After a stressful run, firefighters are always looking for ways to unwind.  

For some, like Fire Engine Operator (FEO) Sean McSpadden, the koi pond at Engine No. 7 is his go-to method.  

“We see a lot of stuff, so it’s always good to come back, sit down, take a breath, just relax, collect yourself, and get ready for the next run,” McSpadden said. “Just the water slapping around, that’s a stress reliever.” 

Sergeant Jeffrey Hess noticed most firefighters in Detroit have the same opportunity during their downtime. 

“I’ve been around every firehouse in the city, and I would say ninety percent of them have some kind of pond, fish tank, something going to where you can sit in that room or outside here, and that’s the background noise, a stream of water,” Hess said.  

Japanese culture’s influence 

While none of the firefighters knew exactly how or why their stations came to have koi ponds, Rie Masuda, professor of Japanese culture and language at Wayne State University, offered an interesting connection.  

In the five elements in Japanese and Chinese philosophy, or gogyo, koi represents water.  

“The water is going to go over the fire, then fire extinguish,” Masuda said, “so that usually the fish figure, which is usually on top of the roof, that is supposed to protect the whole entire (samurai) household, or usually the castle, we call it shachi ho ko.”  

Koi ponds are a luxury in Japan, Masuda said, but they are more common in the U.S. because of how much space is available.  

“The people who are working so hard for the people of Detroit, they need to have some relaxing moment,” Masuda said. “I think that’s one of the reasons that somebody started to have koi.” 

In 1960, Detroit became a sister city to Toyota, Japan. Symbols of friendship have been shared between the two cities including hundreds of cherry trees and 12 Japanese snow monkeys. But there’s no record of gifting koi.

Another possible explanation for the origin of koi ponds could be a lighthearted rivalry between stations, according to Battalion Chief Troy Klann.  

“It was way before me, but all the houses around us had ponds, so it was kind of a competition thing, too,” Klann said. “You know, who could get the biggest fish?”  

Klann said it takes work to build and maintain the ponds, but they provide great therapy on and off the job. 

“Some guys do the koi ponds at home, too,” Klann said. “I thought about it a few times. I just never dug the hole.”  

Therapy dogs 

Along with the koi ponds, firefighters have access to other ways to relieve stress. One of those ways comes in the form of two golden retrievers, Oakland and Luca with First Responder Therapy Dogs who visit different stations to entertain the firefighters. 

Senior Chief Darnell McLaurin said the dogs are a result of Detroit Fire Department leadership taking mental health seriously. 

“We have our personal guidance unit, as well as the peer support team, and they have access to the first responder therapy dogs, amongst other things,” McLaurin said.  

Therapy dog handler Kathy Deland said the work she does is rewarding for both her and the dogs.  

“When they see the dog, they instantly go (gasp), and then they exhale, and that exhale is everything,” Deland said.  

Leaning on each other  

Firefighters also often rely on each other. FEO Andrew Simmons learned how to meditate on the job and said he hopes to help his coworkers do the same. 

“Yoga really helps with the maneuvering and moving around in such big, bulky gear a lot,” Simmons said. “I’m really looking forward to more firefighters actually getting into yoga.” 

Even if the origins of the koi ponds are still uncertain, Hess said they tie into two important things for firefighters: distraction and purpose during the downtime of a stressful and dangerous job.  

“You never know when it’s going to be the worst day of your life,” Hess said, “so in the meantime, let’s just have as much fun as we can.”  

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

We want to hear from you!

Have a question about Southeast Michigan’s history or culture? Send it our way at wdet.org/curious or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer. Loading…

In this episode of CuriosiD, listener Katie Byerly asks the question:

What is Detroit ballroom and hustle dancing?

The short answer

Detroit ballroom and hustling are two distinct dance styles. Ballroom is a partnered dance traced back to the 70s that was loosely based on the Cha-Cha and accompanied by R&B or Soul Music. Detroit, or “urban ballroom”, is a smoother, more fluid dance style, as opposed to more structured and formal standard or Latin ballroom dances.

Hustling is another name for line dancing. It’s a group dance often set to specific songs. You might have heard the songs “Wobble” by V.I.C, or “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid played at parties to get people on the dance floor.

Detroit Hustles

The most famous line Dance would be the Electric Slide, popularized in the 1970s. It’s done to many songs. But in Detroit, it most famously was danced to the song “My Eyes Don’t Cry” by Stevie Wonder.

There are hundreds of variations of line dances that go along with specific songs across different cultures.

And Detroit has popularized a few of its own, such as the Tamia Hustle danced to the song “Can’t Get Enough” by Tamia.  Or the In the Line of Duty hustle created by a former Detroit police officer and danced to the song “Feels So Right” by Janet Jackson.

And then there is the Turbo Hustle created by Detroit’s own legend, Frederick “Fast Freddy” Anderson.

“Right, right, right, left, left, left. That’s mine… I created that,” said Freddy. “But what they did, after a while, somebody took my name off of it. They had the same music. It started with me.”

In the original version, you can hear him saying “Freddy’s on the move” at the beginning of the song.

Freddy says he created the Turbo Hustle in the now closed Northland Shopping Center.

“We had a contest inviting groups to come in, and we all migrated and put this together, but I was the one who put the foundation to it, and we put it together, and that’s how it became the Turbo,” said Freddy.

Creating this line dance is only one of Freddy’s accolades. He’s had an extensive career in dancing, DJ-ing and modeling, since appearing on Detroit’s popular TV show The Scene in the 1970s and 80s. Now, at nearly 80 years old, Freddy can be found still emceeing parties across the city.

“This means an awful lot to me. You see, I take it seriously. People that generally don’t dance, they get up and dance for me,” Freddy said.

Freddy also teaches classes at rec centers in Detroit. On multiple days he can be found in senior homes for his class, “Getting Down While You Sit Around.”

Freddy says ballroom and hustling are easy ways to get people on the dance floor comfortably and without any social stakes.

“It’s an exceptional thing, because, you know, a guy takes a girl out, they don’t have to go on one side of the room, and you dance by yourself. This is thing that we all, we all do together, and to see a room full of people do it is truly exceptional.”

Hustle Classes

Finding a place to learn the steps to these dances isn’t difficult. Freddy is only one of dozens of instructors across the city teaching hustle and ballroom classes.

On Wednesday’s at Shield’s Pizza in Southfield Steven “Silk” Sturkey can be found teaching hustle classes from 6-8 p.m.

Silk says there are simple basic steps that make up a hustle.

“Like a cha, cha box, square, tick, walk, easy, reverse, full, turn, half, turn, pivot. There’s tons of names for each. Most of the moves are recycled. It’s just the choreography of the moves, where they go, how they go, the timing,” Silk said.

Silk has been teaching classes since 2012. He says in his time, there were more restrictions to becoming an instructor and an instructor certificate was required.

“Nowadays, it’s not so stringent. But from where I came from, there is a deep history the instructors that instructed me were instructed by instructors, and it was kind of passed down from generation to generation, so to speak,” Silk said. 

It’s a community

Detroit’s community of hustlers and ballroom dancers is tight knit, but still welcoming to newcomers and beginners.

Ask Maurice Franklin, better known as DJ RocWitMoe. He hosts the city’s Dancing in the D event in Downtown Detroit’s Spirit Plaza.

RocWitMoe says the hustle community feels like family.

“Because it gives a community feel. Because there’s a certain amount of people that do hustling and ballroom, not that it’s a community that’s closed off, you know?” RocWitMoe said.

“I mean, it’s a community where other people could come in, but it’s a community style to where everyone pretty much knows, you know everyone else. So we looked at more like as a family, rather than, you know, just people out partying.”

RocWitMoe says while hustling and line dances are seem more prevalent as they are done at almost every party, ballroom is also still very popular among Detroiters.

He’s been hosting several ballroom events called the Ballroom Bash at the Norwood on Woodward. The next one will be on May 1.

RocWitMoe says events like these are good for the city because they give people a fun, safe outlet.

“You know, people working day in and day out, you know, doing what they got to do to feed their families and everything you need that outlet. And it can’t be the head banging club scene,” RocWitMoe said.

“But you may still want to go somewhere and you know, maybe have a cocktail or two and then go home. And that in between part where you can have a release and a getaway from regular life is what you know ballroom is.”

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

We want to hear from you!

Have a question about Southeast Michigan’s history or culture? Send it our way at wdet.org/curious or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.

More CuriosiD