08/24/2025
Getting Ready to Step With Uneek
By: Steve Barber
Movement. Music. Mindset. Motivation.
These words describe Uneek’s (Senedra) approach to step. She wants you to move constantly. She wants the music loud (I ask her to turn it down…just a little). She wants your mind strong. She wants you to keep going at all times.
Uneek opens the door to her new stepping grounds. Her eyes and mind wander. She imagines ways to reinvent and refine everything, and I know she’s contemplating how to organize the space. I’ve seen her methodically decorate a room. It’s like watching someone complete a puzzle or play Tetris, but with furniture. Every piece must fit and speak to you. You have to see it to believe it—she strives for perfection.
Her hips turn, and her dunks squeak as she darts to a nearby corner. A picnic table craves her attention. Her first act of affection: carefully dressing the table in a black tablecloth. Spandex material and padded shoes make this cloth uneek. Colorfully wrapped Kind and Clif bars lounge at the table’s center. Uneek knows the treats will seduce suffering steppas after a good ass whooping.
Next to the healthy edibles stand two signs, one towering over the other. The larger sign grabs the attention of pedestrians outside. It sports an eye-catching photo of Uneek and sits alluringly in the window. The smaller sign displays registration information. It, too, has a photo of Uneek: she’s performing a crunch, subconsciously reminding you to keep moving at all times.
On the other side, neatly stacked white sweat towels contrast against the black tablecloth. Their freshness almost persuades me to wrap one around my neck. A heart-shaped basket hides behind the towels. Its rosy color betrays its position. Laminated affirmation cards rest inside, each colorfully shouting positivity at me.
The speaker awakes, its yawn sounding like a musician plucking a guitar. The hardwood floors thump as the bright LED lights dance across the speaker’s grill to Missy Elliott’s Hot Boyz. Uneek’s locs join in as she grooves to the melody and mouths, “Baby you got what I want!” Her vibe and energy force the corners of my mouth upward. She’s enjoying herself. I am too.
The iPhone’s unlock sound blares through the speaker, right on beat with the music. Uneek squats behind the device and sets the video’s composition. Her voice cuts through the noise to get my attention. She rhythmically summons me to come over and take a look. The waist-high tripod holds a purple iPhone. As I bend over, I’m careful not to disturb the device—I don’t want to destroy the precise framing. I nod in approval; she clutches my ass.
Mats and step boards crowd the brown floors. Soon, each board will take a beating. The sunlight beams through the large, rectangular window. Its glow gives the boards a painterly look, one worth capturing to reminisce about later. It’s a beautiful day.
It’s Beyonce’s turn on the playlist and Kitty Kat massages our eardrums. Uneek remotely cranks the speaker’s volume from her iPad at the front of the room. I sigh. I'm not feeling it. I'm not feeling it.
Uneek attacks a board that is front and center. Her locs sway, her bust nods, her knees elevate, her feet tap. She places one foot on the board and raises the other. The airborne foot comes down on the right side of the board. As it lands, the board-grounded foot rises—the knee attached to it erect. The knee descends, and the foot parachutes toward the board. The other foot rapidly rises after its sister’s safe landing and travels behind the board. The sister joins her behind the board, immediately preparing for repeat action on the other side.
The beat fades. Uneek sways as sweat runs down her body.
Big Steppas arrive one after the other. Uneek and I laugh because Black folks ain’t never on time. She greets everyone with hugs, kisses, and laughter. A sinister grin plasters her face, fully aware of the torture she’ll inflict on each of her victims.
Class begins.
