Ruby Reeves went to Smalls Paradise in the 1980s and  witnessed the transition of social dancing going from uptown to downtown. She knew Mama Lu Parks and many of  the regular Monday night Harlem crowd that listened and danced to Al Cobbs Band. She performed professionally doing the Tranky Doo (or her version  the Cranky Doodle").   It has been stated but not confirmed that she was also part of the 1982 famous Harvest Moon Ball dance competition.  But b ack in 1988 when a tribute was given to Mama Lu ( Tapping Through an Evening in Honor of Mama Lu Parks )   she was in grand company  https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/29/arts/review-dance-tapping-through-an-evening-in-honor-of-mama-lu-parks.html Naturally she saw and experienced the "exodus" of Harlem's dance traveling from uptown to downtown. And uptown folk seemingly going with the flow because - in her words - "we weren't doing anything in our community".  Thus part of the sad rea