Neighborhood Heroes: A Movement of Their Own
What started as late-night, 3 a.m. freestyle sessions in a living room has grown into one of the most inspiring and creative crews in Columbus. Neighborhood Heroes, a dedicated seven-member dance crew, serves as a powerful testament to combining passion, community and creative expression.
Long before Neighborhood Heroes officially came together, each dancer was cultivating their own love for movement and artistic avenues. Their separate journeys through the arts laid the foundation for the shared connection that would eventually bring all seven members into the same room.
Members, Stephon (Steph) and Keyonte (Key), trace their passion for movement back to childhood. For Key, dance was a natural translation of music, starting in high school musical theater at Eastmoor Academy. Afterwards, he joined Luv2Danz Studio’s Hip Hop team. In 2023, Key joined Cleveland’s ELEVĀTED’s pre-professional and professional dance teams. This year, Key joined the faculty at Embody Dance and Creative Studios where he teaches and choreographs.
Steph’s journey was sparked by growing up in a family of performers and watching iconic music videos from Michael Jackson, Usher and films like "You Got Served." He performed at church, school events and previously danced with Tru Kingdom Mega Crew. Last year, Steph won his first battle and appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" with actress Mariska Hargitay, after creating a viral TikTok dance to the “Law & Order” theme song. “Dance has always stuck with me so I don’t think I’m ever going to give that up.” Steph said.
Though both dancers crossed paths in the local dance scene, their bond solidified at an event over a Tay K lyric. Before long, seven like-minded dancers began gathering organically in Steph’s living room, what began as casual cyphers evolved into deep discussions about personal aspirations, community impact and branding.
“His living room became a safe haven for dance,” Key said. “These weren’t just sessions, we’d have conversations about dance, talk about goals and really try to push each other. We got to a point where we realized we had the power to do something great for the community. If we put our minds to it and brand it, we could do it.”
That shared mindset naturally brought together seven dancers, each contributing their own distinct personality and artistic strength to build a balanced, multifaceted crew. “Allen is very stoic, Leece is the peacemaker, Beth is the joy,” they said. “Malaika is the vibe — she’s so cool. Key is a leader, Michael is the heart, and Steph is the energy and glue.”
*not photographed by Tia Simone
The name "Neighborhood Heroes" originally emerged when Steph and Key needed a moniker for 2v2 battles, drawing inspiration from their shared love for superheroes, anime and the culture. “Neighborhood Heroes came about from our love of just the culture itself, but also our love for superheroes, anime and things of that nature.” Steph said.
Since 2025, the crew has performed and taught at several community events in Columbus including 614 Day, Ohio Black Expo and Candice Flows Presents: Black Art Moves Movement Workshops. Neighborhood Heroes has also collaborated with organizations and creatives in Columbus like I AM D.A.N.C.E LLC, Malccs and more.
“Making a stamp in our city and making it known that we are the dance group for the city is one of the things that we are striving for.” Steph said. “As well as having more access to dance for kids and people that need to move their body, because it’s not just about showing off or getting accolades. It’s for your health, your spiritual growth and your brain. It’s for the community by the community.”
The group also strives to represent Columbus in spaces outside of the city too. "Columbus can be the underdogs sometimes depending on who you ask," Key said. "So when we travel, we try to put on for the city, which speaks to the neighborhood aspect again.”
Looking ahead, the crew plans to expand beyond dance into multidisciplinary arts including videography, photography, digital art, music and theater, ensuring their impact reaches every corner of the community.
“Not to be cliche but the possibilities are endless, we’re still relatively new, still figuring it out, trying to find our niche,” Key said. I could see some more of our next moves being doing stuff outside of dance, we’re a creative group. Allen does photography, Bethany is dope with the digital art and things of that nature and we have our own little niches outside of dance. Showing love for the arts holistically is something we care about.”
“We’re here to stay.” Steph said. “You’ll see more of us.”
Follow the Neighborhood Heroes on Instagram at neighborhoodheroes.7.
Learn more about each member here: https://www.themotionmag.com/meettheneighborhoodheroes
