By Ashley Oliver
As the throng of street spectators slowly gathered under the oppressive heat to watch the spectacle, conveyed by word of mouth, beaded sweat dripped down his glowing locks belied his coolness on the steps of Union Square.
While Andrew “Goofy” Saunders, 21, gyrated and pranced through the air, evoking muscle memory, the audience showered him with a thunderous applause. Saunders was not performing a defined dance style, it was one that he and his group We Are Family for Life Entertainment (W.A.F.F.L.E) – Lite Feet.
“Not all dance comes from ballet,” said Saunders. “Lite Feet is not breakdancing. It incorporates street dance like the chicken-noodle soup, Harlem shake, and acrobatic moves that we learned to do using the subway poles.”
Following his move to the South Bronx from South Carolina in 2012, Saunders discovered a new dance niche that earned him a respectable audience on the MTA trains.
“Dancing brings people joy and I like entertaining people and watching them gasp in awe from watching [my group members and I] dance. But then other dancers started to copy us and I didn’t want W.A.F.F.L.E. to become another fad. I was tired of just being known as another ‘subway dancer’,” Saunders said as he tied his sequined lace around his dazzling, blue sneakers.
After receiving encouraging comments from appreciative audience members to capitalize on their entertainment, Saunders parlayed his new dance innovation into a profitable business venture.
“These kids are not like any other dancers I’ve seen on the subway,” remarked Flatbush resident, Jon Dolly, 37. I ride the Q train everyday from work, and Andrew and [the other group members were always considerate of others. [W.A.F.F.L.E] has intricate moves, so that anyone can tell they rehearsed for hours. Not everyone can do that.”
Saunders used the money he received from performing on the trains to pay for attendance at dance conventions in hopes of getting recognized. However to his dismay, he soon realized that some choreographers tried to co-opt his dance style.
Shaking his head, Saunders recalled, “We saved all this money to go to these dance conventions and competitions just for the choreographers to put their name on our work. That’s not right. That’s when I knew I had to market W.A.F.F.L.E. by myself.”
W.A.F.F.L.E group member Damien “Angel” Morales, 20, said, “The only thing we got outta dance conventions was the ability to network with other dancers and we got noticed. We got invited to big studios, but they tried to make money off of us. Andrew was the one who taught us the business part- to not get played.”
Saunders invested his life earnings into business cards and merchandise to market his dance company. He utilized social media to network with companies and potential sponsors. He also strengthened his brand by networking with other dancers at local Lite Feet competitions in Harlem.
W.A.F.F.L.E. was invited to dance in multiple music videos with rap artists including ASAP MOB, Wu-tang, B.O.B, Joey Bada$$, Fatman Scoop, and Zebra Katz. He also performed at various venues in New York City, including Brooklyn Concert Series at Wingate Park, SOB’s, and Universoul Circus. In December of 2014, a major German sports and retail chain, Heinrich Deichmann-Schuhe GmbH Coorporation, invited W.A.F.F.L.E. to perform at their annual venue in Argentina.
Desmond Hinds, a member of rap sensation Pro Era, attributes Saunders success to his dedication.
“It’s amazing to see the progression of black artists with no prior training,” said Hinds. “Andrew is always ready to perform and practices his skills. That’s what makes an artist.”
Despite his success, Saunders did not have a completely receptive audience. The New York City Police Department (N.Y.P.D) did not marvel at W.A.F.F.L.E’s performance, but solely attended to enforce the law.
“I have no problem with the N.Y.P.D,” exclaimed Saunders as he frolicked through his dark brown locks. “But New York is all about diversity and they’re taking that away by arresting entertainers. I got arrested for being disruptive on a 42nd Street subway platform. The irony is a couple months later, we got invited to dance at the N.Y.P.D. Family Day.”
W.A.F.F.L.E incorporates an eclectic musical sound that parallels their neo-classical dance style.
Tapping his foot against the sprung, marley floors that cover Pearl Dance Studio to the beat of the music, W.A.F.F.L.E.’s emcee, Sean “ArnStar” Kirkland, 24, said, “The uniqueness of the moves in Lite Feet has been the main inspiration for me to write the tracks we dance to. It needed its own style of music, so along with the producer, Kid the Wiz, and I created magic! It’s not mainstream, but it has an 80’s east coast feel to it.”
Occasionally, Saunders teaches free dance lessons at local tri-state events. In spite of his growing success and fame, Saunders remains humble.
“I don’t want people to treat me differently,” Saunders noted. “I’m not going to change who I am just because I am living my dream. Anyone can become successful, you just gotta listen. It’s not always about fast money. [Minorities] need to break the stereotype. Just cuz you from the ghetto, doesn’t mean you’re ghetto.”