I had to call my mom to let her know that I would be getting home late because we had no idea when we were getting out of the studio, but me and the other dancers were told we were not allowed to use the phone. I see dancing as a way of enhancing each other, not overtaking each other. I remember after the taping I ran into my girlfriends at Roscoes and they asked me where I was and I told them I was dancing on this show called Soul Train. I remember at the 1984 American Music Awards, where he won a lot of awards, I saw him backstage and all of these cameramen and news people were around him. Just trying to be the best i can be. But after that episode aired, the shows ratings went up. Soultrain.com: More recently, you did choreography for the 36thannual Daytime Emmy Awards, which must have been an honor. Unfortunately, Eileen Brennan, who also played in the movie, was hit by a car and that ended the show. Little Joe Chism and I were partners. Fantastic moonwalking story. But the dancers would be there so early, well before the call time. DeBlanc was born in Austin, Texas, United States. Damita: It was quite an honor. Damita: Yes! In 1973 Freeman became a featured dancer on Soul Train after only her second appearance on the show, when Joe Tex invited her on stage to dance to his song I Gotcha in an unchoreographed impromptu performance. After the show, he came backstage and asked how I did that dance step. Damita Jo DeBlanc (August 5, 1930 December 25, 1998), known professionally as Damita Jo, was an American actress, comedian, and lounge music performer. We brought in something fresh and new. I choreographed The Spinners as well as Shalamar when they had their first hit Uptown Festival.. I was all over the place! During the early 70s, everything we did was street dancing. This website exists to break down the barriers between people, to extend a weblog beyond just one person, and to foster discussion among its members. What would you like to say in their memories? Other people taught him the move also. Jimmy Scoo B Doo Foster and I were trying to teach the host Cannonball Adderly how to do the Slow Motion dance step. Indeed, she was bestowed Soul Trains Best Creative Dancer Award at the first Soul Train Gang reunion. I dont mind the girls looking like the guys in terms of wearing the caps and other gear, but they should maintain their femininity. There was a lady running around the club named Pam Brown and she saw me and Don dance that night. Soultrain.com: Being a dancer on American Bandstand paid off in a lot of ways in that you were able to choreograph the American Music Awards for years. Damita: I had done some plays at The Music Center and someone called me about this play. Damita: From age 8 to 17 I was in a scholarship class for ballet. Soultrain.com: You even had the privilege of choreographing certain acts that came to American Bandstand, right? I met President Carter and went to the White House. Strive to stay in the business. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Soultrain.com: Do you have a word of wisdom you want to share with the readers? Soultrain.com: You have been friends with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family for many years. What was that like? Her rubbery, flexible movements and trademark leg kick were visual treats to watch every Saturday. Damita Jo Freeman. One of my dances was the DJ Which Way, which I named after me. How did that come about? Her appearance with Joe Tex would have gotten her fired had it not boosted Soul Train's ratings. It was impromptu. Soul Train was really roughing it in the early days! She chose Joe and me as the winners. She is known for her work on Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), Private Benjamin (1980) and Bad Dreams (1988). This was a step I did while I trained as a ballerina. It was incredible. I told my mom about this when I got home and she called the cops and a cop came to the set the next day and explained to Don Cornelius that since most of the dancers were minors, we had to be able to use the phone to call our parents to notify them what time we would be home. My gods, that kind of flexibility! Damita: I choreographed its very first awards ceremony in 1987. Soultrain.com: After you did choreography for episodes of the programs Sister, Sister and Moesha you did some TV commercials and became a part of the TV show Your Big Break. Presenting Damita Jo Freeman! On Friday night, my girlfriends and I went to a club called the Climax. Soultrain.com: Did you choreograph any of the Soul Train Music Awards specials? (Laughs) So I got the role. How did that come about? You even had the chance to choreograph Lionel Richies Cant Slow Down tour. Grand Prairie, TX So I chose Eddie Cole, Little Joe Chism and Pat Davis to perform with Diana Ross. We taped three shows on Saturday and three shows on Sunday on an 11AM to 6PM schedule. Damita: Smokey Robinson, The Dramatics, The Jackson 5 and The Whispers are some of them. Amazing woman, so many stores. Damita: Michael Jackson was a good friend. Soultrain.com: When did your journey with dancing begin? Damita Jo Freeman is arguably the most creative dancer in Soul Train history. Where are you originally from? Soultrain.com: You also created a lot dances. Other Works in Neo-Griot, PUB: Call for Submissions: sx salona small axe literary platform, PUB: The Magic Oxygen Literary Competition. I was taken away by what I saw. She said she liked our dancing and invited us to this new television dance show called Soul Train. So when I choreographed and appeared in Chers show at Caesars Palace, I did the routine, which would later become a street dance called the Backslide. Imagine how much confidence you'd have to have in your dancing ability to accept an invitation to dance with James-fucking-Brown on national television. This was her first time producing a film. Dick Clark asked me what dancers I could recommend for the next season, and I recommended Tyrone Proctor and Sharon Hill. You worked with and choreographed so many people. Damita: Yes. So my girlfriends pushed me to go out on the floor to dance. Michael Jackson, who was a guest on one show, was a judge and selected Joe and me as the winners. Damita: Yes. What was it like being on the set of Soul Train in those early years? Clifton Davis, who was one of the stars of the play, told me that I had the job. I remember during the second weekend I was on the show, all of the dancers had been dancing all day and were tired and thirsty. It was funny because she said, I choose the girl in the green, but Pat Davis, who was also in the contest, and I both wore green that day! | I choregraphed 500 street dancers, 100 regular dancers and 25 children. How did that come about? His future bride-to-be, Diana, was also there. Soultrain.com: Diana Ross also wanted you and several other Soul Train dancers to be a part of her Las Vegas act in 1974. Then I pulled my girlfriends on the floor and we all started locking. Damita: Me and my girlfriends, Jackie and Linda, went to a club one Thursday night called Mavericks Flat. Her rubbery, flexible movements and trademark leg kick were visual treats to watch every Saturday. She has no bones! Damita: I am originally from Palestine, Texas, then I moved to St. Louis and then moved to Los Angeles when I was six. Damita Jo with Jody Watley and friend. 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