20/2005 | Stan Finger

[Rutles4Ever]

It sounded like something out of a teen competition movie such as "Drumline" or "Bring it On."

But the brawl that broke out Saturday night at McAdams Park following a spontaneous "dance-off" wasn't a movie scene, and police and city officials on Monday were sorting through the aftermath that left one person hurt and two others -- a mother and a son -- facing criminal charges.

"This is a whole new arena" of crime, said Lt. Jeff Easter of the Wichita Police Department's gang and felony assault section.

The Dancing Steppers, a local drill team, was practicing routines at McAdams Park near 13th and I-135 on Saturday night when members of another drill team, the White Tigers, showed up and challenged the others to what was described as a "dance-off," police said.

When it became clear the challengers were losing, Easter said, a 28-year-old woman struck a 17-year-old drummer with the Dynamic Steppers in the face with a drum stick. The teen, who had left the White Tigers recently to join the Dynamic Steppers, retaliated by punching her in the face. He then ran toward his Ford Explorer and tried to run over spectators with it, witnesses told police.

The boy's mother, who served as a coach of the Dynamic Steppers, grabbed a box cutter and sliced the other woman's right arm, Easter said. The wound required eight stitches.

An estimated 50 people were involved in the altercation, although only two people were facing charges on Monday.

The mother was booked on suspicion of aggravated battery for cutting the other woman, Easter said, and the son faces charges of simple assault and aggravated assault.

Police said additional charges are possible.

Larry Foos, director of parks and recreation for the city, said a park employee told him the Dynamic Steppers had been practicing earlier in the day not far from Barry Sanders Field, but their whistles were confusing players in a youth league football game under way on the field.

The drill team was asked to move to another part of the park so their whistles would not interfere with the football game, Foos said.

"There was no conflict at all from that," he said. "They understood completely."

The brawl won't lead to changes in access or activities at the park, Foos said. To do that, he said, would be "an over-reaction" to Saturday's fight.

"I just believe this is one of those crazy, isolated incidents that happen once in a while," Foos said. "Thankfully, these incidents are rare."

Police may be asked to step up patrols at the park after ball games, he said, to discourage confrontations.

[Daus]

Why do I have a feeling there was a lot of male slapping and hair pulling going on here. :)

[akorahil]

Kansas needs to outlaw dancing.

Even if this was not a law, which it is, I'm afraid I would have a lot of difficulty endorsing an enterprise which is as fraught with genuine peril as I believe this one to be. Besides the liquor and the drugs which always seem to accompany such an event the thing that distresses me even more, Ren, is the spiritual corruption that can be involved. These dances and this kind of music can be destructive, and, uh, Ren, I'm afraid you're going to find most of the people in our community are gonna agree with me on this.

[Semper Vigilantis]

Darnit, you beat me to it! LOL

[PaulaB]

Yo..word to ya motherrrr..its on...

[dead]

Oh yea? Well, IT'S ON!

Dear God... it's ON?!?

[Larry Lucido]

[T.Smith]

Electric Boogaloo bump...

[PaulaB]

[End Times Sentinel]

Before we address illiteracy, we MUST do something about the DYNAMIC STEPPERS!

You've always had it out for Step Teams and I've had it.  Clearly the drill team is at fault here.  Just like your irrational hatred of two rope double-dutch.  Keep your prejudices to yourself.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[RichInOC]

Quick, to the point, to the point, no fakin'...

[ArrogantBustard]

Whatever happened to Boogaloo Shrimp?

[PaulaB]

Push to pop it
Rock to lock it
Break it to make it!!

[Clemenza]

I remember watching West Side Story in music appreciation class and wondering if the Jets and the Sharks were going to f-ck or fight.

[PaulaB]

ROFL!!! ......oh man

[Larry Lucido]

I didn't realize Ice-T was in that.

[Clemenza]

There's no stoppin' us, no stoppin'!

[TNCMAXQ]

And where was the federal response?? Why has it taken so long? People are suffering!!

[Larry Lucido]

Why do Baptists not have sex standing up?

Because it might lead to dancing.

[Mad Dawgg]

"I would pay at least $10 to watch a video of this."

I would pay one hundred dollars to watch if the fracas included twin wrestling lesbian midgets!

[Serb5150]

"Oh my God, they're breakdance fighting!"