The Strikers All Stars Strike Hollywood

Cheers. Screams. Flashing lights. It was August 2010, and The Strikers All Stars were minutes away from performing on NBC’s hit show “America’s Got Talent” . The show averages over 15 million viewers per week and receives more widespread attention in comparison to MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew,” on which the Strikers All Stars debuted as a group in early 2009. On the way to the dressing room, the contestants passed the VIP waiting area where friends and family were seated. When the Strikers All Stars saw the handmade signs designed for them by their friends and significant others, expressions of appreciation and encouragement shone on their faces. They were ready to perform and show the world what they had been building since the Strikers All Stars were created from the original Strikers dance organization at Florida A&M University almost two years before. When it was their time to shine, The Strikers All Stars hit the competition stage and brought their energy and best dance moves to impress the judges Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. But it wasn’t enough to advance to the next round. Despite the harsh criticism from the judges, member Brandon Mitchell had an optimistic outlook on their elimination.

“We really didn’t take it too bad,” he said. “We were already thinking about and moving on to our next projects. Being in competition with different type of acts like in AGT was a new challenge, and we are glad we got that far in the competition.”

In the house of the Strikers All Stars, proudly hung on the second floor of their home is the banner bearing their name that hung for six weeks on the set of the hit MTV dance competition show, “Randy Jackson’s America’s Best Dance Crew” from January to March of 2009.

The elite group came together in fall 2008. Founder of The Strikers, Shepiro Hardemon, held auditions at a local Wendy’s restaurant in Tallahassee, seeking a few select members to send to Hollywood to compete on MTV. The Strikers is an all-male dance organization created 21 years ago, when the dance scene on FAMU’s campus needed males to entertain the female audience.

“When I came to FAM, there were no male dance groups,” Hardemon recounted. “The Strikers were created to help the Venom dancers because the girls weren’t responding to girl dancers.” Once Hardemon, chose his seven dancers from the organization, they travelled across the country to compete against eight other dance groups. The Strikers All Stars hit the stage for six weeks, performing such dance feats as incorporating physical activity into their routine, creating an illusion in their performance and dancing to…Britney Spears. That season, Qwest Crew from California took home the crown, but the Strikers All Stars still felt like winners.

“We have made appearances on BET’s ‘106 & Park’ before, so we have had nationwide television exposure,” says member Welton “Reese” Nance, “but appearing on ABDC catapulted everyone’s career.”

Since the ABDC season ended in March 2009, the group lost one member, Michael Anthony, due to family issues, but later gained two recent FAMU graduates, Brandon Mitchell and Cyrah Hawkins, who now has a degree and a desire for success in Hollywood.

Eight men live in the two-story house in NoHo: Tallie Brinson, Cyrah Hawkins, Joel Daley, Brandon Mitchell, Reese Nance, Otheus Manuel, Edwin Bennett and Peterson Thelisma. Four rooms and a transformed garage house the performers. Most of the time, however, they are not there.

Members of the Strikers All Stars have been participating in various projects since they placed stomping boots on ground in California, including:
music videos for recording artists like Ciara
performing at award shows like the Grammys
teaching dance classes at the renown Debbie Allen dance studio
visiting high schools across the state to mentor teens
flexing their acting chops on movies and TV shows like “Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming” and “Scrubs”
performing at Sweet Sixteens for celebrity teens like Keke Palmer
traveling across the world to perform for pop heartthrobs like the Jonas Brothers,

These Rattler sensations are always on the move.

The men have made it to Hollywood, but they haven’t forgotten about Tallahassee where they each impressed Hardemon on the audition floor, and for some the football field. Hardemon, who is also the Marching 100’s choreographer, recruited Brinson to the dance group after seeing his moves during the Marching 100 practice, where he performed in the band as a trombonist. Brinson isn’t the only member who participated in the 100; Manuel was a percussionist in the band.

In addition to members participating in extracurricular activities aside from the dance group, some of the other members were in Black Greek Letter Organizations. This benefitted The Strikers in more ways than one and helped take their dance style to another level. Hawkins and Brinson are members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and Mitchell is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

“The Strikers taught me energy and precision in dance; the “Bruhs” inspired the passion and enthusiasm,” Brinson noted. With Hardemon’s trademark pelvic gyrating movements, the Marching 100’s accuracy and precision, and the high-energy stepping style from fraternities, the Strikers All Stars presented a triple threat. “We bring our different fraternities’ stepping styles and put it into one great performance,” Mitchell says.

Hardemon is not surprised that his men reached this level of success and credits the group on their workmanship and brotherly bond. “I’ve always felt the Strikers would be something big,” the founder said proudly. “We have camaraderie, the insight on choreography, and we showcase artistic ability. We started with urban funk and now we even do contemporary modern gospel.”

Once the All Stars permanently moved to Hollywood after the end of ABDC, they were not under the close guidance of Mr. Hardemon anymore. While he was in contact with the All Stars as they continued their career in California, the young men gained local mentorship from a much sought-after choreographer in the industry, Chuck Maldonado. It was Maldonado who had mentored the young men since 2009 and got the All Stars ready for their “America’s Got Talent” stint last summer. Mr. Maldonado has worked with many recording artists, television shows and hundreds of dancers, but based on his personal experience, he shares more in common with the All Stars than others.

Maldonado is a graduate of the historically black college, North Carolina A&T University and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and he said he relates closely with The Strikers and their college experience background. He even thanks them for helping bringing out the dance style he has been working for years to make popular outside of Black college campuses.

“We still have more work to do, but I think that we have truly made a difference in this industry,” Maldonado says. “The Strikers All Stars by far is helping with this movement by being on such shows like ABDC and ‘America’s Got Talent.’ We as a team are constantly putting stepping in the public’s eye.”

The young men of the Strikers All Stars are proud of their past and recent accomplishments, but credit humility, motivation and support to their success.

“I will admit, I would have never gone after my dream without the encouragement of friends and family,” Brinson said. “Your support system will keep you strong when things are slow and not as planned so cherish them.”

Although the eldest member of the group is only 26, their mentor Maldonado thinks their maturity level and professionalism is beyond their years. “They are hard workers, they train hard, respectful, kind and very giving. They are educated black men with a purpose to help and educate other young dancers that are looking to be a part of this industry.”

No matter where these young men are in the country or world, as individuals or as a group, they are grateful of the rewarding experience they received as Strikers. “It’s hard to explain,” says Hawkins, “but there’s nowhere else in the world you can get an attractive, college-educated, all-black, male dance group working together, trying to build a positive image for other males that look just like us. It’s a beautiful thing.”