Chester high-steppers drill for Disney World

With the demeanor of a drill sergeant, Marcella Carrington-Davis barked out orders to the 10 girls lined up under an open pavilion in Chester Park.

"That is not loud enough!"

"Hands up!"

"You will not be on that stage looking like you don't know what you are doing!"

Eyes rolled, looks were exchanged, and the group shifted uneasily.

"Five, six, seven, eight," Davis, 44 of Brookhaven, called out to start the next dance routine.

This time, with their elbows swinging and knees high-stepping, and accompanied by a deafening drum cadence, the girls hit their marks and turned the corners with military precision.

"Better, much better," Davis said.

The Bennett High Steppers, a Chester City drum and drill team, is nine days away from leaving for Florida, where - for 25 minutes - its members will step, hop, and pop for the summer crowds on a stage at Walt Disney World.

"We have too much work to do and it's too hot," said Yvonne Carrington Payne, 70, who, along with Carrington-Davis, her daughter, founded the group. She eased pre-performance jitters: "We'll get it together, folks."

The group will perform on Aug. 23, a date that, when she heard it, gave Carrington Payne pause.

"It is the anniversary date of Carla's death," she said. "It will be 23 years."

Carla Carrington, her daughter, was 17 when she was killed as she fled a gang fight near her home in the Bennett Homes in Chester. The honor student and cheerleader was one week away from leaving for Central State University in Ohio.

While the death of her third child - her baby - could have left her bitter, Carrington Payne resolved to keep her daughter's memory alive through community involvement. She and friends have fed holiday meals to the homeless, helped Hurricane Hugo victims, and assisted battered women. A street in Chester was named Carla's Lane in her honor.

Carrington Payne even managed to forgive Shawn Wootson, who served time in connection with her daughter's death. In 2005, she attended his funeral after he was shot and killed on a Chester street.

The drum and drill team was founded in Carla Carrington's honor.

The group, now numbering about a dozen, is the only drum and drill line in the city, said Wanda James, 43, mother of two of the dancers and an alumna of the team.

Each year, the drill team marches in local parades. This year it has been invited to march in Philadelphia's Thanksgiving parade, Carrington Payne said.

Participants must come to regular practices, be available for performances, and keep up their grades. The focus is on their future, said Carrington Payne, and on staying clear of trouble.

Kamyiah Garner, 12, of Chester, said joining the group had given her new confidence: "I was always a shy person." But the biggest gift is her new friends, including the adults who help mentor the team, she said.

This year, Fenny DeShields, 34, will reprise his roll on the drums. The alum/drummer/chaperone will make the trip along with his son and fellow drummer Fenny Jr., 12.

"It is just a family tradition," said Fenny Jr. "It is the best."

Once the performance is over, the father and son have their sights set on a special Disney ride.

"Tower of Terror," they said in unison.

The members are still raising funds for the trip, Carrington Payne said. She said several thousand dollars of the total cost of around $15,000 is not yet covered.

To see a video of the Bennett High Steppers, go to

www.philly.com/

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