Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 4-30-21

Local
Couple Takes Urban Line Dancing To A Whole New Level
Hillsborough Offering Education For Landlords On New Tenant’s Bill Of Rights
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
From Africa to America, dancing is an integral part of our culture. African Americans have also taken other types of dance and put a unique twist on it.
For Markis and An- drea Christopher, Urban Line dancing is a way of life. Andrea grew up line danc- ing, and her mother still ac- tively participates. Markis grew up in a dancing family and credits that for his in- terest in line dancing.
The couple officially be- came owners of the Above Your Expectations (AYE) Team Urban Line Dance company in February 2017. AYE Urban Line Dance be- came an LLC in March 2021.
Urban Line Dance can be found around the country and the world. Socials, con- ventions, and meet ups with other urban line dancing groups are common. Dances like the Wobble, Cha Cha Slide, Baltimore Strut, and everyone’s fa- vorite Electric Slide have solidified line dancing in Black culture.
It is a supportive commu- nity, and the AYE team often travels to other cities to support its fellow line dance groups. The Christophers say that mutual support and lack of drama make the line danc- ing community welcoming and inclusive.
For the AYE Team, COVID necessitated some changes. They transitioned to virtual classes and get to- gethers to stay connected. They are still keeping it live with YouTube videos and clips on Facebook.
Their biggest challenge is getting the word out that there is a line dancing re- source in Tampa. Line dancing is a high energy, low impact exercise that is good for all ages and dance levels.
Markis says that line dancing is a release for many people. They can for- get the stress and issues in
Hillsborough County will offer two informational we- binars this week to educate landlords on their rights and responsibilities under a new ordinance dubbed the Ten- ant’s Bill of Rights that was recently adopted by the Board of County Commis- sioners. The webinars offer landlords the opportunity to ensure they are in compli- ance before formal imple- mentation begins on July 1.
The Tenant’s Bill of Rights provides protections for ten- ants and is designed to de- crease the potential for homelessness. Among other things, the ordinance re- quires landlords to provide tenants with written notice of their housing rights, make available a list of resources for tenants’ assistance, and
disclose late fees. It also pro- hibits discrimination relating to a tenant’s lawful source of income.
Consumer Protection
Thursday, April 29, 10-11 a. m.
Hillsborough County Con- sumer Protection will pro- vide an overview of the Tenant’s Bill of Rights, in- cluding provisions that pro- hibit discrimination related to a tenant’s source of in- come.
• Questions for the April 29 webinar can be submitted in advance by emailing Con- sumer Protection at Con- sumers@HCFLgov.net
Full Tenant’s Bill of Rights information for ten- ants and landlords is avail- able at HCFLGov.net/Ten- antRights. Recordings of both webinars will be avail- able after April 30 on the same site.
MARKIS and ANDREA CHRISTOPHER
...Urban Line Dancing com- pany owners advocate fun and health
their lives and enjoy the rhythmic movements.
The AYE Elite team is the traveling group of line dancers. Andrea makes all of the tee shirts and acces- sories,
You can find the AYE team on their YouTube channel - https://www.youtube .com/channel/UC6at9ww W8zmgvZTSxJZ8C8g or follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.co m/theayeteam) and Insta- gram (https://www.insta- g r a m . com/the_a.y.e._team). For class information, visit their website at https://www.aboveyourex- pectations.com.
There are beginner's classes on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a small fee.
Markis is a native of Tampa and graduated from Hillsborough High School. He is the proud son of Her- bert Lee Christopher and Sharbinet Craw- ford.
Andrea is from Buffalo, N. Y. She is the proud daughter of Debra Maxwell and Robert Powell.
The Christophers are the proud parents of two daughters.
Wednesday, April 28, 10- 11a.m.
Hillsborough County Code Enforcement will provide an overview of the Tenant’s Bill of Rights, including provi- sions requiring written no- tice of late fees.
• Questions for the April 28 webinar can be submitted by emailing Code Enforce- ment at CE-Ser- viceRequests@HCFLgov.net
The following webinars are free.
Tenant’s Bill of Rights and Late Fee Notice: Code Enforcement
Tenant’s Bill of Rights
and Lawful Sources of Income Discrimination:
FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 9-A