While heading home after school on the activity bus one late afternoon, young Djuan Ballinger’s life would be changed forever. Then a tenth grader at Douglas Anderson High School of the Arts, Ballinger encountered students from William M. Raines High School at the bus stop where he noticed a young man doing something that intrigued him. That young man was mimicking movements for his school’s step team, something Ballinger had never seen before in his life. He asked the young man to show him what he was doing, and Ballinger instantly fell in love with it. Twenty years later, that young man who was taught step moves at the activity bus stop is now bringing his own step show to Jacksonville’s historic Florida Theatre, in the critically acclaimed production ” The Stomp Down”. The Stompdown is a show compromised of the nation’s most elite step teams from high schools, Greek fraternities and sororities, as well as independent teams from around the country. The show showcases each step team in their specific categories, and awards are given to the best teams. It’s already enjoyed success in Alabama, Georgia, and now it comes to Jacksonville. It’s a dream Djuan has had since first graduating from college back in 2006. “The vision came to me in 2006 and in 2017 I filled a support team that had similar goals and the desire to pursue the vision. After a year and a half of planning, I’m excited to bring the show to my home town.”
A native of Jacksonville, Djuan (now living Orlando, FL) went to James Weldon Johnson Middle School and then Douglas Anderson High School as a percussionist. He started playing the drums in church at a young age, and perfected his craft to be accepted into one of the most prestigious high schools for the arts in the country. It’s a talent that he believes has fueled his love for stepping. “Being a drummer helped me be creative with rudiments and sounds. The beat comes natural to me and natural for the step”. It’s no surprise that he was instantly drawn to the rhythms and sounds of stepping all those years ago in High School. However Douglas Anderson did not have a step team at the time he attended, so Djuan would have to find another avenue to pursue his passion. 
He attempted to start a step team at Douglas Anderson but was unsuccessful. He then reached out to Stanton College Prep and was allowed to perform with Stanton’s step team his senior year in High School while attending Douglas Anderson. Stanton’s U Psi Phi step team competed in many competitions, including an annual extravaganza held at the University of North Florida. He recalled the first time performing with his High School step team in front of such a large crowd of spectators. “The excitement at UNF was electric, the crowd went wild, and my adrenaline was pumping. I knew that this is what I loved to do”. Djuan would continue his love in college at Florida A&M University where he marched in the famous Marching 100 playing snare drum. He later joined Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and then Kappa Alphi Psi Greek fraternity where he served as a step choreographer in both organizations. Service and giving back has always been a goal for Ballinger, and joining those organizations allowed him to help many in need. In fact, his company Ballinger Productions & Entertainment hopes to raise over $50,000 for educational scholarships, with a percentage of proceeds from The Stompdown going to aid various nonprofit organizations. With a lot of hard work Ballinger and his team believes they can not only raise money to help young people, but also promote hard work and dedication through unity and coming together in the community. “It’s like playing a sport”, said Ballinger. “Team work, preparation, strenuous practices for several hours, doing steps over and over, cardio, training, it’s not an easy thing to do”. He added, “to be on a step team, you have to be able to work hard and get along with people from diverse back grounds to accomplish one goal. You’re going to see that in The Stompdown.”
As a step choreographer, some of Djuan’s step choreography has been seen in Americas Best Dance Crew, and Americas Got Talent. Djuan has also toured and contributed step choreography in the touring Theatrical Production called “Drumline”, where he performed and stepped overseas in Japan and traveled all over the country. He’s also an accomplished actor working in different cinematography roles. His diverse back ground gives him a unique perspective on how stepping can involve more than just Greek (Divine Nine) organizations. ” We incorporate everybody. Stepping exists in other places. There are over 400 or 500 groups that step that aren’t Greek so we’re excited to showcase them as well.”
At “the Stompdown”, expect to see some of the best step teams from all over the country competing and performing. The significance of the show being in Jacksonville is paramount. It’s where it all started for Djuan and it’s the first step show event to be held at the historic Florida Theatre. He and his dedicated staff hopes the show can inspire someone just as Djuan was inspired all those years ago. “Youth can come to see something new, something exciting, something they’ve seen on TV, in the movies, and shows. Something that can cultivate their gifts, inspire them. All it takes is one thing to inspire someone to achieve their dreams”
The Stompdown
When: Saturday January 28th 2017
Where: Florida Theatre ( Jacksonville, FL)
Time: 7pm
Local Step Performers Include:
Ribault High School
Stanton High School
Ridgeview High School
Oakleaf High School
Pink Ice
Melodic Stepping Experience
University of West Florida’s Alpha Phi Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta Alumni
FAMU Kappa Alpha Psi
Jax Gents
FAMU Omega Psi Phi
Rampage Step Team
FAMU Sigma Gamma Rhoes
& More
Special performance by the FAMU Strikers
