Photo by Denae Brewer/Horizon

Quincy Smith's hard work and dedication has taken him far. As stepmaster and brother in the Rho Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, he strives for greatness both for the team and himself.

Meet your neighbor:
Quincy Smith

By Erin Arnold
Contributing Writer

When Quincy Smith first joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he had no idea that his love of dance would quickly propel him to the center of the chapter’s “step” efforts. But in fact, ever since the spring of 2000, Mr. Smith has been leading a dedicated group of brothers in competitions around the area.

Raised in the Bronx, Mr. Smith grew up loving all kinds of dance. As a child, he took modern dance, jazz, and even ballet. “Yes, I was flying across the stage in tights,” he laughed.

Coupled with his dedication to sports like basketball, it made for a very active childhood; one that would later provide him with inspiration for his step routines.

Mr. Smith joined his first step team as a teenager, getting involved with his LaGuardia High School team and also the team at his church, Morning Star Full Gospel Assembly. Stepping is a type of dance, done to music, which requires all the dancers to perform their moves and hand motions in complete sync.

“It started with a couple of performances here and there. It was sporadic and there were no set practices, but I always liked it,” he said.

When he entered Stony Brook University in the fall of 1996, little did he know that stepping was about to become a major part of his life. Drawn to the principles and ideals set forth in his fraternity, he pledged and became a brother of the Rho Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Besides the various philanthropic efforts the group undertakes, such as participating in the March of Dimes or assisting at soup kitchens, they also enjoy entering step competitions and exhibitions.

But it is not simply a matter of entering a competition and putting on a great show- each performance requires hard work, cooperation, and a solid routine to win the support of the crowd. And the team has to have a leader, someone to coordinate all the details and create routines. That job falls to the Stepmaster.

“The Stepmaster is either voted in or they have taken it upon themselves to lead the team,” Mr. Smith explained.

He now holds that title within his team, but it is not a job that he initially wanted. “I did it, with reservation,” he humbly proclaimed, after his brothers talked him into it, confident that he was the best man for the job.

As Stepmaster he must develop routines and for that, Mr. Smith looks to other shows for inspiration and often uses his own variations of basic steps. He also uses his old dance training and sports background to combine athleticism and grace into a routine that is both captivating to the eye and challenging for his team.

And it seems that the Rho Rho chapter picked the right man because Mr. Smith shares his talent without reservation. Not only that, but he relates well to the team and is very clear about his expectations.

“My number-one goal is to enjoy it. The kid in me comes out when I am performing, but I don’t necessarily want to be in the limelight,” he said. Rather, he tries to foster the bond between the team and pushes them to do their best.

His role as Stepmaster also means that he is responsible for motivating, staying flexible in tough situations, and keeping his team informed of upcoming performances. In most cases that hard work pays off, such as when the team took 1st place in Stony Brook University’s spring competition recently. Despite these gratifying wins, Smith insists that it isn’t always easy.

“Every practice isn’t great,” he said.

What the audience sees is the final product and not the sweat and frustration that goes into perfecting each routine. In fact, most audiences don’t know that the routine is judged on a number of criteria including creativity, costume, and execution- not just crowd appeal. Often times, after a performance, Smith will review tapes of the routine and figure out how they can improve.

“I feel responsible for my team and how we are received,” he said.

Still, Mr. Smith stresses good execution and the need to enjoy each performance, rather than winning.

“I use that principle because it applies to this and to life as a whole,” he explained.

But that doesn’t mean that he settles for less than his, or the team’s, best.

“I like to push the limits at practice. It can be tiring, but I keep doing it and it’s all about having fun and developing that comradery that comes out in a performance. How you practice is how you perform,” he asserts.