At 3 AM in downtown Charlotte, NC, we stumbled upon a parking lot full of loud people and loud cars, where we interviewed Levar.

A printable version of the following can be found here.


June 11th, 2005

"So, what's going on here?"

"Well, actually, we're just a bunch of my friends, friends of ours that just come out here and just hang out--basically it's a Friday night thing for us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, not too many clubs goin on Friday so we just come out and chill."

"Where are you guys friends from?"

"Well, actually I know some of them from school--I went to Norfolk State, some are from college, some from Rocky Hill Winthrop University--just different college people that we met at one club and we became friends and just chill out together basically."

"Do you spend the whole night in this parking lot pretty much?"

"Pretty much 'til about 4-5 o'clock."

"What do you guys do?"

"Just chill and trip-out dance--things like that."

"So you make your own club in the parking lot."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"And what do you do on Saturday nights? Is it different?"

"We go to the club on Saturday nights."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, this club called The Mix."

"So you guys just like to dance?"

"Yeah, dance, chill--yeah."

"What do you do during the week?"

"Well I work. I work at Allstate doing insurance for houses and homes and stuff like that--everybody works basically, you know what I'm saying--we get together on the weekends."

"So what's the most interesting thing that happens to you during the week?"

"Well me personally, I got a 3 year old. So hang with my 3 year old basically, you know what I'm saying, I don't hang with him too much during the weekend 'cause he goes home to Georgia to his mama, so only I just hang out with him throughout the week when he comes back--that's about basically the most interesting thing for me."

"What do you do with your 3 year old?"

"Well, um, my baby's mama--she has another child, so we all get together, we both get together, we bring our childs together--and hang out basically, that's about it."

"What does he like to do?"

"Um, right now he's 3 years old--I'm getting him into like basketball--get him into like a lot of sports."

"Does he go to school yet?"

"No, he's starting pre-k at the end of this year as a matter of fact--he's 3 so he's starting pre-k in August-September."

"Really? Is he excited?"

"Kinda--I don't think he basically knows what he's gonna do but we're trying to--"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Is it hard not seeing him? Do you miss him during the week?"

"Yeah, I do. I see him a lot during the week--so he goes back home during the weekend, which is basically like 2-3 days and he's back up here in the week. He travels a lot so just comes and sees me, so..."

"And what's work like? Is it boring, is it exciting?"

"Actually, it's exciting. I used to work when I got out of school--trying to find a job was hard--uh, went to McDonald's but working for Allstate in a shirt and tie--that's my kind of environment, so, I pretty much like it--sitting behind a desk--it's boring sometimes but the people around make it fun and real, so..."

"Do you have any plans of, like, doing something different? Or you see yourself doing that a while?"

"I'm seeing myself moving back home--I'm from Georgia so I'm seeing myself moving back home, finding a better job there. Uh--not trying to be racist but--the jobs, the economy there for blacks is real good in Atlanta. So I'm looking at moving there, and so, starting a life there."

"Staying in the same kinda work or a different kind of work..."

"Same kind of work."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 22."

"...so you've been here since 5 o'clock?"

"Well actually I've probably been here about an hour [about 2] and I'll bust outta here at about 5 o'clock."

"Until 5 o'clock."

"'Til 5 o'clock, yeah."

"Wow, then what do you do tomorrow during the day?"

"During the weekend--chill, drink a little bit--just get myself ready for the night--that's all, yeah."

"Nice, when did you first start dancing, going out dancing?"

"Probably about when I was 19, when I just graduated high school."

"DO you rmeember the first time you went out or when you started doing it?"

"Actually I do. It was when--ooh, it was when--I didn't have a very good time when I stole my Mama's car."

"Can you tell us about that?"

"It was on a Saturday and um--stole her car, just to go out and to see what the scene was about, you know what I'm saying, to go clubbing and stuff like that, so that's exactly what I did, so--it was interesting, I was kinda paranoid--not knowing if I'd get caught when I got back home, but--hey, it was cool, I didn't get caught so it was cool."

"Did you continue to do it or was that the only time stealing the car?"

"A couple of times I did. I got caught probably 'bout one or two times in the act, but, hey..."

"What'd she say? What'd she say?"

"She didn't trust me, which is understandable--but, um, I guess I try to give her the time to trust me but still doing the little things--like stealing the car--and she didn't know and she didn't catch me--thinking that she was getting the trust, but it's typical for a teenager."

"And did you learn how to dance after starting to go out or had you been dancing earlier?"

"Uh, yeah. I was always fascinated by marching bands. I was a drum major at my high school and, so, I've always been kinda interested in dancing."

"Really? What was that like--being a drum major?"

"It was real cool. I mean, I got to travel a lot, um, all across the US--we were a high step band, you know what I'm saying--predominately black. So it was--I mean it was, it was real cool. And that's where I'm getting some of my moves from actually."

"Yeah? Can you show us one, for the camera?"

"Yeah...well actually this is the marching style right here."

[dances]

..."so what do you hope for your kid?"

"Well even if--I didn't have a perfect life--but at least if he goes to school, get out of school, and try to do something after you get out of school, you know, um--I didn't go to school to just waste my time, so I'm trying to teach him that too--just to go to school--teaching him the way he should go so he won't depart from the way I teach him or his mother teach him, and, basically, I guess teach him--I want him to do the things that we teach him. If he does that when he leaves, I mean, at least I know that I done taught him the best that I can, and I won't feel guilty, but...