Better Safe And Shaggy Than Sorry: Local Barber Discusses Business Closure, Community

Dan Leavell gives a customer a haircut at The Hair Shack on March 18, the last day the barber shop was allowed to be opened due to government restrictions over coronavirus concerns. Leavell misses his clients and the community atmosphere he experienced each day at his business.

By Brandon McGlone
sports@garrardcentralrecord.com

Lancaster, KY (April 15, 2020) - On Wednesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. Dan Leavell was forced to close the doors to his barber shop. Like thousands of other businesses across the commonwealth, his was deemed a non-essential, public-facing establishment, so The Hair Shack was ordered to be shut down by Gov. Andy Beshear over coronavirus concerns.

“It’s stressful, especially not knowing if or when the unemployment will get worked out, but I know God has a plan,” Leavell summed up the situation three weeks later. 

Since locking up the shop this might be the longest Leavell has been away from the art of hair styling.

“When I was younger I would always watch my cousin (Steven Quisenberry) cutting hair on the Shoot, doing it from his front porch,” Leavell recalled. “Every Saturday he would have a crowd of people lined up, getting haircuts left and right.”

It wasn’t long before Leavell began crafting his skill -- giving hairdos from his own porch and kitchen on Oakwood Drive.

“I enjoy helping people,” he explained. “When you give somebody a nice cut it helps them with their confidence -- their self-esteem. I love seeing the look on people’s faces after the haircut and seeing that they’re satisfied. I just enjoy that feeling.”

He eventually decided to go beyond styling just friends and family so he enrolled in the Barrett & Co. School of Hair Design in Nicholasville, graduating as a Master Cosmetologist in late 2014. A few months later the shop where he was working closed. 

Wanting to stay in Lancaster, he and a couple coworkers decided to venture out on their own. Leavell, Amy Curtsinger and Elizabeth Shearer opened The Hair Shack at 114 Richmond Street, next to the Windstream building, in April of 2015.

“Being a part of this community is meaningful for me,” the 2005 GCHS graduate said. “No one is a stranger. If your house burns down, your car breaks down or you lose your job -- as soon as this little village finds out about your situation all you see are people willing to help. I just love it.”

Leavell, 33, has deep roots in the county and takes pride in finding ways to help others, especially children, as he believes the community did for him growing up. He credits his mother, Kathleen “Nana” Leavell, for raising him to be sympathetic to others’ needs.

“It’s important to me because I grew up not having everything I wanted or needed,” he explained. “My mother was a single parent and raised five of us. Just her kind, giving heart influenced me and encouraged me to do the same. I watched her growing up and she was always a giver -- always wanting to help others even if she didn’t have it. She passed that spirit down to me, and I’m blessed to be in the position I am with my job financially that I can give back. I plan to do that as long as I can.”

Leavell is constantly looking for ways to give back. Occasionally he will run free haircut specials for students who make the honor roll. Before his shop was shut down, Leavell bought several pizzas for families with children who may be missing meals with school or daycare closed due to the virus.

For the last three years Leavell’s alter ego “Danta Claus” has made an appearance around Christmas time. Danta gives several lucky, local children a $100 Walmart shopping spree.

Starting in 2017 Leavell raffled off a television and took in donations to give kids a special Christmas they may not have otherwise had. He raised $1500 that first year, giving 15 children a holiday they will never forget.

Each year Danta’s toy bag has gotten larger. In 2018 he raised $2600 for 26 kid shopping sprees and last Christmas $4300 for 43 children.

​Dan Leavell, AKA "Danta Claus," with Kaiden Quisenberry shopping for toys at Walmart last December. Leavell has raised $8400 over the last three years, giving 84 kids a $100 shopping spree, so that local children like Kaiden can have a very merry Christmas.

“The first year we did this I had two brothers,” Danta Claus recalled. “They were shopping together and they had maybe five toys in their cart. Then they asked me if they could spend the rest of their money on food because they didn’t have any in their refrigerator. That right there hit me hard enough to realize I can never stop doing this -- Lord willing.”

While Danta Claus is used to being on a long break in the spring, Dan Leavell isn’t. Leavell’s charitable nature over the years hasn’t gone unnoticed, and during this uncertain time the offers to give have flowed back in his direction.

“I’ve had several people call and ask if I was okay -- clients of mine for years offering me money or food and just more than willing to help out during this time,” Leavell said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for people checking on me.”

Leavell says he appreciates the concern but is okay for now. In a way he is even thankful that the forced work stoppage has allowed him to spend quality time with his family: wife Lisa and children Gavin, 11, Nylah, 5, and Draydan, almost 2. Work normally keeps him from giving them as much attention as he would like.

Still, he is ready to have the clippers back in his hands and return to the communal atmosphere that is common at the local barber shop. The Hair Shack is more than a place to get your ears lowered according to Leavell. It is a gathering place for people to laugh and socialize. “Good ol’ barber-shop talk,” as Leavell describes it. 

He recalls that his favorite days of the year are the Fridays before Golden Lion home football games. The shop is standing room only with people talking about the upcoming contest and the glory days of the past. Leavell hopes business can return to normal before that time of year rolls around again.

His advice for people worried about their locks? Let it grow out, try cutting it yourself, or have someone in your home do it, so long as it can be done safely. Don’t risk getting yourself or someone else ill because your selfies are looking ragged.

“We’re in this together, but don’t be going and knocking on your barber’s door trying to get a haircut,” Leavell warned from experience. “I’d rather people stay safe and shaggy and just be able to laugh at their goofy haircuts on Facebook.”

Speaking of Facebook and everyone going through this time together, Leavell had a light-hearted message for Kentucky’s governor that he put on the social media platform last week: “Andy Beshear, I’m paying very close attention to your hair Mr. Governor it better keep growing if we in this together we in this together playa!! [sic]”

After being reposted to the popular Facebook group “Andy Beshear Memes for Social Distancing Teens” it received over 4.1 thousand “likes” and has been shared over one thousand times.

Leavell is able to find humor in this difficult situation, but he is very serious about the job he does and can’t wait to get back to the business of serving the people in his community.

“I believe they’ll be lined up at the door,” Leavell said about his appreciated clients when the shop eventually reopens. “They’ve probably missed their barber as much as I’ve missed them.”