Executive Staff
Yausmenda Ali-Bey, President & Chairman
Yausmenda Ali-Bey, a UC Berkeley alumna and founder of Steppin' Across America Foundation (SAAF), has over 12 years experience in project development and promotions. Yausmenda honed her skills as a multi-faceted entertainment service provider working in various departments at Warner Bros. Records with top level executives from A&R to Marketing & Artist Development, to Publicity and Promotions. Working at such a powerhouse afforded Yausmenda the opportunity to assist in the facilitation of projects for heavy hitters like Cher, Bette Midler, Depeche Mode, Boney James, Norman Brown, Fourplay, Eric Benet, The Winans, George Duke, and many more.
Independently, through her company, KnockOut Base, LLC, Yausmenda continues to provide innovative visibility services that include branding, marketing, publicity, promotions, graphic designing, and writing services. Yausmenda's latest writings can be found on Jesse Johnson's (lead guitarist of The Times) October 2009 independently released solo album, Verbal Penetration. Yausmenda is also a student of the renown film director, Bill Duke, who inspired the development of our program Behind The Scenes Bootcamp™.
Since branching out from the music industry, Yausmenda's diligent work to raise awareness of Chicago Steppin' in Los Angeles as a steppin' instructor and independent promoter of the culture earned her the respect of the Los Angeles steppin' community who awarded her with a plaque of appreciation in 2004. She is also featured in the documentary, Steppin: A Chicago Dance, directed by Gwen McGee and Anthony Coleman, which debuted at the 2009 Hollywood Black Film Festival.
Under Yausmenda's management (KnockOut Base), M.A.K.3 Danceclub, a steppin' company out of Chicago, IL, quickly flourished in Los Angeles, spread to Oakland, Sacramento and New York between 2003-2004. With Yausmenda coordinating and promoting workshops, attendance reached record breaking numbers of 120+ students in workshops, and paved the way for M.A.K.3 Danceclub to annex a London chapter after her departure. To-date, no one has ever been able to duplicate the results acquired through Yausmenda's leadership.
A nurturer by nature, a parent of a toddler, and former daycare facilitator and credentialed teacher, Yausmenda's hands-on experience with the development of our youth from birth through age 18, and her successful track record of managing, producing, and promoting small and large-scale projects lends credence to the goals and objectives of our organization and our impact on the global community at-large.
"Love may rank as the most popular universal language, but it's predicated upon the mathematics and science of mere existence as our energies naturally dance in infinite space creating chemistry. Math, science and dance are ingrained in the fiber of our existence, so I step. Live...Love...Dance." ~Yausmenda Ali-Bey
Angela Faine, Sr. Vice President
Angie Faine, co-founder of M.A.K.3 Dance Club, is a legendary Chicago Stepper with over 30 years experience within the steppin' community as an instructor, competitor, and event manager. A natural entrepreneur and founder of Platinum Choice Productions, a premier marketing and promotions company in Phoenix, Arizona, Angie's knack for uniting people within the community and her innovative thinking is an asset for SAAF.
In the steppin' community, Angie is known for her amazing footwork, seamless following techniques, and ability to interpret the dance art effectively for others to grasp. Angie brings a stylization to the instruction of Chicago Steppin' that exudes femininity. Her influence on women in the Chicago Steppin' community can be seen on dance floors and in competitions in just about every city that steppin' has touched down in. A man's best teacher in this dance is a skilled woman, and every man groomed under the tutelage of Angie exemplifies a rare balance of original and new school steppin' style.
Angie has garnered the admiration of the public through her numerous competition wins, steppin' appearances, including in the movie Love Jones, on local news segments including WGN, as a steppin' choreographer for music videos, former club member of The Majestic Gents, and displaying her master level of instruction as a traveling instructor.
Angie's fresh ideas, legendary expertise and experience on both sides of the dance floor as coordinator and participant of competitions and events lends to the synergy of SAAF's executive team and board of directors.
Anthony "Tykmyn" Allen, VP of Dance Operations
Tykmyn (pronounced "Ticman"), is a legendary Chicago Stepper and Master Instructor with over 15 years experience steppin'. Tykmyn's sultry, smooth execution of the dance art form of Chicago Steppin' in his unique, boundless style has donned him title wins in over 13 steppin' competitions since 1997, nine of which were awarded at the V103 World's Largest Steppin' Competition held annually in Chicago, Illinois.
Tykmyn teaches workshops and holds classes from coast to coast, and is the spotlighted guest stepper and featured instructor for over 90% of all the various steppin' conventions, balls, and events across the country. Voted "The Heaviest Hitter of 2007" and "The Most Exciting Male Contest Stepper of 2007" in the Chistepper People's Choice Awards, Tykmyn is the most sought after Chicago Steppin' instructor and dancer on the floor worldwide.
Starring in the documentary, Steppin: A Chicago Dance, directed by Gwen McGee and Anthony Coleman, which debuted at the 2009 Hollywood Black Film Festival, Tykmyn is a rare jewel in the steppin' community, as he is one of the last steppers to be trained by some of the legendary "old school" steppers who bestowed upon him the history, etiquette, personalization, and mastery of this dance.
Although a "new school" stepper by age, Tykmyn's wealth of knowledge, style, grace, and presence as an original-style stepper is contributed to his love for dance and music paired with his dedication, training and grooming by "old school" steppin' legends Tony Dow, Janice Robinson, Ty Skippy, Charnice Simmons, Darlinda Russell, Claudell Jackson, Al Jackson, Toi Salter, Donnie Davis, Angie Faine, Ice Ray, and others. His extensive training under the greats of the community converged Bopping, Freestyle, High Steppin', Walking, Jitterbug, Cake Walk, Salsa, Ballrooming, and a plethora of social dance styles into a mesmerizing talent that surpasses that from whence he's come. A feature length screen play has been written inspired by true events from the life of Anthony "Tykmyn" Allen.
Tykmyn's success in branding his name worldwide in every Chicago steppin community, and in the entertainment industry, exemplifies his capability and instrumentality in this organization lending credibility, uniformity, quality assurance, and paramount expertise to SAAF that is sure to compliment and further our mission to improving the quality of life of others through dance.
"Steppin' relieves my stress. It's about the music and how it speaks to me. It's about surrendering to the dance and the lady that I'm dancing with. It's when all of those elements come together that I am confident in my ability and my partner can trust me." ~Tykmyn
