I Love Steppin News

I Love Steppin 4th Year Anniversary Review

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Jeff Clark has almost made it to the 5 year mark as a steppin promoter, apparel designer, stepper and steppin social network liaison. In the last four years, Clark has managed to capture the hearts, respect and loyalties of followers from around the country. His quiet and “take me as I am” disposition has always been displayed at his anniversary parties. No fancy suits, no entourage…just Jeff. This year was no exception. The I Love Steppin brand never promises a whole lot of extras because it does not represent “I Love Workshops” or “I Love Shopping” or “I Love Sightseeing” but Jeff’s philosophy has always managed to hold on to what brought more than 500 people to the Southfield Shriners Silver Garden this weekend. Pure, unadulterated…steppin!

I must hand it to the steppers. Coming off of the Dancin’ Dons and Divas Black Out and the Heritage Ball in Atlanta, the Midwest posse has definitely been representing along with the east and west coasts this year. Both Friday and Saturday nights featured DJ Shorty Smooth and introduced Detroit’s Hamil “DJ Hammer” Young who won a guest DJ spot from a contest held by the Detroit Steppers Network earlier this year. The Steady Steppers were also in the house as was James Pacely, Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten, the Big Hat Gentlemen and Upscale Dance Productions.

For the second time around, this venue presented adequate seating, air and dance floor space for all. As I understand it, one person rumbled about going up and down the stairs to the dance floor, however the numbers of attendees increased from last year at the SAME venue. In the end, I guess the stairs didn’t matter and neither did this person’s opinion.

As always, it was good to see the usual suspects in the building along with Pete Frazier, Keith Hubbard, Cliff “Big Slim” Reynolds, Cleveland’s DJ Butta “Andrea Mason, all the way from the Oakland, Cali…Mr. Adisa Amboniyse (yes he looks just like his pictures ladies…wow!), Columbus’ Own, Victor A. James Sr. and Nikola Thomas, Toledo’s Mind, Body & Soul, Miami Steve, Sonia Loves Steppin, Drewry Alexander, Feo Duncan, Keesha Anderson, Candace Hinton, Ira and Gail Blakely, Chicago’s DramaFree Izme, Maurice “Smoke” Dixon, steppers from Baltimore, Memphis, New Jersey, and St. Louis was in the house along with Kirk Pacley and Devan Powe representing GDI of Atlanta. A host of other steppers were also in the house representing this life!

On Sunday, Friends United featured a top of the line all day long buffet to satisfy even the finickiest of eaters. For $10, you got to sample 18 different entrees, salads, desserts and other miscellaneous items in the fat room…I mean the back room. I saw group member, Sherry Gordon, giving complimentary bussing services by throwing away empty plates and dancing in between songs. To help counter the gluttony, the crowd had an opportunity to dance off the food to the sounds of DJ Paul Ross “The Boss”. The highlight of the brunch for me came when Detroit stepper, Kirk Peterson, was steppin with an out of town guest and after looking at his footwork, she stood with her hands on her hips and stopped dancing, laughed and said, “Now that’s what I paid my money for. Work them feet boy!”

At the end of the brunch, everyone waddled to their cars or were whisked off to the airport with promises made to come back at the end of the month for the White Party to do it all over again. Debbie Rhodes of Cleveland sat next to me at the brunch and said something that I thought was rather profound. “You know Tracey, I can see the evolution of this steppin community. Detroit has always been generous with sharing the knowledge of this dance, but now I’m starting to see more steppers from Chicago and other cities opening up and sharing the knowledge freely as well. This is what makes the dance fun for me.”

I think Jeff Clark said it best when he stood outside watching women to their cars and someone asked him if he was pleased with this weekend’s turnout and as always Jeff Clark kept it simple. He smiled and replied…“Yes.”

Cynthia Bean, One Of The Original Penner's of Steppin'

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

By Warmbown Shugga
Reposted from: http://ilove2step.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/cynthia-bean-one-of-the-original-penners-of-steppin/

The steppin’ ethos has Cynthia Bean as one of their valued and highly respected members. She is an icon. Most are not familiar with her outside of Chicago and the Midwest. I have always peeked at her through my rear view whenever I would see her at a set during my visits to Chicago. March is Womens History and Awareness month and I chose for my subject Cynthia Bean, a woman who steps and writes. When I asked her to be apart of my blog, her yes humbled me and her openness freed me of my curiosity. So, I present to you, Cynthia Bean in twenty questions. Enjoy.

1. How long have you been writing and do you only pen about steppin’.

I started Steppin in 1996. I started writing in 1999. But Woodie McNeal was the first one putting out a calendar. She had a Monthly calendar that she had printed out and passed out at all the sets in Chicago only.

2. In the six years that I’ve been steppin’ and reading your online piece the format for your Steppers 411 has not changed with the evolution of the internet and there are new and more sophisticated formats Why is that

If it’s not broken why change it It’s simple and to the point. People just want to know where to go get their step on. No reason to make it look any different.

3. How did your writing for steppin’ manifest itself

When I joined Fulson Cool Music Productions back in 1999, I started picking up pluggers from the tables so I would know where to go and promote our first Friday Set. TmRific (Goodtimes Productions) and Donna Harris (Girlfriend Productions) saw me doing that so every week they would e-mail me asking about “what’s going on next weekend.” I started sending them the Weekend Update and they told two friends and so on and so on…LOL!!!

4. Your name is synonymous with the steppin’ community in Chicago. How did that come to be

Maybe because I have done more than just write the Steppers 411. I was with ”Inside Steppin Magazine” for about two years and I was the Public Relations Director. Which meant that I sold the magazine at the different Steppers sets…LOL!!! I co-hosted with Lamont Watts on Clubsteppin.com every Thursday out of Kennedy- King College’s radio Station 89.3 FM WKKC. I did that for a little over a year. I would read the Steppers 411 on the air. And lastly, I was the host of the internet tv show “Steppin Chicago Style” (Steppinchicagostyle.net) for three years. So people began to see my face more and more after that.

5. Creme Brulee or Banana Pudding

Girl Banana pudding. My mom calls me sometimes even after the holidays to make her one. Even though she taught me how to make it…LOL!!!

6. Black Mary of Chicago, J F Productions, I Love Steppin’, The Steppers Club, Elegance Entertainment, Steppin’ Guide Emag, and DV (Don Vic) Director of Etiquette, and that’s just to name a few, these websites house or have housed your newsletter. Knowing that your information is that trusted, how does that make you feel It’s almost as if you don’t say it then it isn’t so.

Wow!!! I didn’t know about all that. (smile) It does feel good to know that people trust the information that I send out. It is hard putting the Steppers 411 together. Every month I ask promoters to get the event information in to me by the third Friday of the month and prior to their events so I can get the calendars to these other webmasters. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth.

7. When I Googled you there were over 1 million hits on your name. That is more than Lady Margaret, Andre Blackwell, Terrence Pratt, Brian “Steppin’ B” Patterson, and Tyk Myn. How does that make you feel knowing that your online popularity is a cut above them

That is too funny. There are other Cynthia Bean’s out there believe it or not.There’s a Dr. Cynthia Bean in Florida. WOW!! But as far as doing the Steppers thing, I guess because people mention me on the other sites you mentioned and maybe that is why. Hmmm!!!

8. How do you see your steppin’ writing in the future To be clear do you have plans to publish a fiction or non-fiction piece around steppin’ or your memoir

Oh no no no!!! I’m not even on that level. I just like to keep the Steppers informed on where to go and enjoy this dance.

9. Besides Steppin’ and House music are there any other dances you do, and if so, which is your first love

It is only Steppin and House music for me as far as the dancing is concerned. I do love other genres of music though. I love the Blues and will listen to some Jazz. But House music was the first love…starting in high school at age 14. LOL!!! Steppin came way later.

10. If none of those dances existed, what would you be doing

Hmm, I really don’t know. Sorry!! I’m not into hip hop. I love old school rap though…

11. Are you a Chicago native

Yes born and raised in the CHI.

12. Do you do much traveling outside of Chicago to step and if so, what has that experience been like How were you met

I don’t do a lot of traveling for Steppin but when I do go to other cities they welcome me with open arms. That’s love.

13. Favorite song to step to

”At Last” by Glenn Jones. That is my theme song girl…smile. There are others too but that is the main one.

14. Tell us something about you that would surprise most

Hmm. Most people know I use to keep the score for my dad’s two baseball teams (10 years) and for my alma mater DuSable High School (4 years). But what might surprise them is that I used to play co-ed volleyball at some of Chicago’s Park Districts for about 8 years.

15. March is Womens History and Awareness Month. What woman of history do you admire as a whole and also what legendary female stepper would you like to pay homage to

My mom is my shero (hero)… while my dad worked, she was a stay at home mom, making sure that her 4 children got to school on time, had balanced meals and read most of our books then read our book reports to make sure we were doing them right…LOL!! Our teachers used to love her… As far as the female stepper… hmmmm!! I really don’t know. I love to see the veteran Steppers dance so I don’t know.

16. What’s your favorite meal to cook

Baked chicken covered with cream of chicken soup, rice and green beans.. Umm Umm!!!

17. Have you ever had any drama on the set I ask that because I have never heard your name thrown into a pack of wolves to be devoured.

Hmm. My little drama was kept on the DL because we didn’t make our drama known. I used to hang out with a lot of women. But people grow apart. I pretty much stay to myself at the sets. I am not in everyone’s business. I just like to go out, listen to the music, have an absolut…ly or two (smile) and dance every now and then.

18. Favorite place to step in Chicago

I like places with wooden floors. So if that venue has it, I love it.

19. Do you have a bucket list and if so, what are some of the things on that list

I can’t say that I do. I am just living one day at a time. If something interests me, I may try it.

20. A little something personal, are you in a relationship

I’m dating. No one on the scene….smile

There you have it steppers, Cynthia Bean raw and untouched. She was straight forward and to the point. If you would like to be on her mailing list so that you can receive her Steppers 411 Your Internet Connection, send her an email at cyntbean818@gmail.com and make a formal request. Thanks for reading and until the next time, blessings to you all.

I Love Steppin Remembers Detroit Dan

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens

Today is a day of reflection in the Detroit dance community. One of our pioneering dance DJs and hustle line kings of the past 40 years passed away today. Daniel “Detroit Dan” Bledsoe was 58.

Detroit Dan, as he was affectionately known, wanted the world to know that he loved music and he loved dancing. Whether it be ballrooming, bop, hustles or steppin, he respected them all. Detroit Dan was very instrumental in creating numerous hustles in the 1990s and well as being the first to introduce dance mixes like “Just in Case” by Jaheim and “Stay” by The Temptations at Club Yesterdays, Paradise and Reggie’s Moulin Rouge.

Says Michael “Sandman” Sandelin, his best friend and DJ colleague, “I want everyone to know Detroit Dan was still teaching hustle and ballroom classes because he loved to dance. If there were women who need a song to hear or needed a dance to follow…he was there. He was one of the happiest people I know and that are what I want people to remember about him.”

Detroit Dan leaves a community of family and friends to celebrate his life. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.

Who's The Best. I Don't Know. Do You

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

By Warmbown Shugga
Reposted from http://ilove2step.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/whos-the-best-i-dont-know-do-you/

Let me tell you about a Facebook post that made reference to the ladies in Raleigh, North Carolina and their steppin’ game. It was stated that they are surpassing women steppers nationally. I cleared my throat and read this but halfway through I was perplexed. I was inclined to fire off a lengthy response sprinkled with a bunch of how the hell do you knows. But I chilled. I chose to blog my thoughts. When it comes down to the who’s who of steppers across this county and who’s developing them outside of the midwest, consequently, it boils down to economics. Who is spending the bread to get this thang dot com. Steppin’ cost and the more advanced you become the more funds you will expend. We pay for every turn, spin, trio, walkin’ lesson and let me not leave out the dreaded workshop. From my vantage point the longer you stay in this the more it costs. But before I go on and for those who have read it here’s a refresher and to those who haven’t, check this out. After you are done reading, I am going to expound. Oh, by the way, I cut and pasted the quote below…

Royce Bank’s Facebook quote (December 19th, 2011 @ 7:31 PM): “Hey all, I have to say this. The hottest area in the country with the fastest growing number of hot female dancers is North Carolina. You want proof well, here u go. There is Crystal Ramsey, Zona Wilfong Cureton, Linda Bruton, Lorey Crite, LeLani Mayfield, LaTonia Morrison, Valerie Hopson, Keisha Smith, Shauna Irwin, Erika Little, Shontavia Lee, Dana De Vane-Webster, Vashti Savoy-Russell, Dena Moore-Morrison, D. Graves (Tall Rick’s Girl), Maria Spencer Lewis, April Humphrey, Maryam J. Lynch, Elena Braithwaite, Vivian Perkins, Mashanda Ardister, Annette Read and Kinya Anthony. Nothing personal with the rest of the country but they are hungry/starving. Guess what after seeing them, we all have to get our weight up. Nothing Personal just my opinion. But, I’ll Bet money on it. Other opinions please!”

When I decided to take this journey and give my opinion, I felt it was imperative that I research both entities one being Royce Banks and the other the steppin community in Raleigh. My initial focus was how could he validate and give a whole community that type of endorsement and whose rubber stamping it That was the question I wanted an answer to and as I ventured out on my quest for the information I took to my laptop. I searched the internet. Where do the above-mentioned ladies rank nationally I Couldn’t find that info, so I moved on. Still wanting to satisfy my curiosity. I leapt over to Google and hit up youtube for footage, punched in the names and not much showed. Deena Morrison and Erika Little did show some results on the youtube search though. But the interesting thing about Erika was that her information was a mixed bag of steppin’ and line dance and Deena’s info led me to the North Carolina Triangle Steppers website. I wanted to see what linked Royce from Chicago and the women from Raleigh. Checking out the site I found no connection. But there was a posted video housed in the gallery of the North Carolina Triangle Steppers website of Deena dancing with Royce. My nosiness was peeking and I kept looking. I gave up on the ladies and began to focus on Royce. How did they land into Royce’s world The distance between them is a 14 hour drive or 865.09 miles between them and before you frown and ask me ”how do you know,” I mapquested it.

On The Steppin For Life website which belongs to Royce Banks, he lists himself as the lead instructor for the North Carolina Triangle Steppers. Ah ha, I found it! The tie that binds. He was coming from a biased place. The parent praising the child. How can you give a whole community that type of come-up-ance or national ranking when your teaching them, traveling to their city (not sure about vice versa) and I am sure Mr. Banks is reaping an economic benefit. There are no steppin’ instructors who engage in pro-bono work and if there are, leave a comment and tell me who. If you are not financially stable you will not be able to get this dance, steppin’.

I’ve been to quite a few cities for steppin’. I haven’t run into Royce in many of them except for Atlanta. I see the local steppers, and you know what, I think that steppin’ communities like Memphis, Los Angeles,Oakland, and Atlanta could give the city of Raleigh a run for their money. My thing is how are we measuring this How is Royce measuring it I could have easily asked him but I chose not too. Simple as that. I’m not sure how he came to his conclusion, but what I can say is this, I think that he’s using a yard stick.

I’ve travelled to Baton Rouge for the Touch of Class Steppers third anniversary weekend in November and they have some men and women steppers that have a handle on the dance and if viewed by the untrained steppin’ eye you would have thought that they were plucked out of Chicago and planted in Baton Rouge. They have a steppin’ community that is a well-kept secret. Their men are solid and some of the women are flawless. This is not to say that what Raleigh has to offer isn’t sufficient or that their dancers aren’t up to par. Is it fair to place one city above another one Can we really say that a particular city is the best (let’s omit Chicago for a second) without having a national dance off Hey, we can do couples from Raleigh against couples from let’s say New York and see who comes out on top and then the winner goes up against the next city, let’s see Seattle and so on and so on… The winner of the Steppin’ City Round Robbin would be crowned the best in the nation. Would that be an efficient way to measure it, a contest

I’ve traveled a great deal with steppin’. I’ve been to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Raleigh, Atlanta, Baton Rougue, Orlando, Arlington and Chicago and to be honest with you, I can’t tell who’s the best out there. From my observation or view-point, we are all good. No city is better than the other. When it comes to Memphis, they travel with a group of bona fide steppers males and females ready to get it in and they hit the dance floor heavy and they cut better while doing it. Have you seen Sheena Clark from Memphis dance Have you seen Rose Moore turn Have you seen Brandon from Baton Rouge get it in with Drew and Dre in a trio How about Tamara Lloyd from LA, heck she has a WLSC win under her belt.

Again, I am not saying that Raleigh doesn’t have steppers worthy of praise. I know they do. But to place them up against communities that are growing and developing steppers every day is just, well, I’m not sure what it is but I can say it doesn’t sit well with me. Dallas has a community that is consistent and developed again as does Los Angeles. Raleigh has been around for quite sometime. I have had the privilege of stepping with them annually, twice. I for one believe that competition is healthy and it requires you to step your game up and stand in the face of a challenge. But let’s not pit community against community. I just don’t think it’s cute.

Lady Margaret...Uncensored

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

By Warmbown Shugga
Reposted from http://ilove2step.wordpress.com/

Hello everyone and welcome back. I would like to introduce to some, re-aquaint to most and present to all, Lady Margaret Fisher. She is a Chicago native and avid stepper. She has won numerous Worlds Largest contests and awards. But with all of her Worlds Largest wins and accolades I have found that she is one of the most humble women I know. Where most have ego’s beyond measure Lady Margaret stays within herself. Now, with her most recent feat, being voted by our steppin’ peers, she is Chisteppers No. 1 Female Heavy Hitter for 2011. She accomplished this by just being. But I have found that she is a woman of great means. Most folks equate means to money and affluence. I am liking it to life’s riches. The intangibles. Her knowing that her experiences have become her best teacher. I have always wondered what made this steppin’ phenom tick. What’s beyond that effervescent personality and radiant smile So, I decided for my next blog I wanted to make an attempt to peel back the layers of this complex woman and see what lies beneath.

Lady Margaret in twenty questions, let’s go!!!

1. Who is your favorite steppin’ partner Now before you answer that, take into account how long you’ve been steppin’. The obvious answer for me would be Dre (Andre Blackwell) but is there someone else besides him who just tickles your fancy when y’all dance

Lady Margaret: Well Ronnie I have a few favorite partners for different reasons. There’s Dre because he brings excitement to my dances, Tyk brings creativity to my dance, Darrell Roberts brings romance to my dance, and Maurice Turner brings a little bit of all three. My favorite walking partners are Herk and Magic Mike.

2. What’s your favorite city to teach in outside of the midwest and why

Lady Margaret: What’s my favorite city to teach in That’s a difficult question because I love teaching anywhere but if I had to choose it would have to be Florida because of the weather, beaches, shopping, and there are other things to do beside steppin’. I can have fun too.

3. What’s your favorite steppin’ song

Lady Margaret: My favorite steppin’ song is by Christina Aguilera “Loving Me For Me’”

4. Who’s style of steppin’ do you admire Old School and New School

Lady Margaret: My favorite style of steppin’ in ole skool is Tina Moore and my favorite new skool stepper is Danielle Wordlaw or what I like to call her, Danni Baby.

5. French fries or chocolate

Lady Margaret: LOL!! Well,I love chocolate but I need to eat french fries, smiling.

6. What do you think of women who step in 4 to 5 inch heels

Lady Margaret: What do I think of 4 to 5 inch heels they are for dinner and the bedroom!

7. Tell us something about you that would surprise most

Lady Margaret: Tell you something that would surprise most, well, I don’t have nine kids LOL. That was a rumor but seriously I’m a big baby. I cry on sappy movies and I also send money to Feed The Children at 3 am, smiling.

8. I am seeing that the same instructors are teaching steppin’ all over the country. Drew Alexander and Tyk, just to name a couple, but actually, Drew is everywhere right now. When I come to Chicago, I prefer some others for example Snoopy Kings class at the FiftyYard Line and I am still trying to get to Donnie Davis’s class. But why do you think that nationally the number of instructors who are teaching from state to state bear the same name and face

Lady Margaret: Why are the same instructors everywhere That’s a good question. I would love to answer that but I really don’t know. What I do know is that women run most of the steppin’ organizations outside of Chicago. So if they want that man to come to their city that’s the way it seems to work. What I can tell you is this and that is if the out of towners don’t get their men together the dance will not go anywhere. There is a lack of strong leads. There are one or two strong leads in some particular cities though, but they are keeping the dance to themselves, so, hmm, I guess you can call it the alfa male syndrome.

9. What’s your favorite holiday

Lady Margaret: My favorite holiday is my birthday LOL, just kidding. I would have to say Father’s Day. I had the best dad in the world. He taught me that I can do whatever I want if I want it bad enough and to also work hard. RIP Poppy.

10. You’ve been teaching for approximately 11 years, whats the most rewarding factor for you

Lady Margaret: The most rewarding factor is when I’m teaching and my student’s get it. When that light bulb goes off. I see it all the time, they will do a move and a distinct smile comes over their faces. It’s a smile that says I don’t feel insecure, I don’t feel off, I feel good! Its nothing more rewarding to me than to see that smile.

11. Favorite Steppin’ DJ

Lady Margaret: My favorite DJ’s now you’re trying to get me kicked out the clubs LOL. My first steppin DJ I ever heard was Sam Chapman at the East of the Ryan, Casper at The Other Place, but I was not steppin then. When I started steppin’ there was V103′s Eric “ET” Taylor and Mellow Kris!

12. How do you feel about all the accolades, namely, the most recent, the Chistepper steppin’ community voted you the number one female heavy hitter in 2011

Lady Margaret: How do I feel about my accolades well the one I received from ChiStepper was a great surprise and I was humbled by the experience. I usually text people to ask them to vote for me but I didn’t this year. I would like to thank each person that voted for me.

13. If you didn’t step, what would your social outlet be

Lady Margaret: If I didn’t step, well, I’m a house head but you can’t dance like that all night LOL! I thinks its hard not to step in Chicago even if you’re faking it. Growing up watching my sisters, aunts, and uncles step I don’t think I had a choice.

14. You have run into a lot of adversity on the steppin’ scene. How do you handle your haters, internally and externally

Lady Margaret: How do I handle my haters, give their asses 15 feet because I don’t want to catch it! Just kidding, LOL!! There are always going to be haters and there’s a quote “we need haters to put fuel to our fire.” I just try to get through it to get to the next phase of my life.

15. How do you feel about promoters placing your likeness on their flyers/pluggers for their events without your knowledge Would you ever sue I find that there isn’t much accountability in steppin’ why do you think that is

Lady Margaret: How do I like promoters putting my image and name of their flyers I DON’T! It has happened a few times that I know of. Now I have a Service Agreement made for me by a good friend, so if that ever happens again and they don’t have my Service Agreement I will sue. As for accountability I really don’t know how I feel. People have run a muck. There’s no structure for the business of the dance.

16. Your at Platinum 144 now. How’s that going

Lady Margaret: Yes I’m at Platinum 144 200 W 144th St. Downtown Riverdale IL, every Sunday. Ok was that a plug LOL I love being at Platinum 144 and they love me too. I was asked to start a Friday after work stepper’s set from 5-11 pm by the owners of the Platinum.

17. What are your plans for yourself when steppin’ has run it’s course

Lady Margaret: Well I don’t really want to talk about to many of my plans but I am working on a movie called Fracture Fairytales which Lions Gate gave us a small budget!

18. Do you ever want to get married, and if so, how would you feel about your husband being a stepper Husband now not boyfriend.

Lady Margaret: Getting married Well I used to think that I wanted to be like Oprah and have a man. I do want to get married. I don’t care if he’s a stepper just as long as he loves me and respects me.

19. Do you have a bucket list and if so, what are some of the items on your list

Lady Margaret: Do I have a bucket list, no I don’t. But I would love to teach Steppin in China!

20. What is your most guilty pleasure

Lady Margaret: My most guilty pleasure is nice clothes. I love trying them on even after I’ve brought them. Don’t judge me LOL.

Well, steppers there you have it, Lady Margaret unscripted.

If you’re ever in Chicago check out one of her many classes:

Mondays at MOCHA CITY Beauty Lounge 4300 211th street (Lincoln Hwy) 6 – 8 pm

A Better Weigh 1933 w 95th street, Tues & Thurs from 6 – 7 pm and Sat. 11 am – 12 pm

Visiting Chicago and you wanna step with the No. 1 female heavy hitter in the game, Lady Margaret, you can find her at Platinum 144, location, 200 W 144th St., Downtown Riverdale, IL, every Sunday.

Until next time, Warmbrownshugga sending you all sweet steppin love.

By Warmbrownshugga, January 10, 2012, Lady Margaret - Uncensored, Reposted from http://ilove2step.wordpress.com/

Setting the Record Straight

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Let’s be clear about one thing. Detroit is very proud of their accomplishments and contributions to the steppin arena. Since 1999, several members of this community have turned out over 300 plus devout ballroomers into steppers in less than a decade. As a city, we have come very far in recognizing past mistakes and mending old wounds. One thing that I can most assuredly promise you is that we will NOT allow our community of steppers to be divided over biased articles that seek to plow wedges in what we have worked hard to smooth over.

Drewry Alexander is our shining knight in steppin armor. He holds his place in the annals of dance history in Detroit and in the country. However, to say that Drew has “outpaced” other steppers in our city is far from accurate. The steppin community in Detroit boasts of many key individuals and organizations that have assisted Drew and the dance in becoming a reckoning force on a national level. In addition to Drew’s parents, Nora and Anthony, provided him with years of multi dance genres e.g. Tap, Jazz, Greystone, Ballroom, Latin Hustle, etc. other individuals have afforded him the opportunity to hone his skills under their watch and care.

Before there was a Drew, there was a Sherry Gordon, James Pacely, Kirk (DJ KP) Peterson, Tracey Bivens, Larry Collins, Kammal Smith, Buford “Mistalocks” Collins, Darrell Brown, Jamal Brown, and Flint’s Feo Duncan who put their mitts on Drew first and gave Drew his introduction to the dance. I can count on ONE hand how many times Drew has even been to Chicago outside of competing in the Worlds Largest.

While Detroit competed quite vigorously in 2005 in the Worlds Largest, we knew deep down inside that as a city we had a ways to go. That major loss was responsible for the onslaught of the Out of Towners category being created in the first place and the beginning of a rigorous campaign to gain the respect of the Chicago steppin community. It was that fortitude that made us all want to be better and make things better for Drew when he came onto the steppin scene.

I would be remissed if I did not recognize the contributions of Larry Thomas, Donnie Davis, Tyk Myn, Malik Swan, LC Henderson and Andre Blackwell for visiting Detroit as frequently as they did in those early days and exposing us to the various styles of steppin like they did. What they exposed us to…we exposed to others…including Drew. As a city, we will forever be grateful to them! But I think that a lot of people want to pretend that Drew learned his ENTIRE step dance in Chicago and that couldn’t be any further from the truth. It hurts when the insinuation is made that he has “outdone” or “surpassed” the rest of the Detroit steppers who have been making their own contributions to the dance.

The Steady Steppers co-founders, Larry Collins, 3^rd place 2011 WLSC Out of Towner winners Kammal Smith and instructor Daniella Borum, play host to one of the nation’s longest running steppin instructional organizations who has been recognized by nationally for its workshops, paraphanalia and galas in Detroit and Vegas for years. Sherry Gordon, 2008 Out of Town 1^st place winner, has personally put her hands on hundreds of newbies in Detroit. On a national level, she has supplied newbies with a sound foundation in steppin. Her coaching has assisted MANY men and women in developing their styles that have competed or just represented the dance. Pound for pound, Kirk Peterson and James Pacely have some of the baddest footwork and hand combinations in the Midwest. Mistalocks is the only steppin entrepreneur who runs and operates his OWN dance studio in Ferndale, Michigan which boasts of having the largest studio dance floor in the industry. Jeff Clark of I Love Steppin, gained national recognition for his contributions with his photos and steppin paraphanalia. While I have shied away from teaching and the promotional end over the years, I choose to write about the accomplishments and triumphs of up and coming steppers all over the country. And where was Drew in all of this He was standing by watching it all unfold and taking notes.

I guess at the end of the day, I propose that contest wins do not make the stepper…the community that surrounds him does. Detroit is not going to allow Drew to be pumped up full of insincere hype only to be torn down when someone “else” comes around. It took a village to help Drew along the way and it will be that same village that continues to love Drew when the “new flavor” has entered into the arena to try and take his throne.

By the way…stay tuned for big things coming from Darryl “Flex”, TJ, Bonita Glover, Sophia Hooper, Darryl Williams…all hailing from the D thank you very much!

The Steady Steppers are Lucky!

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

As the east coast prepares to batten down the hatches as Hurricane Irene prepares to make her debut, a similar storm came to Lucky’s Bar and Grill in Redford, MI last night and The Steady Steppers franchise is to blame.

Lucky’s Bar and Grill played host to the “Fresh Look Fridays” debut steppers set complete with guests from Flint, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Toledo, and of course…Detroit. Hosted by The Steady Steppers, over 125 people came out to support the group as DJ K-Mix and WGPR 107.5 FM helped to make the event come to life. This FREE event is ongoing each and every Friday.

It seemed as if hundreds of chicken wing baskets and an assortment of nonalcoholic drink specials were ordered as onlookers had the chance to sit at tables that gave them the dimly lit ambience that goes along with many steppers sets. This venue is similar in structure to Chicago’s famed 3G’s Friday night spot.

During the course of the evening, all of the Steady Steppers members took the time to walk around, greet and dance with their guests from 6:00pm-10:0pm. Secured parking was provided with a van escort as the lot quickly filled up with steppers and curious guests who had never been to Lucky’s.

Says CEO and co-founder Larry Collins, “This event follows The Detroit Steppers Network’s attempt to educate and entertain our community with this dance. Since 2003, the Steady Steppers has always made it a point to offer this city and its surrounding areas a quality venue, an opportunity to network and the occasion to get their step on.”

Guests included The Big Hat Gentleman’s Frank Westley, Versatile Productions’ Harvey Dobbs, SL&G, The Next Level, the Flint Ballroomers, Steppin E, I Love Steppin’s Jeff Clark, M.O.E Steppin’s James Pacely, Party People Productions’ Deborah Dixon, “The Steppers Hostess with the Hostess” Rose McDaniel, “Steppin in the Moonlight” R&B singer, Beverly Walker and the ladies and gentlemen who made the event possible…the steppers.

Congratulations go out to the Steady Steppers as they help to keep the steppin momentum moving in Detroit!

Detroit Does National Chicago Style Steppers Day the Copacetic Way!

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Detroit can be added to the list of cities that illustrated their love for steppin on Saturday. The Copacetic Steppers held their 6^th annual picnic at the Pavilion on Belle Isle which coincided with National Chicago Style Steppers Day.

Over one hundred people from the Detroit Metropolitan area came out to participate in a raffle for a 32’ inch flat screen television, to purchase commemorative “National Chicago Style Steppers Day” t-shirts, consume food, play card games and engage in plenty of steppin. DJs Steppin E (Emile) and DJ Paul Ross “The Boss”, both tagged teamed the turntables, clearly well rested from their performance last week at Project 300 gala which was considered a precursor for The Copacetic Steppers picnic.

One thing that I joked about with the people that I was sitting with was the fact that CEO and founder of the group, Brock Powers, and company were clearly trying to feed people to death. As soon as you walked in you had your choice of potato chips and hot dogs, then an hour later it went to chilled watermelon slices, after that, servings of fried tilapia and catfish and THEN the main course of barbecue ribs and chicken, spaghetti, vegetables, desserts and then they wanted everyone to take home plates. Did I mention that all this great food was free

The Copacetic Steppers do an excellent job of making sure their guests feel welcome and appreciated as members Lisa and Rosalyn went around greeting patrons and making sure their needs were met. “DetroitMovement” and the son of famed Detroit mayor, Senator Coleman A. Young Jr. were also at the picnic trying to garner support for community based projects and possibly greeting future constituents Hmmm...

Eventually, the unpredictable skies of Detroit tried to drench the parade but the Copacetic Steppers got the last laugh because by that time…the picnic was over.

Says Powers, “Each year, The Copacetic Steppers give back to the community on this day anyway. It was a good thing that it happened to coincide with National Chicago Style Steppers Day because it helps us to educate ourselves, our students, and our community about the importance of celebrating stepping and giving back.”

A Reflection Project 300 Arrives!

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

It started out as a conversation on the phone over a year ago between Sherry Gordon and myself about building the steppin community. It’s a conversation that I’m sure many women and MEN have had in various communities around the country but we took our conversation to the table and put it into a plan of action. I remember last August, we had the idea and it was time to present it to the community of established steppers that we already had because we knew we were going to need help. Thus, The Detroit Steppers Network was born. People showed up to the initial meeting not knowing what to expect but they came and it was on and poppin’ after that. It was an arduous task…these last 11 months…of meeting after meeting, instructors ‘session after session, outing after outing along with the fundraisers but The Detroit Steppers Network persevered. Of course you have varying levels of participation but that’s with everything and it didn’t matter because people stepped up to the plate. Speaking for myself, I wanted to see the instructors come together, the general steppin community come together, the DJs coming together and more importantly…I wanted everybody working as “one band…one sound!” (Laughter) and we did!

The August 6 workshop was exactly what it was supposed to be. Men and women came out that we had never seen before and took an interest in our dance. They stayed for three hours and enjoyed themselves through the beginners, intermediate and walkers levels of workshops that were offered. Supporters also attended such as Dave Maxx aka “The Dance Doctor” and his friends from Chicago and Gary, Indiana as well as Toledo, Cleveland, Lansing, Cincinnati, and Flint. I think many would say that seeing the 6 count instructors and 8 count instructors teaching and counting the same way was the highlight of the day.

The gala which took place later that night had a LOT of NEW people in attendance that were not at the workshop but came out to see what all of the fuss had been about in regards to Project 300. I think having DJ Rodney Mack, DJ K-Mix, DJ Paul Ross “The Boss” and Steppin E “Emile” offered guests what they were looking for as all four of these DJs actually have different playing styles but they are all steppin DJs. The Detroit Steppers Network worked tirelessly on the door, preparing food, walking around greeting people and making sure everyone had dances. Who could ask for more Hiccups are inevitable but not made to be memorable. I Love Steppin’s Jeff Clark has his camera in tow along with Deborah “Partypeople” Dixon’s videos and will be posting pictures for all to see on their respective website and Facebook pages. There was even an impromptu after party being given to accommodate the out of towners who wanted to party beyond 2:00am hosted by Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten at a nearby club.

EVERYBODY in the DSN and the steppin citizens of Detroit deserved praise for their hard work and efforts in making this event a successful one but I want to personally thank Jackie “Shortcake” Jones and Karen Ware for following the instructional team around the city passing out fliers, taking pictures, having conversations with strangers and going above and beyond what was expected of them. I would also like to acknowledge Steppersusa.com’s, Markie Bee and Dave Maxx for their constant encouragement during this entire process by giving the national steppin community exposure to what Detroit was involved with.

And now the question that is on everybody’s mind. Did the numbers in attendance match 300 Well…let me answer the question this way. One thousand workshop fliers were created and distributed along with personal conversations about how steppin is a great dance for entertainment and cardio. People in Detroit were exposed to steppin in places where steppers don’t normally go for the last ten months. Hundreds of Detroiters were added to the various steppin Facebook pages that we have in existence right now. A cable network is now contemplating giving the steppers a onetime shot at a dance show exhibiting steppin and the Detroit Steppers Network has been invited to perform at the African World Festival which is Detroit’s largest ethnic festival with an expected 80,000 attendees every year. So my answer is yes…Project 300 met its goal and will continue to be a success!

If I Could

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Someone asked me the other day if I was surprised that not many couples were vying to get into the World’s Largest Steppin Contest this year. I said not at all. That same person asked me if I thought the reason had anything to do with fairness in the contest. Well, after Detroit’s Drew Alexander dominated several categories along with Detroit’s Darrell and Angie, I couldn’t agree with that once popular notion. The person continued to prod and asked me if I thought it had anything to do with Tyk, Dre, Westside Mike, Charnice, Tina (yes, I added the women’s names because men alone do not win a contest) and others not getting into the contest. I said no because what do these one time or multiple contest winners have to prove Didn’t Dre’ win the Masters Category with Shareda last year That’s a top shelf win…or so I thought. After showing signs of being exasperated the person finally said, “Well Tracey…what do you think the problem is” I gave another theory that a lot of people don’t seem to be focusing on.

The economy. I know 97 people...PERSONALLY…that have been laid off from their jobs in Michigan in the last six months. I’m sure Michigan is not the only state that has this problem. For those of you who don’t know what “being laid off” means it means if you once got paid $10.00 a week, unemployment will give you about $4.00 a week to live off of. Laid off in the sense that money does not allow for people to have a disposable income that in this discussion would be applicable to buying clothes for contests, paying for transportation to the contest, going to the city to try out for the contest category, etc. The economy is showing no signs of improving anytime soon because the “debt ceiling” is so low…President Obama is breaking his back trying to hold it up. Has anyone considered that that reason alone may be the reason SOME people are not breaking their necks to get into the contest

The World’s Largest has provided approximately two decades of entertainment, education, excitement, controversies and money making opportunities for all parties involved. There is no other contest that can boast of the numbers that this contest has drawn to it but it shocks me to hear insinuations that people are scared or that instructors aren’t encouraging their students to participate. I understand that investors are in over their heads with this contest but reality is reality. How far do we want to go with the jabs in order to be entertained

I wonder if there is a former/perspective WLSC contestant that is hearing these conversations that sound accusatory in nature and spirit about people not stepping up to the “contest plate.” I wonder if that person is trying to guess how long their unemployment benefits are going to last or if they are thinking about being forced to move in with a relative to make ends meet versus what new moves they were going to do in the contest. If the desire to enter the contest is there but the means of meeting those desires aren’t…then what

Cheers to You!

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

I have and always will be an advocate for the local and national steppin community. Over the last five years, I have written interviews and commentaries on the steppers themselves, the DJs and the promoters but today is different. I want to focus on the people behind the scenes that very seldom get their props publicly or recognized for their work and the perceptions that they help others to form about all things steppin.

Terrance Pratt
CEO of Chistepper.com was very instrumental in providing steppers with a forum to voice their opinions about issues and about steppin related issues. With the onslaught of online communiqués, he provided class reviews, pictures, Chistepper vault videos on You Tube, covered local and national parties and provided freelance writers like myself the opportunity to contribute interviews and commentaries to give out of towners a voice in the steppin community.

Markie Bee
The CEO of Steppers USA.com is better known as the man with camera and the “hat”. I would guess that over the last 5-7 years, Markie Bee has taken over 500,000 pictures of Chicagoans and out of town steppers in and out of action on the dance floor. An astute sound technician from his early days in radio and television, Markie Bee has produced steppin videos and writes daily commentaries. He is a big advocate of trying to present steppin in a nationally respected and corporate sponsored arena, doing all that he can to make his creation, “National Steppers Day” an annual ritual across America.

Tonya Harris
She is the CEO of Harris Pro Designs.com and is the woman behind the I Love Steppin.com, Chistepper.com, Steady Steppers Dance-Institute.com, and the Good Deeds International.com websites. This consummate professional, has helped to create professional, informative and creative websites to help boost the notoriety of events and organizations for over five years now. Through her websites, Tonya has helped to form public opinions about these organizations and has definitely provided another outlet for information to be disseminated in the steppin community.

Lamont Watts
He is the CFO of ClubSteppin.com. I had the opportunity to meet Lamont Watts this year at the Heritage Ball 2011 but I’ve been listening to him for a minute on ClubSteppin.com. His daily broadcast of steppin music, interviews and commercials have also give the steppin community national exposure on a musical note as well. He has given Tyk Myn, Mykel “MrMakeUDanceandSing” Farr, Sam Chatman, DJ Cross and DJ Cynsitivity a voice by providing them with shows of their own that are heard on a daily basis.

Cynthia Bean
Being the CEO of What’s the 411 www.thesteppersinternetconnection.com, has allowed Cynthia to provide views, commentaries and play music about local steppin happenings in the Chicago area. She can also be heard on 89.3 FM WKKC’S and is known as the Steppers’ Queen. Having been credited as one of the strongest female hosts at many steppers sets, Cynthia is definitely the woman who knows how to get the word out and how to get the party started.

Ken Bedford
A respected photojournalist for ABC TV 7 in Chicago for over 35 years, Ken Bedford has been providing footage of main events at steppin parties all over the nation as well as producing videos and informational packages for steppin organizations. In addition, Ken Bedford throws first class parties in Chicago that plays host to a steady flow of heavy hitters and celebrities from the R&B, Hip Hop, and film industries. Check out his videos on You Tube.

My brothers and sisters who are behind the scenes, I take this opportunity to salute you for your endless hours of work, unappreciated efforts at times and your willingness to take on this labor of love on a daily basis. Cheers!

If I Could Change This World Part 2

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Here’s my second attempt at trying to provide your thoughts and your complaints and compliments about the steppin’ world in an effort to affect change. Today, I will focus on the men’s concerns and comments. Let’s be sure to process this information before we pass judgment.

5 Things Men Love:

1. Women who are dressed like a “lady” and not dressed like men wearing flats or gym shoes all the time.

2. Women who go ahead and buy a man bottled water or a drink even if they don’t ask for it.

3. Women who don’t try to “out dance” them on the floor as though they are in a contest.

4. Other men who give them positive “dap” or compliments.

5. Club owners who don’t discriminate and make everybody pay as opposed to “ladies get in for free until 10pm” specials.

10 Things Men Wish Would Change At Steppers Sets:

1. Women who are so assertive that they grab and pull on men for a dance without asking them if they even want to dance.

2. Women who sit in groups of three or more other women who give off the vibe that they are a bunch of women who “deserve” to be asked to dance only to turn down a dance and embarrass the guy.

3. Men who are offer to buy women a drink but the woman feels that ordering expensive “top shelf” liquor is common place.

4. When men walk women to their cars and they don’t even thank them for it.

5. Women who try to unleash a bunch of different footwork patterns that they’ve seen on the dance floor when they haven’t mastered their basic step yet.

6. Women who get “lit” or inebriated and you can’t lead them in the dance properly.

7. Women who sit around and appear to be angry at the world for no apparent reason so when they are asked to dance they don’t say “yes” or smile when they are asked for the dance and act as though they are doing the guy a favor when they do dance.

8. Other men who develop “guy crushes” on them and jock or follow them all night trying to feed off of their popularity.

9. Ego tripping heavy hitters who get a kick out of trying to teach a class when they don’t have their basics down pat i.e “Thank God I’m here to straighten yall out!”

10. Female steppers jumping into a man’s dance with a woman FORCING it to turn into a trio when that was not the obvious intent.

If I Could Change This World

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

In an effort to affect change, here’s my attempt at trying to provide you with the thoughts, complaints and compliments about the steppin’ world. Today, I will focus on the women’s concerns and comments. Fellas don’t worry….you will get your turn tomorrow.

Top 5 List of Things Women Love:

1. Men who smell like some sort of designer cologne or light fragrant oil on the dance floor.

2. Men who dance them and make them feel like they are the most desired woman on the dance floor.

3. DJs that play mellow tempo music as opposed to 15 minute multi mixes.

4. Watching seasoned steppers do their “thing” on the dance floor.

5. Men who can dance just as well as women can without doing 25 combinations and spins back to back for an entire song.

Top 10 List of Things Women Complain About:

1. Men who know that they sweat but will not carry an extra t-shirt or undershirt to a set and allow their bodily fluids to leak onto the woman they are dancing with. In addition, they carry their sweat towels with them onto the dance floor and let the cold, wet towel touch different parts of their arm.

2. Heavy Hitter or “up and coming” men who only dance with their favorite female steppers all night long while making other women feel inferior.

3. Men who mess up dance moves and blame and argue with the woman on the floor instead of saying “Oops…my bad.” By that same token, men who turn into “dance floor instructors.”

4. Men that bring “sand to the beach.” i.e. bringing significant others to the sets decrease the amount of dances a woman would normally get with those guys.

5. The same men trying to pick them up at the set….over and over again!

6. Men who believe they are Heavy Hitters in THEIR MINDS but won’t try to work on their dance by watching other HEAVY HITTERS or traveling out of their city to watch more males step in Chicago. These men are being called “NO HITTERS.”

7. Women and men that come over and gossip about others while they are at the set.

8. Men who dance with a woman for three or more dances and won’t OFFER to buy her a glass or bottle of ice water afterwards.

9. Men who do dance moves that are designed to allow them to feel on women’s buttocks or chest areas.

10. Men who ask women to dance and if the woman has just gotten off of the dance floor out of breath, sweaty and exhausted and they say “Not right now but can I get the next dance”…the man gets offended and puts them on dance punishment for a month or so.

Lights...Camera...Flash Mob!

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Approximately 80 plus members of Detroit’s steppin community came out on Wednesday night to participate in a Flash Mob for steppin at Detroit’s Chene Park. Najee was to be the featured act for the evening in the concert tent but members of the Detroit Steppers Network aka the DSN came out to step and pass out fliers and free workshop tickets for their highly anticipated “Project 300” event on August 6. While I can say that steppin’ on concrete is not the best substance to do anything on, steppers were still able to showcase their talents.

Many spectators looked on with awe and admiration as a gumbo of local and Toledo steppers came out to support the cause. With the exception of the music going out every three minutes from the generated sound system, onlookers asked a lot of questions about steppin were encouraged to bring a friend or two to the workshop and main event.

Mini steppin workshops will take place this week at Russell Street’s Bazaar in the Eastern Market area as well as other fundraising events to come. Tickets for the August 6 gala will go on sale at the end of June for $20.00. There are currently 38 reserved tickets from supporters in Chicago, Cleveland and surprisingly the Atlanta area. The pressure is on Detroit!

For more information regarding The “Project 300” campaign, please contact Deborah Partypeople Dixon, Jeff Clark or Lynne Mscheesecake LaCour-Batten via the inbox of their Facebook pages.

Lead By Example Men and Women

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Of all the debates that take place in steppin, I think my favorite one is whether women should lead one another at the steppers sets.

A couple of months ago, a young lady in Detroit wrote on her Facebook page that she was tired of men not asking her to dance and because of this, she wanted to learn how to lead so she could take the empowered role of being able to lead other women at her discretion. Some people thought her response to be strange because she is a newcomer to the dance and seems to be disgruntled by the lack of available dances. I spoke to a couple of people regarding her post and it was met with a variety of comments.

One female instructor was vehemently opposed to any female leading another female outside of the instructor/student relationship. She said that she could only understand it if there was an established relationship that would allow for an occasional lead at a set. Another sentiment was that females leading other females set the tone for an “alternative lifestyle” look at the set which negates the whole purpose of the sets in the first place. Steppers set flyers show women and MEN engaged in the dance together…not the other way around. Yet, a strong query centered on the question of why it is okay for men to engage in “one on ones” when they are showcasing footwork in particular i.e. Tyboo/Tyk Myn/Pete Frazier videos.

As a female who has led other women and will still occasionally lead them, I felt like I didn’t have a choice when only five or so men were available to step with in the early days of Detroit steppin. There would be 40 of us and we would all be on the sidelines waiting patiently. I was called everything but a child of God for doing it and had many men angry with me. But what do you do when you really want to step as a female and no males are available

Women in Chicago are not seen at sets stepping with one another except when there is a birthday line taking place and the lead is usually a turn or two and the woman walks away. Nothing more…nothing less.

A longtime friend in the dance told me recently that the only thing males really have control over in this society in this day and age is “a dance.” Women have long since empowered themselves as single mothers leading households, the sole breadwinner in many families and the heads of corporations and political arenas. It may be safe to assume that because a lot of men struggle with the whole “dancing, swag and implementing combinations correctly,” thing, women become bored and irritated waiting for men to develop their dance. Women want the men to look like the Tyks, Feos, Dres, and Unique Maurices. By that same token, some of the most talented and technically sound “male lead” instructors like Cliff “Big Slim” Reynolds and Sherry Gordon have both stated that some men don’t want to follow through on what they’ve learned in class by watching other seasoned dancers more and PRACTICING. They both say that a lot of times, SOME of their students will show up for class one week and will not touch the dance until the next class session and that this is very apparent with the men.

Because there are no “steppin laws” that prevent women from leading other women, I don’t think that this debate will turn into a signed bill anytime soon, but as always, I hope that this commentary helps women and men understand why things are the way they are. In the meantime…follow the leader.

The Recipe for the Ultimate Steppers Weekend!

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

We’ve all been to them at least once or twice. As is stands, there are two major steppin affairs that have been able to pull close to 2,600 people from more than 30 cities at one time. Atlanta, Georgia’s Good Deeds International’s Heritage Ball and Rockin’ Rodney Mack’s White Party Weekend. Both of these sets are in ideal time slots with one being in February and the other taking place in June. Taking into consideration the amount of time, money and schedule changing that these events cause us to make, there may actually be an opportunity for ONE more gigantic steppers weekend affair on our calendar that can possibly rival these numbers.

I decided to take the time to write this mockup of what I see as being all of the elements necessary to draw the attention of those party seekers that are willing to sacrifice to attend it. I mean let’s face it…we can’t go to everything but we can go to the events that pull out all the stops for us.

Time of Year and Location
February has the Heritage Ball, June has Rodney Mack’s White Party, Pete Frazier and the Gents have September and the World’s Largest. One event occurs in the south and the others are in the Midwest. Stay away from January (people recovering from Christmas and New Year’s spending). You definitely need a month to recover financially from large events so that leaves out March, April, and July That leaves October or early November as good candidates. It sure would be nice to see large affairs going on around the east coast in places like New York. For some reason it seems that the west coast parties are extremely costly to attend with plane tickets averaging around $400 round trip.

The Logistics of the City
Undeniably, Atlanta’s “one stop shop” mentality accommodates 97% of their out of towners based on the fact that if you are taking the plane ride in, you are walking right across the street to take the people mover train to your host hotel. If you are hungry, there are about 15 places in the airport that can accommodate everything your taste buds could want AND if you need small items, there are reasonably priced items you can purchase inside the airport. Did I mention that the venue is on site If you just HAVE to go the mall, shuttles are provided to take you to and from them. If I don’t have to worry about how to get from point A-Z, I’m sold. If I have to go to a city and depend on car rides and taxis…well, that is going to cause me to have to come up off of more money that I may not necessarily want to spend. By the way, it’s okay to have your event in the suburbs. People will make the connection.

The Costs Involved
Corporate sponsors and constant fundraising is a must! A line item budget of close to $10,000 to $20,000 will be sufficient to pull off a stellar 3 day event of the over 1,500 people magnitude. Seriously!

No one really wants to spend inordinate amounts of money on anything in this economy. Your promotional group or you as the promoter will have to think of a way to factor in two to three nights in a hotel, admission to ALL parties, gas, bus and or airline tickets to $400 or less. It can be done if you seek the assistance of corporate sponsors to help keep your pricing down. For example, if you book 75% of a hotel with LOW priced party pre-reservation incentives, ask hotels to provide room rates of no more than $80.00-$90.00. If your sponsors are willing to donate dollars, use THAT money to cover the food costs at the venues if nothing else. In addition, ask for a number of complimentary rooms (around 10), discounts on food trays, and discounts on breakfasts or FREE breakfasts. Cleveland’s Dancin Dons and Divas have the free breakfasts plan down to a tee. Every morning at their Black Out Affairs, guests are treated to omelets, pancakes, fruits, etc. without having to get up, go out and get dressed. Remember, you want to develop the “one stop shop” mentality. You have to dangle a carrot in front of a person sometimes to get their attention.

The Venue
I think that we are all aware of the fact that we want to dance on floors that are wooden or marble, crack free and large enough where couples can step without bumping into other people. One thing that a lot of promoters don’t think about when they are selecting these venues is selecting venues that allow you to see the feet of steppers. For men and women this is extremely important. If I can ONLY see the top of a stepper, my view of the total package is skewed. There are venues in Cleveland, Toledo and even Detroit’s Shriner’s Silver Gardens that allows steppers to see a stepper in their totality. When we say we want our steppin community to improve, this is one way to do it. Show me the whole picture.

The Announcements during the Party
It is no secret that steppers don’t really like for a party to be interrupted during a set. It can be compared to someone throwing water on you while you are still sleeping. An option is to have a brochure placed on the tables with the sponsor groups’ picture on it with a small biography. In addition, if the group members can stand at the door and greet the guests as they enter and as they leave, then is it REALLY necessary to stop a party and have them take a bow If I’m attending a set, I usually know whose set I’m attending ahead of time. If a presentation just HAS to be made, a one-time stoppage of 12:30am to 12:45am is acceptable. If an entertainer is invited to sing, don’t clear the floor; announce him while people are still dancing. Also, encourage your people to still step while he/she is singing.

The Food
This is where it gets tricky. If your city has a venue that allows for a reputable catering service to come in and put food out, this is what you need to have out between 9:30pm-10:00pm. Fried wing dings are a must! Tossed salad or celery sticks and carrots, pasta salad, or SMALL finger foods. As a person that caters on the side, let me tell you what I mean when I say SMALL finger foods. Potato chips served in individual small coffee filters, cream cheese inside cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese sticks cut in halves served in chafing dishes, candy mints in small packages, etc. These items are nowhere near as expensive as sit down meals. You can feed over a 1,000 people by spending only $500.00 if you know what you are doing.

The Guests
Steppin must still be respected by the ones that exposed us to the dance in the first place. This means that Chicago must have something to do with your set. You must hire a DJ, specific invited steppers, and media personnel i.e. Lamont Watts or Markie Bee. Jeff Clark, Terrance Pratt, Tracey Bivens, Ken Bedford, Cynthia Bean, Tonya Harris (website designer) are other names to consider because they can provide you or your group with exposure. Chicagoans have a STRONG following. You can’t get around that.

The Workshops
You and the instructors or “never taught before” instructors need to get together and select a male and female instructor with very similar teaching styles from Chicago i.e. Tyk Myn and Charnice, to come to your city at least 6-8 months before the mega set and have them give group workshops to your INSTRUCTORS, not students. By the time your major set occurs, your instructors will be ready to assist you in getting their students ready for your mega set. Your home town instructors are going to play a big role in helping you sell tickets so you should definitely treat them right. As you compile your guest list, you want to think about inviting people (not based off of competitions alone) but upon what makes them stand out in the dance. A group of about 10-12 should be invited from Chicago and then 5-10 standouts from OTHER major cities for balance. These invited guest steppers should NOT be conducting ANY workshops. I’ll explain why next.

In the above paragraph, I mentioned bringing in a couple of steppers from Chicago to teach your instructors. If you recall, these instructors have been coming to YOUR city for the last 6-8 months training your instructors. They would be the only ones who teach ANY workshops during this weekend. This cuts down on confusion immensely! Workshops have become a joke now in that many people feel they are being “duped” and swindled out of their money. Your initial instructors from Chicago will be able to ELEVATE your patrons to the next intermediate to advanced level because your TRAINED instructors will have a class base that is all similar. This is called homogenized instruction.

The Down Time
These are the times when we are not steppin. Give people something constructive to do and NEW. Offer these services FREE of charge with the suggestion to give $5.00 or more in tips per person.

Complimentary manicures and pedicures for men and women, BACK AND FOOT MASSAGES, shuttles to affordable shopping malls, a structured meet and greet networking game with male and female steppers in a room getting to know one another through conversation with no steppin music being played and with prizes offered. Steppin Aerobics that are age friendly based off the basic step, a taste fest (get your area restaurants to provide tiny morsels of what may be culture specific or popular in that region i.e. if the set is in New Orleans, catfish beignets, crawfish and Cajun rice might be served in the hospitality sweet all day. Some hotels or convention centers may allow this or may hook up something themselves. Put this on your list of requests when seeking venues.

The After Party
If your hotel has a main ballroom, then most assuredly they have a small one. Allow guests to travel upstairs to the smaller ballroom. Therefore, if they want to go into their rooms and change shoes they can do so without getting in cars and trying to find places in the wee hours of the morning. People tend to be hungry after sets that don’t have food, so food should be available to purchase even if guests don’t want to attend the after party at 2:00am in the morning. Get with some local eateries and set up delivery services of fried “things” or sandwiches to be delivered to the host hotel in bulk quantity or have several of your host and hostesses take food orders around 1:30am and have them go to the local chicken place or pizza place with the food orders. If all else fails, have one of your hosts or hostesses selling grilled hot dogs from one of the suites with a kitchenette. Allow guests to be able to purchase nice sized bags of chips, fruit, chilled juices, etc. I know that last point is illegal as all get out but sometimes you have to bend the rules to make your guests happy.

Marketing
Be prepared or have members of your group travel to at least 15-20 sets around the country with not only flyers in hand but videos marketing your event. They need to be professionally produced and sent out all over Facebook and through e-mails. In addition, try to connect with a local celebrity from your city who will help endorse your cause.

Giveaways
Ideas for souvenirs. If you want to be remembered, you have to smother me with love. Key chains, a picture spread on one of the national steppin websites, CDs with popular steppin music, pre-paid private lesson giveaways, a steppers kit (hand towel, lotion, powder, and gum/mints), and coupons to clothing stores, free local event ticket giveaways, etc. These items run the gamut.

Well, there you have it! While nothing is ever 100% perfect, this blueprint will definitely have you on your way to being able to compete with the Heritage Ball and Rockin’ Rodney Mack’s White Party. Promoters, are you up for the challenge

The 2011 White Party Weekend Review

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

I’m back to writing my reviews and conducting my interviews on I Love Steppin.com after taking a short vacation from the writing scene. Detroit’s Project 300 is taking up a lot of my spare time but I’ll tell you all about that later.

Rockin Rodney Mack pulled off another multi day extravaganza this year with all the bells and whistles. Because this event had so many components connected to it, I’m going to make a concerted effort to talk about some of the things that made it memorable both from a celebratory standpoint and a room for improvement viewpoint.

I am sitting at the keyboard with my feet in a bucket of ice water and several different forms of liquid foot softeners in it because my feet are swollen. The 8^th Annual White Party Weekend activities actually kicked off on Wednesday night for many Detroiters and a few people from Toledo. One could officially consider Wednesday, day one of the dance-a-thon.

People started sprinkling in on Thursday and gathering at the Dearborn Hyatt. You could see the anticipation on many people’s faces because you have to remember that next to the Good Deeds International (GDI) Heritage Ball, the White Party in Detroit is one of the most highly anticipated steppin events of the year. I was actually quite surprised to see as many people as I did on Thursday because it is still considered a “week work” day but a crowd of over 300 did manage to come out and participate the sounds of DJ Rodney Mack. As I sat at the will call table meeting guests in the hotel lobby, I kept thinking to myself, “these people are gonna be burnt out by Saturday night with all this dancing.”

The weekend itinerary and tickets had a lot of conflictive times on them that didn’t match up with “actual” times but luckily the hotel was able to print up posters with corrections to resolve the situation.

Day three, Friday, gave guests an opportunity to visit the revolving Rotunda Room on the 16^th floor of the Dearborn which offered card and board games as an alternative to steppin but what do you think most of the people did when they saw a mini sized dance floor up there You guessed it, an impromptu steppers set was born. So as that was going on, I peeked in on a few of the workshops and the pampering room which offered coiffuring to the men and women who may have not had an opportunity to take care of those things at home i.e. eyelash applications, manicures, etc.

That evening, the Burton Manor, which I will say is my all-time favorite place to step, offered steppers the opportunity to step on a marble floor to the sounds of DJ Shorty Smooth aka MrMakeUDance aka Mykel Farr with DJ Calvin pinch hitting. I think Mykel and Diddy are reinventing themselves. Laughing.

The prelims for the World’s Largest saw only two contestants enter from Detroit. A lot of people thought that Drew Alexander and Lakeesha Anderson along with maybe Feo Duncan and Candace Hinton were going to wow the crowd with their entry dances, but no cigar...for now at least. Emcee Pete Frazier, and the first lady, Mrs. Linda Frazier, graciously greeted many of the guests in attendance with a handshake, smile and conversation which further explains why Pete Frazier is considered one of the best “people skilled” promoters in the industry.

I typically don’t attend after parties because I’m …oh I don’t know…sleepy and tired by that time but I received some reviews about the after party that suffered from the “This ain’t how they did it in Atlanta!” syndrome.

Day four, Saturday, and I noticed that some people were getting antsy after they went to the mall several times and visited the Rotunda. Guests were sitting around the hotel lobby munching on Ms. Cheesecake, Lynne Batten’s, Snicker Bar, Sweet Potato Pie and Moscato Flavored cheesecakes. The people were actually kind of…well bored. Logistically, Dearborn is a suburb that does not have much to offer in the form of entertainment. If you don’t have a car when you come to events like these, you really are kind of stuck sitting around the hotel lobby shooting the breeze and having fireside chats about the politics of steppin. Cleveland’s DJ Huck, Vince Huckabee, was spinning, obviously gearing up the crowd for his upcoming linen affair.

Saturday night brought in a sea of white outfits and about 1800 guests in total. DJ Smooth and Mellow Khris did their thing and everyone else came out and stepped. You could begin to see that some people were really tired because women were sporting flat sandals as early as eight o’clock and some men were wearing flat sandals as well. One standout that evening was the long overdue presentation that the Detroit steppin community presented to Rodney Mack. It was an appreciation plaque that recognized him as being in the forefront of providing Detroit with the first steppers sets and ushering in events like the White Party and the Masquerade Ball. Chicago surprisingly won the “rep your city” segment when roll call was taken. How was that possible (Laughter) Honorable mentions went to Detroit and the Ohio clan. K Jon did and A, B and C selection. By the way, I wonder when his movie is coming out that he put together last year

Day five, Sunday, was not a day of rest because this was the day of the forum, picnic and afterglow. Okay Rodney Mack…give us a break…whew! (Laughter).

Terrance Pratt, taking a cue from previous comments about unproductive forums made great attempts to make change in our community. If you ask me, the forums CAN be the most important part of steppers set because they help to shape people’s opinions. From what I gathered, these were the highlights: Stop counting, start listening to the rhythm and the beat. Workshop attendance is dwindling, instructors stop taking advantage of people by taking their money. Out of town men and women who are in their 70s and 80s need steppin role models who are around THEIR age to pattern their dance after. Promoters are SEEMINGLY just throwing three day events just to make money. Women stop bashing men as they develop their skill level in the dance. Pioneers of steppin in Chicago want out of towners to constantly remember steppers who have passed away and acknowledge their contributions to the dance every time they set foot on the floor… even though they don’t come out to any events (that’s gonna be kind of hard to do isn’t it) Always the consummate professional, T Pratt has always provided the steppin community with a forum to improve upon the status quo. I can’t forget my other brothers in the media circle. Thank you Lamont Watts of clubsteppin.com for broadcasting the event throughout the weekend and Ken Bedford for your videotape package that you are putting together.

The Detroit Steppers Network (DSN) did get to mention their Project 300 August 6^th event in which we hope to bring 300 men and women into the steppin arena. It is quite an advantageous project because all of our instructors are working together to teach the same way on that same day to try and start these “virgin” steppers off with a strong foundation. We are going to the missions, shelters, churches, street bazaars, etc. and we mean business because we are bound and determined to make this happen!

The picnic was a picnic and the afterglow was the afterglow. Big ups go out to the lady DJs that took charge of the turntables at the picnic. Cleveland’s Michelle Mason, DJ Butta, DJ Queen B (Vegas) & DJ Verdena (Chicago). These ladies definitely have a an ear and flair for music. DJ Queen B (Vegas) & DJ Verdena (Chicago)No female lead contest took place at the afterglow due to non-participation but DJ Tyk Myn did drop a few hot ones along with emcee Keith Hubbard. Just to let you know how tired people were…a lot of us were sitting at the bar watching Miami play against Dallas in the NBA finals. Go Heat!

I want to acknowledge some standouts from the weekend that made this event special for various reasons. Detroit’s own, Rebecca Atkinson, the young lady toting the little baby around the events Well, she played a major role in the setting up of this weekend’s activities and sacrificed a lot of her own personal mother/daughter time to make sure that questions were answered and expectations were met. Thumbs up Becky! Pat Clay, Chicago, has got to be the sweetest woman on earth as she articulates aspects about steppin and what kind of role it should play in the lives of men and women. Good Deeds International who came up from Atlanta in full force and even had sweetie pie Melanie Fields and Devan Powe offering to help set up on Saturday night in the ballroom before the main event…and yes, they had their fliers in tow advertising the Heritage ball for 2012. Check out their flier and the metaphors they use…it’s really creative! The Majestic Gents’ twins, Jim and Jerry who spoke about celebrating life before celebrating anything else in this world. Tyk Myn and Andre’ Blackwell, who provided the honesty and truth about steppin to Sherry Gordon and myself in a two hour long conversation. Detroit’s, Ira and Gail Blakely, Darby Settles, Jackie “Shortcake” Jones and her camera, “Slick Vic” Plotnikov, newlyweds, Sean and DeeJay Wilkins, Cliff “Big Slim” Reynolds, Karla Jeffries, Janay Pa, Carolyn Rawlings, Columbus’ Own, Dancin Dons and Divas, Victor A. James and Nikola Thomas. There were dozens and dozens of other notables but I don’t have enough energy to type all of those names. (Laughter)

Remember I said I was going to talk about areas in room for improvement in these weekend affairs Tune in tomorrow when I create the ULTIMATE steppers’ weekend package. Promoters, take out your pen and pads because after having gone to enough of these affairs, I’m going to let you know how to present a virtual flawless event where everyone leaves complaint free!

The I Love Steppin 3rd Anniversary Weekend Review

Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

There was another “Royal Wedding” if you will…which occurred in Southfield, Michigan this weekend. The collaboration of The Steady Steppers and Jeff Clark had to be one of the most anticipated Midwest events of the year next to Atlanta’s Heritage Ball and Rockin Rodney Mack’s White Party in June. The Steady Steppers have been voted the top organizational, instructional and promotional group three years in a row on Chistepper.com as well as Jeff Clark being voted as the number one promoter, e-blast service, best set Saturday set at Fire Water Bar & Grill and overall nice guy. As a result, it made perfect sense for these two entities to unite.

This 2011 event is a re-introduction for The Steady Steppers into the Detroit fold and has a history connected with it. Headed by Larry Collins and Kammal Smith, this dynamic duo was the first organization to conduct the original lavish steppers sets in Detroit complete with out of town guests, live entertainment, workshops and food. Having dual residences in Las Vegas and Michigan allowed for The Steady Steppers to branch out and bring more potential steppers into the steppin family. Thus, the first steppin clothing line, video and DVD instructional series and mega workshops were introduced all over the country. Since 2003, the Steady Steppers have charted several chapters while conducting their weekly classes that are still held in Detroit and Inkster.

The bonafide star of this weekend had to be the venue. Larry Collins described the dance floor/stage as a “whale tail” which is entirely accurate. Every seat in the place provided a great view of the dancers because steppers always like to look at the top part as well as the feet. No matter where you were sitting, you didn’t miss a thing. The blue, black and white colors provided a sultry yet upscale ambience complete with everything you’d expect…and not expect. No matter how much you try to provide party goers there are always going to be the “it was a nice party buts…”

There was no food served at either party but there was no food served in an effort to keep ticket prices down in a fledgling economy. I think a lot of people don’t understand that they DO have the option of eating before they leave home or possible afterwards at an all-night eatery. Although this is unheard of…sneaking food in is an option as well (wink). I heard the same complaints in Atlanta and the White Party in recent years but people still go and enjoy themselves in the end. Another complaint was that in order to get to the dance floor, you had steps to go up and down on…maybe 5 or 6. You could see the pain written on some people’s faces after their first few rounds of cardio on them. You definitely were going to test your knee strength if you were over 30. Now even though people had the OPTION of walking back and forth on a stair free ramp, a lot of the same people that complained insisted on taking the steps to get to the dance floor. What can you say

Mellow Khris and Mykel “Shorty Smooth” Farr provided the music for both evenings and the crowd reacted as expected. They ate up the LIVE mixing. When you are a DJ that is not afraid to take chances and go outside of the “push and play” mentality, you are going to get results and accolades. You have to cater to several generations on the dance floor as it relates to music. Is it easy to do this No it isn’t. Is it fun to listen to Khris and Mykel tease us with songs they mix on the spot and won’t allow us to purchase for at least a year No, (smile) but it’s what keeps them both hired and in demand. Something to think about.

No steppin workshops were provided on Saturday morning or in the afternoon for some guests. Was this a problem Not really. Again, in a wallet and purse tight economy, the promoters of the party tried to keep everything as cost effective as possible when it came to the extras…not the quality. Jeff’s Saturday brunch still went on as planned and was well attended with DJ “K-Mix” Kirk Peterson entertaining the troops.

Although Jeff Clark did not get Tyra Banks to show up (she had a table with her name on a tent card and everything) I think that he and The Steady Steppers can truly be proud of the 400 plus people that came into the Shriners Silver Gardens this weekend. People came from Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Cincinnati, Columbus, Flint, Cleveland, Toledo, Miami and Akron.

St. Louis, Missouri poster child, Iary “Cat in the Hat” Israel, CEO and founder of Word of Mouth Entertainment, attended with the assurance that his Memorial Day weekend function will still be going on as planned without any deviations. From what I understand, this will be the first opportunity for many people to see famed steppin legend and one of Tyk Myn’s inspirations, Ice Ray, live and in living color. In 13 years, I may have seen in once in Chicago so it will definitely be worth the trip.

Victor Anthony James Sr. and Nicola Thomas were also in the house commanding the dance floor all night. That man had to have danced with 75 women that night…I promise you. I keep hinting to Victor that he and Nicola should enter the WLSC because of their commanding and smooth presence on the floor. We’ll have to see how they feel after both of their large scale events coming up in Indianapolis and Missouri.

Shockingly, Ronneal “Moe” Muhammad, was the ONLY Chicagoan that I saw at the set all weekend besides Mellow Khris. Someone replied that this was the first major party in the Detroit area in which Chicagoans didn’t come out in full force and it was still a success.

In the house was the lady behind the website designs, Tonya Harris of Harris Pro Designs.com (feature interview coming up with her real soon), Columbus’ Own, Cleveland’s Dancin Dons and Divas, Deon Farr, Jennifer Toles, Kendra Willis, Ira and a very sexy Gail Blakely, Bonita Williams, Drew Alexander, Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten, “DJ Huck” Vince Huckabee, Michelle Mason aka DJ Butta, Upscale Productions, Sherry Gordon, Feo Duncan, Candace and her daddy Robert Hinton, Sherry Gordon, Jamal Brown, Keesha Anderson, Sophia Hooper, Darby Settles, The BHG, Ann Dobson-Hunter, Rebecca “Sexy Legs” Atkinson, Victor “Slick Vic” Plotnikov, Brock Powers, Nicole Holsey, Darryl Flexx, Dave D Stepper, David Dean, Quin Q Jones and a rare public appearance made by Buford “Mistalocks” Collins.

FYI...Tracey was not able to attend the Sunday Brunch hosted by Friends United, so I'll add my two cents. I got there two hours after the brunch had started and there was still plenty of food remaining. I was very impressed with the assortment of food the was made available by the Fire Water kitchen staff. You could have your choice of breakfast or lunch foods. The breakfast menu consisted of scrambled eggs, potatoes, turkey sausage or hot and cold cereal. The lunch menu included corn, baked beans, fish, baked chicken and a host of other items. There was also a variety of fruits and danishes available.

Quite a few of the out of town guests stayed around for the brunch and I'm sure they were pleased with the quality and quantity of the food. Hats of to Friends United and the staff at Fire Water II Bar & Grill.

Detroit Steps On Out with LJ Reynolds

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Motor City Records recording artist and Detroit native, LJ Reynolds of The Dramatics, has just dropped his latest single “Stepping Out Tonight” aka ”Come Get to This” by Marvin Gaye. The video features some notable Detroiters doing a variety of dances at Club Yesterdays in Detroit. Ballrooming, The Bop, Line Dancers (Hustlers) are seen doing a frenzied version of steppin hustles in several areas of the video. Although the song does not have a traditional “steppin” beat (the rpms are way too fast and would have to be manipulated with pitch control to accommodate the steppers) Detroit continues to make a presence in the world of dance and music.

Notable Detroit steppers that are showcased in the video are Bonita Williams and Steve Johnson. Also seen in the video is the featured cutie pie, Korissa LaSha, along with Kevin Collins, April Hayes, Noah Amos, Shonna Crosby, Pamela Moore, Miles Adolph and Ms. Jackie.

The Dramatics contributed to the steppin roster of music with “Key to the World”, “I’m Going by the Stars in Your Eyes”, “Doggy Dog World” and “Just Shopping.”

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=UHxADQTJOY0

Detroit Project 300 Makes National Headlines!

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens

Once again, the city of Detroit is making national headlines in the world of steppin. Thanks to exposure from Markie Bee, on Steppersusa.com and the endorsement by Mak 3 founder, and the Dance Doctor, Dave Maxx, inquiring minds want to know about the Detroit Steppers Network aka the DSN.

Back in July of 2010, Sherry Gordon and I were sitting down discussing what some of the best ways were to grow a steppin community of men. Long story short…we found that you had to get your existing steppin community to come together and launch a vigorous student recruitment campaign. After coming up with The Detroit Steppers Network name, we reached out to various individuals in the community and prayed that they would buy into the concept. Well, that campaign turned into Project 300. Project 300 simply centers on the fact that the DSN hopes to get 300 men AND women from various localities (very rarely marketed to) around the Detroit metropolitan area and exposing these people to steppin for one day and night. Under the leadership of entrepreneur and former Enchantment group member, Bobby Green and WLSC winner Ann Hunter, we came together and developed a mission statement. The statement speaks to the fact that a group of instructors, DJs, promoters and members of the general Detroit steppin community have come together in an organized fashion to make this project come to life on August 6, 2011.

The event will feature a 3 hour workshop which will have 10-12 instructors teaching (not counting) the same basic pattern to a room full of 300 beginner students. That’s right…you heard it correctly. Our instructors have come together and will all teach the same way, that same day for the good of the cause no matter what count anybody does in their classes! It is hopeful that the instructors will buy into the concept of pattern teaching so that our city can be on one accord when it comes to instruction. Pattern teaching being “left, right, left…etc...etc…” That night will culminate in a steppin gala in which our general steppin community, along with supporters from surrounding states, will come to welcome these new steppers to our “family” through a night of what else Steppin!

Other Detroiters who are donating their time to this worthy cause are DJ Rockin Rodney Mack, Sherry Gordon, Brock Powers, newcomer Keesha Reeves, James Pacely, DJ “K-Mix” Kirk Peterson, Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten, Drew Alexander, Jeff Clark, Bonita Williams, Steady Steppers co-founder, Larry Collins, Deborah Dixon, DJ Steppin E, DJ Paul Ross “The Boss”, Karla Jeffries, and a ton of others.

While it is an ambitious project, the DSN is moving forward and is letting nothing stop them! See you August 6!

Tipping Our Hats to the Big Hat Gentlemen

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

An I Love Steppin Party Review:
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

The Venetian Hall in Madison Heights, MI welcomed guests from Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Toledo, Cleveland and a host of other cities Saturday night. The Big Hat Gentleman are comprised of founder Bashiri along with Bobby, Frank, Calvin, Phil, Ron, and “ain’t no stopping him” Walter Jenkins. Jenkins, who had medical challenges earlier in the year, became the poster child for perseverance in the national steppin community as he managed to attend many local and out of town functions to support other organizations as well as in the marketing of his own. Overall, each of these gentlemen have held a strong presence in the Detroit dance community for over five years by offering an annual classy dancing affair which caters to steppers, ballroomers, boppers and line dancers.

Guests were treated to a buffet style dinner and the melodic sounds of DJ Rockin Rodney Mack. Mack is often branded as a steppers’ DJ but he has over 25 year experience in knowing how to play a wide genre of music to accommodate the varying tastes in the Detroit dance community. One thing that I like about the BHG parties is that they make it a point to dance with all of the women at their sets. This is not a common practice by many social groups. You will find that many male escorts will get invited to parties only to dance with their particular favorites all night long but not the Big Hat Gentleman. They know that showing the women that come to their parties a good time is key.

In the house were Ohio representatives Juan Hall, Popeye, Allen Davis of DDD, Slick Vic Plotnikov, Keesha Waters, and the home team, Keesha Reeves, Drew Alexander, Jeff Clark, Sherry Gordon, Tyrone “The Godfather” Bradley, Darby Settles, Ira and Gail Blakely, Sir Charles and Elaine Ramsey, Lynne Ms. Cheesecake Batten, Rebecca “Becky” Atkinson, James Pacely, Paul Ross “The Boss,” DJ K-Mix Kirk Peterson, Stan Brooks, Brock Powers, Deborah Dixon, Bonita Gower-Williams and Rose McDaniel.

There are not very many cities that have an all-male social group whose members range from 50-75 and can boast of pulling 20-30 something year old mini skirt clad women to all of their sets. But something tells me that these gentlemen will continue to make great strides in producing a quality setting, inviting quality guests and providing everything else their big hats can hold.

Dont Workshop Me Over!

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

An I Love Steppin Commentary
by Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

I am keeping in the back of my mind that discussions about controversial topics are good for the soul. What I’m keeping in the front of my mind is that discussions about controversial topics need to be addressed.

As many of you already know, I take education very seriously. Because it is my profession, I tend to hold much fidelity to teaching practices and the integrity of the curriculum. As a freelance writer, I’ve covered many 3-4 day steppin affairs around the country which means I get to talk to a lot of people and hear the voice of people that might not otherwise be heard.

I must say that steppin students that attend out of town workshops have been the most vocal in the last two years. As each city grows, so does the steppin knowledge of that city. It is expected that if people receive lessons on a weekly basis from their “home” instructors that anything an out of town instructor might add, under the title of a “workshop,” would only enhance what that student has learned…right Only if the definition of the workshop is clear. Workshops in the steppin community need to be revamped.

Beginners Workshops are straight and to the point…if they are called that. You learn either the basic female or basic male pattern with a count. You learn your right or left turns whether you are male or female and that’s pretty much it. However, I never see the word “beginners” on most of the flyers that circulate around the country thus leading people to believe that they can get something that goes BEYOND those basic introductory steps. The word “beginner” is seldom used because new steppers generally don’t like referring to themselves as “babies”, which is what they are for all intents and purposes. For the most part, you will look on a flyer and see “Workshops” with a bunch of pictures of famous steppers who are super-duper advanced.

I hear from many Chicagoans, that men and women who are new to steppin are never taught how to dance. The women are taught to become spins goddesses and the men become combination junkies. Well if that’s a problem, why are we not teaching men how to dance before they learn anything else

Let’s call this workshop “Male Steppers 101.”This workshop would gather about 8 notable male steppers from Chicago and around the country and have them stand in a circle and just groove for about 20 minutes (minus women) so the male students who just paid $30 can observe them and take mental notes. Afterwards, there should be a 15 minute conversation about what the men are thinking about while they’re dancing i.e. “I’m not trying to sweat my jacket out so my moves are limited,” or “Every time I spin, I pose as if I’m taking a picture.” This valuable information is worth its weight in gold if the male students are willing to listen and learn. The final portion of the class should allow the men to stand side by side or behind the invited guests and try to capture some of their movements. Problem solved…right Well, the invited instructors certainly won’t be making a killing in profits but they may be able to gain revenue in “privates” afterwards.

I feel that after women leave their beginners basic workshop that they need to attend the same type of workshop set up for just them which, encourages them to just dance. I mean let’s face it. Everybody is NOT going to go to Chicago to go to the 50 Yard Line and study steppers once a month. A lot of people can’t afford it.

I can hear it now. “But Tracey, you messin with the $400 I would get coming to these cities makin money off of these people.” Am I People are already venting about feeling like they are wasting their time and money. I have spoken to angry women who have said that workshops that are called intermediate have them doing the basics the whole time or being paired up with beginner men to be used as a crash test dummy for two hours. How do you fix this I certainly hope that instructors do not believe that 40 -60 people are going to learn anything beyond the basics. It’s impossible if you have 4 different levels of students who have 3 different counts and 9 types of styles. On a positive note, I must say that the Walkin Workshops are very effective because they are applicable with immediate results. Women learn their patterns; men learn theirs, both come together and wah-la…their walkin by the end of the workshop.

It’s time to move forward steppers. We can keep on pretending that throwing the word “workshop” on a flyer best serves perspective steppers or newbies but it doesn’t. All of the “popular” steppers that I know NEVER learned in workshops. They were either taught by watching other people, listening to conversations, watching videos of people at actual sets or receiving privates. I’m going to always be for the underdog. I’ll end by trying to think like a frustrated student of steppin. “If you want me to respect your dance, then teach me the correct way. Don’t tell me to count and listen to the music at the same time if you are not doing it. Don’t tell me to dance more when you only show me combination after combination. If I don’t know how to dance, then show me how to “ride the beat” before we move any further. I will respect you, I will respect your dance and I will respect my own dance. Please work with me…don’t workshop me over!”

Going Way Out for the Black Out!

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

An I Love Steppin Exclusive:
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

The Dancin Dons and Divas of Cleveland, OH, have made it a point to present their guests with the finest parties and customer service money can buy. From their Fishnets and Fedoras parties to this 4^th Annual Black Out Affair, the Dancin Dons and Divas have poised themselves as a strong force in the world of three day steppin affairs.

I have always admired the drive of club members, Allen, Keith, Terry, Carleatha, Michelle and Lolita for their drive and tenacity. Detroit has and continues to make a big splash as far as the Midwest is concerned; however this weekend was all about Ohio and for myself and a lot of other people it offered something different.

Workshops are a mainstay at any weekend affair and the facilitators didn’t disappoint. The workshop hosts were Sherry Gordon, Cheryl Powe, Tyk Myn, Monique Salter, “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon and new to the traveling workshop circuit, Darryl Davis. You may remember him from that famous You Tube clip of him leading Tyk, Royce and Taboo from last year’s Embrace the Dance. He added a lot of information to the Walkers Workshop. It’s always good to see other people drop in to help out at the workshops even though they don’t have to. Andre Blackwell, Yah’ ir “CD Man”, ”Drew Alexander, Feo Duncan, Keesha Anderson, Candace Hinton and a few others stopped by to lend their support.

One point of controversy that was introduced this weekend was the idea of workshops needing to be revamped to accommodate intermediate or advanced steppers. There were some frustrated men out there who did voice their concerns about this quite vehemently. These feelings were not just apparent at the Black Out but have been looming around for quite some time. You can expect a commentary later on in the week about this subject.

FREE parking, breakfasts, shuttle services and other amenities were given to accommodate the some 600 guests this weekend. Lynne “Ms. Cheesecake” Batten provided her fan base plenty of her creatively flavored cheesecakes over the weekend. Friday night belonged to Mellow Khris who never disappoints his crowd nor did DJ Calvin on Saturday with Mykel “Shorty Smooth” at the after party. I saw GDI members, Donald Blount and Devan Powe shaking hands and offering plenty of dances as well. It seems you can never go wrong when you have help from the national and Chicago family that support a lot of out of town events these days. It would have been a great addition to witness some of the DJing talents of some of the local Ohio DJs like “DJ Huck” Vince Huckabee and DJ Butta aka DDD’s Michelle Mason on these nights as well.

I have to admit that Jeff Clark made a killing with his I love Steppin gear. I think the jogging suits that he markets took the prize for the most worn outfit this weekend. Clark has made a concerted effort to provide all 50 states with the opportunity to represent the I Love Steppin franchise at every minor as well as major event with photos and steppin gear.

Big ups to Mykel and Deon Farr who have been working tirelessly to bring awareness to their “Steppin for Autism” affair on April 15th in Milwaukee. As many of you know, their son, Deontay, was diagnosed with autism at age 8, as opposed to earlier on. As a result, Deontay could have been exposed to a lot of things that he shouldn’t have because of the late diagnosis and the unawareness of his health challenge. As a result, the Farrs are selling colorful Autism awareness ribbons to raise awareness and Mykel has made many attempts on his Clubsteppin radio broadcasts to educate the listeners about this condition. According to Mykel, the Dancin Dons and Divas were gracious enough to provide a platform for the Farr family to educate the steppers at this affair who play a very special part of their lives on a daily basis.

By the time Sunday’s brunch with DJ Cross, came to an end, everyone was ready to hit the road in full force. As I stated before, you definitely have your fun steppin and such but when you cross that threshold of your home…

I like to recognize a few members of Detroit family, Darby Settles, Rebecca “Becky” Atkinson, Tonya Clay, Sophia Hooper, Walter Jenkins, Karla Jeffries and Dave D Stepper who made a great impact this weekend. Ohio was definitely in the building of course. Shout outs to Jennifer Toles, Greg Rashid, Juan Hall, Jeanene Hill, Kendra Willis, Ambrose West, Columbus’ Own, “Slick Vic” Plotnikov, Columbus’ Steppin Divas, Mind, Body and Soul, Darnell Brewer, Ryan Wills, Marvin Menifee and a host of others.

Cheers to you Dancin Dons and Divas!

Makin It Look Good!

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Exclusive Interview with Dancin Dons and Divas’ Allen Davis
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Allen Davis is sitting on a gold mine these days. As a member of Cleveland, Ohio’s Dancin Dons and Divas, Allen has managed to make great strides in steppin from the organizational end to putting the “big daddies” back on the map. In his first I Love Steppin interview, Allen talks about being a part of something bigger than himself, avoiding the pitfalls of steppin no-nos and making it count when it matters!

Tracey: I’ve been covering Cleveland events for a minute now and I have to say that the Dancin Dons and Divas, which consists of you, Terri, Lolita, Carleatha, Michelle and Keith really seem to be marketing yourselves as more than a social organization these days. What are some of the different hats you all are wearing as it relates to steppin

Allen: Some of the other members are trying to expose the dance into other markets. Cleveland has a lot of hand dancers that don’t quite know how to make that transition into steppin. Michelle is DJing aka DJ Butta. Carleatha is getting into teaching with Michelle for basic women’s step class and me…I’m just all over the place! Terry does a lot of different things with DJing on the west coast. He has done a few sets out by Oakland. Keith helps us to fill in the blanks.

Tracey: I think one of the things I have always admired about you Allen is that you possess a charm that draws people to this dance. You exude confidence, grace and style which is something a lot of men and women shy away from. What do you attribute your confidence to

Allen: Being comfortable in the setting that the dance is in. It’s always in a mature type of setting. You have a little drama here and there but overall steppin provides comfort for me.

Tracey: I was having a discussion with someone the other day and we were talking about the saturation of there being too many “3 day steppin affairs” in this country and that there is only room for the Heritage Ball in Atlanta and Rodney Mack’s White Party in Detroit. What do you have to say to that

Allen: I agree and I disagree. Going to all of these events can get to be expensive but at the same time if you travel so far to attend someone’s else’s events, you don’t want to turn around and come right back home that same night. If I drive 4 or 5 hours away, I don’t want to come for that one party and have to turn around and drive back home. So if I‘m in another city, I would like to have something to do in between going to the parties.

Tracey: I’m usually pretty good at identifying who taught who in this dance based on people’s individual styles. However, when it comes to you I can’t do it. (Laughter) Who is responsible for what we see on the floor when you dance

Allen: (Laughter) Let’s see. I’ll say for the first couple of years I didn’t have a foundation. I kind of was just thrown out there and fudged my way through it because I had a little bit of rhythm. Erika Little, formerly of Cleveland, now in North Carolina, took the time to teach me and work with me. I took a little bit from Greg Rashid also. As of late, “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon and Cheryl Powe have really helped me to figure the dance out.

Tracey: There is an all-male steppers calendar being planned for production as we speak and as I understand it you are one of the frontrunners to be in that calendar. How does that make you feel

Allen: I’m flattered. I try to make myself look like I would want a woman to look but on the flip side of that. (Laughter)

Tracey: April 1-3 is coming up. What are the Dancin Dons and Divas offering this year at The Black Out that was different from previous years

Allen: We are trying to do everything at one location. We’re bringing in some different DJs that haven’t been to our area yet. DJ Calvin and DJ Cross haven’t had much exposure in Ohio if any at all. We are also doing a mega workshop that will give everyone something.

Tracey: As I understand it, every major city that has multiple steppin organizations has social conflicts at one time or another i.e. groups having events on the same day as others, fighting over students, etc... Is this type of thing unavoidable in steppin

Allen: Yes and no. Yes, because it’s good to give people a choice. You may be offering something that somebody else may not be offering. Just out of mutual respect I don’t think people should plan things on or around the same days. Everybody wants their event to be successful. We learned from the mistakes that other cities have made.

Tracey: Like what

Allen: One of the biggest pet peeves of mine is DJs constantly stopping the music. People come to these parties to dance. When you’re constantly stopping the music for different things…it rubs people the wrong way. Trying to cut corners is another one. You want to make people feel like they are getting what their paying for. Everybody wants the best deal possible but you have to go above and beyond to give people what they pay for. We are offering a lot of free amenities during the Black Out weekend.

Tracey: If I asked you to define what it means to be a smooth stepper, what would you say

Allen: Not being all over the place. I learned a lot of moves coming into this dance which threw a lot of my dance and timing off. When you are a smooth stepper you have all of that worked out. You should be able to move effortlessly versus running all over the place.

Tracey: You are one of the role models for a lot of guys who shy away from dancing because of their size. How do you feel about that

Allen: I don’t have a problem with it. I’m comfortable with who I am. I don’t think size or looks should determine your ability on what you can do when it comes to this dance.

Tracey: Where does your destiny lie with steppin Allen

Allen: I’m not big on hip hop. I want to be able to come out and enjoy the people and socialize without extra drama and the other stuff in between. As for now…steppin is in my blood so I don’t plan on going anywhere else anytime soon.

Tracey: This is the last question. What would people be surprised about when it comes to Allen Davis

Allen: That I’m transparent…what you see is what you get!

Should Cities Put a Cap on How Many Steppin Instructors They Have

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

I Love Steppin Commentary:
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

I was reading another informational steppers website the other day in which the administrator was beckoning to the instructors of classes to update their class information. The general list of steppin classes blew me away. Now that all of our major cities have incorporated steppin classes into their weekly regime of activities, is it time for our instructors and organizations to posse up and put a stop to the wave of steppin instructors that are popping up on almost a daily basis

Residing in Detroit, a city that currently houses 25 organizations or people that teach steppin, I have to wonder why it’s necessary to have that many teachers on the roll call. If Detroit has that many instructors, then why don’t we have thousands of different students popping up I guess I have to first examine what would motivate someone relatively new to the “game” to teach steppin.

Well, if I go to a steppin class and there are 25 people in the class that paid $10.00 to get into the class just like I did, I put on my mathematical thinking cap. “Hmm…25 times $10.00 is $250.00. Even if I have to pay a rental fee of $20.00 for that hour that still comes to $230.00 in my pocket, tax free. Wow! I’ll attend class for about two months and join the ranks of other instructors. That’s about $1,000 a month. TAX FREE!!!!!” Or, I may approach it from more of a philosophical approach. “These people that teach can’t communicate as effectively as I CAN. I need to become a teacher of steppin because my style of teaching is going to be entirely different from the legions of other instructors in my city. I’ll create my own vocabulary and everything.” Or, I may cater to my ego, especially if I’m a guy. “If I become a teacher of steppin and I’m halfway decent looking…I can get all the women to come to my class and BE DA MAN…on the floor and off!” Sorry fellas but this DOES happen.

I can’t think of anymore reasons as to why people would come forth and want to teach in a city already saturated with steppin instructors. Now some may be thinking to themselves, “Tracey…quit hatin’. People can do what they want to do. It’s a free country.” True. But to what expense should we sacrifice the integrity of steppin cities that already have bonafide steppin instructors who have been teaching for years Detroit’s earliest instructors never went to class themselves but went to Chicago and observed and conversed with Chicago’s finest. I was one of the early instructors and went through the same trial and errors that many of the others did. Eventually, we initial instructors got it right because we were able to offer up resumes of steppers that could blend if they went to Chicago, which at that time was a measuring stick for if you were a good out of town instructor. I still maintain, that if you are a person new to steppin and you want to know what’s really going on with that instructor, ask them who they have taught in the city and verify their information. If many of your favorite steppers are not on that list…well, you’ll have your answer. Would you rather an intern perform your open heart surgery or a tenured doctor

You may be thinking that everyone that steps has different styles and everyone who teaches have different teaching methods. But when is enough…enough There are a lot of guys who try and make it to the NBA but they don’t get chosen for whatever reason fate has to offer. People try to get into Harvard Law School but to no avail, everyone that fills out their application and submits flawless grades and credentials just doesn’t get chosen. I say that to say this: Just because someone feels that they can teach and wants to teach doesn’t mean that they have to teach…does it Why not volunteer and come out to a class that is already established and help that organization with their beginner students That last suggestion would help people to stop teaching students incorrectly. For example, there is an instructor that teaches his students whether male or female to start on the left foot. Do you know how hard it is to unteach a male who has been steppin on his left foot for six months

In the long run, 100,000 steppin classes can do more harm than good. Constant comparisons are inevitable and damaging. “He’s been steppin for less than a year so don’t go to his weak class.”, “She won three contests so that makes her the bomb teacher!”, “He didn’t learn in Chicago, so his credibility is suspect”, or as the student is walking out of the class, “Psssst…My classes are cheaper than hers. Take my flier.”

All cities want the Chicago like numbers of fluent steppers. There’s no argument there but the argument does lie in the fact that the pioneers of steppin in our major cities need to consider coming together and mandating that all perspective instructors go through an application process in order to teach. I am not talking certification! Certification deals with everyone teaching one solid methodology. I’m talking about someone wanting to teach and having to go through a process of volunteering in a “pioneer’s class” for an extended period of time, possibly paying into a citywide steppin fund, getting to know the more established instructors to create camaraderie, etc. This would hopefully weed out the perspective “microwave instructors” because they wouldn’t want to be that humble.

In conclusion, I’m sure the feathers are ruffling and the butt cheeks are clinching upon the reading of this commentary but I ask everyone look at the big picture. Having one too many cooks in the kitchen will never produce Filet Mignon but a Sloppy Joe. Which one do you want to eat

Detroit is Groovin with Roy Ayers

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

All eyes are on Detroit steppers again as Polydor recording artist, Roy Ayers, debuts his new video off of his upcoming King of Vibes CD, “Everybody’s Groovin” which features Detroit steppers Drew Alexander II, Sherry Gordon, Keesha Anderson, Bonita Williams, Steve Johnson, Ann Hunter, Ira & Gail Blakely and newcomers Richard Cochran and Chris “The Big Dipper” Turner. Roy Ayers has made significant contributions to the collection of steppin classics such as “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”, “Searching,” and “Mystic Voyage.” Check it out by clicking on the link below.

Roy Ayers: Everybody Groovin

Is 2 Much Not Enough

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

An Exclusive Interview with Milwaukee’s Michael Barron
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

The Chistepper.com people poll was designed to give the national steppin community an opportunity to nominate and vote for their favorite steppers, promoters, DJs, Humanitarian Cause, etc. in an anonymous survey. Results have been received with mixed sentiments as many claim that the poll results are about as unfair as the World’s Largest Steppers Contests have been. Others, including myself, feel that the Chistepper polls have given the out of towners a platform to be noticed when they seemingly may not have been noticed otherwise. As a result, from out of nowhere, comes Milwaukee’s Michael Barron aka 2 Much Da Winner. Michael took the time to talk to I Love Steppin.com about his recent wins on the Chistepper poll, how the win backfired on him and all he really wants out of steppin.

Tracey: Michael, who is 2 Much Da Winner…really

2 Much: That is a good question. Let me start off by saying “2 Much Da Winner” is a humble, God fearing, respectful young man. I came upon steppin a couple of years ago at a set and I only went because they had chicken wings three for a dollar…real talk. As I began to look at and watch the different steps and moves, it took me by surprise and that’s when I got bit by the steppin bug. I was watching my cousin, Christian Seamster. He and Boss Lady, Shawonda Williams, were partners and Christian introduced her to me. As I interacted with steppin, the first set I went to…I’ll never forget… the DJ was doing his thing and DJ Shorty Smooth (Mykel Farr) came in and the party went bezerk. I decided then that I wanted to be a DJ as well as a stepper.

Tracey: So you are a DJ as well

2 Much: Yes, I also DJ. I originally started off in Chicago. I was born and raised there. I learned in Chicago how to DJ house and percolator music. I used to do little parties for the neighborhood people and family by renting equipment. My DJ name is “2 Much” as well.

Tracey: Where did the name “2 Much Da Winner” come from

2 Much: The name “2 Much” came from a young lady out of one of the steppin classes that I was doing the music for. She asked how long I had been steppin after she had observed me for a while. When I answered she said, “Now that is too much.” My instructor said that was going to be my new name. His name is Vito Bernardo out of Milwaukee.

Tracey: We live in a time in steppin where you have to really come off the cuff by offering something different in order to be “noticed.” You stated that you have something different to offer.

2 Much: Mostly because “2 Much” has stepped out of the box. Like with my cape. As a beginning stepper, I went to a workshop and they had just did a line dance and I was flying like Superman. The DJ played the Soulja Boy song and on the part “watch me youuuuu” I flew! From that point, people were calling me Superman. So I wanted to embark upon that. So the next contest that came about, I had a cape made and that drew attention and that went from there.

Tracey: Who inspired your style of steppin

2 Much: When I would go out to different classes and parties, people knew automatically who taught me how to step. People would say “That’s so and so’s student” I wanted to create my own image and own style of steppin to present myself with the dance. My cousin, Christian, opened my eyes and then it went to Alfred Johnson. I wanted to be him. I consider Alfred to be my dad in the steppin game. He’s Mr. Who You With.

Tracey: I think a lot of people chase the dream of notoriety in steppin because it helps them to reach new heights in steppin. Why did you go to Milwaukee to learn how to step instead of Chicago

2 Much: I would only be in Milwaukee on the weekdays and Chicago on the weekends. My job had me going back in forth between the two cities. However, I worked with Tyk Myn, Keith Hubbard and Kirk White when they came to Milwaukee to do workshops.

Tracey: Who is your partner, Boss Lady

2 Much: Boss Lady is very quiet and she’s behind the scene a lot. I don’t know if she liked the idea of being in the polls. She’s aware of what goes on in the polls. I have to say that she never solicited for any votes. She didn’t even vote. Outside of steppin, she’s always busy. Steppin relieves her from the stress of the work day. When it was time to look for a partner, she was a last minute replacement (Laughing) but a worthy replacement. I thought we should have taken first but we took second. I gave her every dime of the money we won.

Tracey: You placed second in the Top Out of Town Male Stepper and Most Stylish Male Stepper categories. Your partner, Boss lady, placed first in the Most Stylish Female Stepper and second in the Top Out of Town Female stepper categories. Two virtual unknowns receiving top honors in the Chistepper poll. What do you attribute to the wins of you and your partner

2 Much: I wanna first start off by saying congratulations to all the winners…especially I Love Steppin.com. I was shocked and then I became happy when I heard the news. I will admit that during the voting process, I had family, friends and other steppers voting. Employees and coworkers, and other groups in the city of Milwaukee voting for us as well.

Tracey: So for the people who are saying that you and Boss Lady’s wins are suspect and came about due to voting on multiple computers and cell phones, how do you respond I mean this kind of questions the integrity of the voting process now.

2 Much: I got one cell phone and one lap but I have many friends who love me. My heart was broken by the non-response I received from the city of Milwaukee. I didn’t receive not one congratulatory message from anyone. I’ve always been over the top but when we (Boss Lady) did place, I looked at it as a win for Milwaukee. I was out like the president asking people to vote for me from McDonalds, the postman, the mailman…anybody who knew me. I cannot lie and say I didn’t go over the top asking for votes. I didn’t win first place and I was shocked that I didn’t. But I feel like I did what I was supposed to do. In order to win, you have to get votes. I know I’m new to this process but I didn’t expect to feel like this.

Tracey: Wow! That’s quite a revelation. I know that Detroit was all over the place in terms of representation on the poll and I would like to believe that it is because of the years of hard work that individuals have put into their crafts that earned them their wins respectfully on Chistepper.com. Do you think you can recover from this bittersweet event

2 Much: I did a lot research from previous Chistepper.com poll winners and I was devastated. I found out that it has always been controversy over the winners who have come through Chistepper.com.

Tracey: Do you have any plans on entering the WLSC

2 Much: I do feel like I have three more years left to compete. I’m not sure with who but I do plan to be there.

Tracey: Any closing thoughts Michael

2 Much: If I can just say this. I love and respect everybody in the steppin community for what they bring to the table... Pete Frazier and Drew Alexander especially. When Drew danced in 2008...that’s what made me clean up my dancing. I don’t have any hatred. I show love to everybody because I want it back. If I can make it to your city…I will. I don’t do the “he say she say.” I Love Steppin… in fact too much steppin! (Laughing). I just want to dance at the end of the day. Thank you so much for giving me this time to speak to the steppers worldwide woooow! {*_}

Celebrating our Heritage 2011 - Part 2

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

The Forum
Let me first start off by saying that the purpose of a forum should be designed to raise interest in ideas not to raise people’s blood pressure. It should be to inform so that changes can be made. I think the steam has finally been let out of the “forum” portion of the 3 or 4 day weekend affairs. Promoters are putting forums on their itineraries now because everybody else does it. Don’t get me wrong! Terrance Pratt is a master at what he does. When it came to facilitating the forums in recent years, he raised issues that people could identify with and be educated on at the same time. However, when the same people keep coming back to forums…things get repetitive and redundant. With all due respect, T Pratt has a very hard job because it’s hard to be creative when it comes to these forums especially when nothing gets resolved. Here are the main issues of past steppers forums. I’ll answer and address all issues in under a minute. Issue: The debate over the 6 or 8 count. Answer: Oh my God not again learn your foundation first and then stop counting after you’ve learned how to count! Issue: What is a heavy hitter Answer: A celebrity that’s known throughout the steppin arena on a national level. Lebron James is a heavy hitter in basketball. Issue: Why do the women sit all night Answer: Because women outnumber men 8 to 1 at the steppers sets. Issue: The history of steppin. Answer: Yes. We know the dance used to be called boppin then Sam Chatman coined the phrase, “Steppers/Steppin” and The Dungeon was the hot spot, etc. etc. Issue: How about starting the ISA Answer: Not gonna happen…next! Issue: Where do we go from here Answer: For all up and coming steppin communities, bring in 1 or 2 Chicago based instructors or technically sound instructors from other states to teach your local instructors or wanna be instructors to cut down on confusion. Bringing in too many instructors will cause confusion and contribute to a divide amongst your organizations i.e. “my instructor is better than yours…is not…is too…is not…is too!” Detroit has been there…done that, finally healed from it! Trust me.

All that other stuff, “Well…I was steppin when I was 6 months old and my mother took me to my first set when I was two…..” needs to go. I mean really…everybody has a story to tell but do we need to hear all of them

Why not use the steppers forum to demonstrate what stepper sharp is by having a mini fashion show Let’s talk about the Clean and Sober Steppers who were the first official organization out of Chicago. Why not have demonstrations in high steppin so that people can be educated as to what THAT is Let’s talk about the WLSC and taking AWAY the out of towner categories If Pete is at the forum he can agree to the idea or say it’ll never happen. At least that issue can be decided in front of everyone. Actions speak louder than words. Bad cliché’ but still very effective when making a point.

By the way, the first time I heard the term “Heavy Hitter” was in 1996. I was at Chez Rous and I pointed at Slick Rick because I was admiring his dance and I asked who he was. The guy I was with, who was born and raised in Chicago as a stepper answered, “That’s Slick Rick…one of our “Heavy Hitters.” So out of towners did not make up that term as was stated at the forum because the majority of us were not great enough in numbers yet to even coin it.

Steppers We Sleep On
I told myself I was NOT going to give a shout out to all of the steppers that we know were at the Heritage Ball. Instead, I wanted to focus on some of the Chicago male steppers that I believe the steppin media does not focus on when they should! So for all you ladies that chase the Tyk Myns, the Dres, the Drews…continue to wait in line or go after these guys who are guaranteed to give you the dance that you seek. The next time you’re in Chicago ask for PHARIES HENDERSON, BOBBY HOARD, TIM ALEXANDER, CLIFF “Big Slim” REYNOLDS, CORNELL HARPER, RONNEAL “MOE” MUHAMMED, CHASE, PETE FRAZIER (YES, HE WILL DANCE WITH YOU, BISHOP DON JUAN, CLAUDELL JACKSON, KEVIN NEVELS, MAGIC MIKE AND G PORGIE.

I’ll get to the ladies next time (smile).

The Bloopers

Moving forward to next year’s Heritage Ball
In conclusion, I would just like to close with various ideas and thoughts that can be added to an already superb Heritage Ball itinerary.

Perhaps there can be a “Steppin Legacy College” that showcases children who step in the Atlanta. We can briefly watch them perform during the last 20 minutes of the Saturday night set. Who wouldn’t want to see the babies perform

Perhaps a local Atlanta artist can shoot a video of steppers dancing at the main sets.

Perhaps soul food vendors can be invited to be vendors in a “kitchen bus” to sell food to patrons that have no transportation during the day and night to any of the nearby restaurants.

The city that brings in the most steppers can receive the “Heritage Ball City of Unity Award” or something like that.

Key steppin members of other cities (that don’t have large galas) should be encouraged to bring in corporate sponsorship from their own cities to assist in the marketing efforts of GDI. This should help them to secure more corporate funding for other activities while extending the hand of business beyond Atlanta.

Thanks
Once again, I would like to thank GDI, especially Donald Blount, for giving me the opportunity to cover the Heritage Ball. The media played a very integral part in helping to assist GDI in its media efforts. Tonya Harris (Harris Pro Designs-she designs 90% of the steppin websites that are out there), Markie Bee (Steppersusa.com), Ken Bedford, Terrance Pratt (Chistepper) and Lamont Watts (Club Steppin) were my brother and sisters in the media circle this year and I think we did a pretty good job of doing what we Thank you Cardell for sharing your gift of song up close and personal with us all. You were the only artist that I saw mixing and mingling with the general public all weekend long. Art Allen…our dance was the bomb! I won’t tell GDI you snuck in one on your shift (wink).

See you all next year!

Celebrating Our Heritage 2011 - Part 1

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Good Deeds International LLC, (GDI) presented its 4^th Annual Heritage Ball (February 17-20) in Atlanta, GA this past weekend and played host to over 2,500 attendees. As you all are aware, February is Black History Month and is celebrated in an effort to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of African-Americans in this country. If the readers of this article don’t understand anything else about the Heritage Ball, GDI surely wants you to know that bit of information first and foremost. If you go on their website you can read all about their community involvement in scholarships, their attempts in educating/recognizing their community, and other socially and politically conscious endeavors www.gooddeedsinternational.com.

Whose city really repped this year
Of course, steppin was paramount and I don’t think I need to mention that steppers from over 25 cities represented themselves and their cities with full force…especially Chicago. I think close to 200 + Chicagoans showed up and let everyone know they were in the house on Saturday night. Honorable mentions go to St. Louis, North Carolina, California, Ohio and Detroit.

Good Deeds International
One of the things I admire about the GDI family is the professional brand that they have chosen for themselves. There is no “half steppin” (pun intended) when it comes to their customer service. I had the privilege of watching Donald Blount, Melanie Fields, Kirk Pacley, Kim Davis, Devan and Cheryl Powe, Cora O’Kelley and Art Allen set it out this year! Also included were the Good Deeds International behind the scenes personnel who made sure that even the tiniest of details were carried out to the fullest this weekend. Fresh fruit platters, Mimosas, carafes of water, free shuttle service, heritage tours, shopping tours, massage therapists, live entertainment, etc. you name it…it was there this weekend. One quote that I can remember Donald sharing with me this weekend is that, “We are here to work Tracey, you will not see us at the parties having fun all night. We have to make sure that everything and every service that is being provided is of five star quality.

The Workshops
There were a multitude of financial, health and well-being, spiritual and cultural workshops provided for people to attend in between the lull of the big sets. Again, GDI wanted to make sure people had OPTIONS and I think this was a resounding theme throughout the weekend.

A variety of people were able to attend the basic steppin pattern workshops and privates taught by various Chicagoans as well as Michiganders Drew Alexander, Sherry Gordon and Candace Hinton. Keith Hubbard stated that he was very impressed with the quality of men that came through his workshop with Drew because they were “virgin” steppers that were willing to listen and willing to learn. He was quoted as saying that this group at the Heritage Ball was the best group of men that he has ever worked with.

I must mention that the one workshop which impressed me most in numbers and content was the Walkin Workshop conducted by Charnice Simmons, Rick “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon, Cheryl and Devan Powe, Lionel “Fish” Tally and a fresh new face added to the traveling workshop circuit…Tina Moore. When I saw 100 men and women walk through that door I didn’t know how the “classroom management” would accommodate every individual without them getting lost in the shuffle. The formations and curriculum allowed every individual to look authentic by the time the workshop ended. I HIGHLY recommend that the members of this Walkin’ team visit cities who are new to steppin that would like instruction in walkin’. You will not find a better hands on workshop than this.

The Music
Anytime you bring quality DJs together to give the people what they want to hear, you are going to have a successful party. But how about providing up and coming DJs with a workshop that exposes them to various techniques and the correct mixing sound system to purchase There was even a syllabus for the DJs to follow with a list of the top 50 most requested steppers songs to add to their arsenal.

Well, 20 DJs from around the country came in to sit in on this two day workshop presented by DJ Mellow Kris, DJ Calvin and Marcus Young all out of Chicago. I’m not interested in anything associated with the art of “DJ ing” but when I tell you that this workshop would even educate the common lay person in steppin I mean it. I had no idea how much money goes into the equipment end of the game. I would advocate that this workshop be kept around for the sake of not only educating DJs but the public in general. As an aside, I found it rather odd that DJs who could benefit from the material covered as opposed to the “push and play” method chose not to attend. If we expect our steppers to be humble when they learn how to step, then why can’t we expect our DJs to be open to learn more as well I think DJ Cynsitivity said it best, “Mellow Kris is my mentor and the workshop was phenomenal because it reaffirms that one should always play for the crowd and not themselves.” Hats off to DJ Rob from LA and DJ Etiquette for showing love for the workshop by attending.

The Men and Women at the Dance
I was sooo happy to see Victor Anthony James Sr. and his partner Nicola Thomas sashaying across the floor. This couple made their debut at the Heritage Ball this year. Their dance formula can be viewed on You Tube under “Victor James and Nicola Thomas Steppin.” The video speaks for itself. Watch them this year folks! Other hard working men included Victor Plotnikov (Toledo), Allen Davis (Cleveland), Sharvin Whitted (North Carolina), Jamie Graham (Memphis), Darnell Brown (Phoenix) and a host of others.

At Saturday night’s gala evening, I saw Cathy from Texas watching Tall Rick and Sharon Bolden steppin. She knew that I wrote for I Love Steppin.com and asked me to mention that these two represented the kind of magic that she wanted to come out through her dance. She pointed at them, “See how graceful she is See how he’s guiding her That’s why I’m here. I don’t get to see it up close and personal like this back home.”

I want to briefly touch upon one reality that might not sit well with some female readers but I’m a realist. Ladies, please do not go to these MEGA steppers sets and think that you will dance three times more than you do at home. Go to the Heritage Ball or the White Party with the attitude, “I’m going to meet a lot of new people, I’m going to hear some really good music and I may get about 3 or 4 really good dances in but I’m going to make the most out of them.” GDI, Rodney Mack, The Majestic Gents, etc. cannot guarantee that you will stay on the floor all night long with your favorites. It’s impossible! They can try and coax the men into dancing with ten different women but it doesn’t always work. Mathematically, each guy would have to dance with 6 women at a time to accommodate them all. As far as the aggressive ones that ask and pull the guy out to the floor Well, I saw two heavy hitters from Chicago leave the Saturday night set for an extended period of time. Now you know I had to ask one of them why he was outside while the party was going on. He was honest. “Tracey…I’m tired. I’m trying to do the right thing and dance with different women but I can’t get a break because I’m being pulled on left and right and I can’t even dance with the ladies I WANT to dance with.” I sighed and walked away because I didn’t know how to respond to him.

Part 2-Tuesday…the infamous forum, the steppers who produce quality dances but never get their respect, the bloopers, reflections for next year’s Heritage Ball, stay tuned…

Misunder 'hood' or Misunderstood

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

An Exclusive Interview with Feo Duncan
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

You can say what you want about Feo Duncan. He will speak his mind and won’t necessarily be shy or nice about it. He can break down a dance step for you at any time both orally and through demonstration. He will let you know when he is upset about something and will use “very colorful language” on Facebook to help illustrate his points. He makes fashion statements through his unique style of dress and properly manicured two inch fingernails. You may sometimes see him sporting an afro, corn rows, twisties, etc. Although he’s slim in stature, he’s big in representing. The only time you will ever see a sensitive side of Feo is when he talks about his son… In the six years I’ve known Feo, I can best describe him as a chameleon of sorts. ever-changing. I took the time to sit down with this bad boy of steppin to get to the real nitty gritty about his views on the WLSC, the real reason he and Candace boycotted the White Party and if he has any intentions on competing with someone other than Candace I think some of his answers may surprise you.

Tracey: Feo…it’s been a quiet year for you. You and Candace decided to sit out of the WLSC last year. In light of Michiganians winning strong last year, Drew, Keesha, Darrell and Angela and Ann Hunter are you and Candace ready to reenter the WLSC in 2011

Feo: Yes. We are ready to re-enter and see what kind of noise we can make this year. (Laughing)

Tracey: There has been a lot of attention given towards Drew, who by the way has named you as one of the people who helped him hone his craft. You have been on the scene for years but yet it seems that you have yet to get your “props” when you have competed with Candace time and time again. Why do you think that is

Feo: Honestly speaking, I believe that everything has its season and right now I’m still in the winter of my four seasons...

Tracey: Is there a possibility of you hooking up with any of the top male steppers here in Detroit for a series of workshops

Feo: Anything is possible set something up and give me a call and let’s see what happens from there.

Tracey: Let’s talk about Rodney Mack’s White Party from two years ago. Rodney Mack has been very instrumental in giving the Detroit steppin community exposure by ushering in the out of town attendees in recent years. His party reigns as the top party in the Midwest with well over 2,000 attendees. Yet…you all decided to wear black to the White Party to make a point. Although there have been a lot of stories, can you elaborate on this decision that you and Candace made that evening

Feo: Well, I made the decision to wear that color because that is the known color you wear when you put things or people to rest. Candace made her decision on her own. As a matter of fact, there were plenty of people there that didn’t wear white.

Tracey: Will there be a resolve between you and Rodney Mack for the sake of unity in the community

Feo: A resolve for what He has a party, there will be people that attend and there will be people that won’t. I don’t think it will put any harm on the unity in the community if I attend his or party of if I do not.

Tracey: You work at a college and you’re around professors and teachers aides all day long. You can break down a business plan in a heartbeat and you know everything there is to know about marketing. Yet, people don’t get a chance to see that side of you because of your antics on Facebook purposely misspelling words and making inflammatory statements at times. Do you consider yourself controversial Feo

Feo: Well the marketing… I know a little and as I said before it’s not my season when my season comes I wont have to work hard to market my ability because it’s not hard to market quality look at Tykmyn, and Charnice that’s nothing but quality. I don’t do antics on Facebook. I express myself when people have pushed it too far. If I misspell a word or two, excuse my errors and if the statements are inflammatory…well… I speak the truth and I guess truth is a foreign language to many people. So if that makes me controversial because I speak what’s on my mind…so be it. If people don’t like it…they don’t have to read it.

Tracey: It’s been suggested that you and Candace explore other options as far as dancing with each other in contests…you know…broaden your horizons. People say that Candace has won with other people…why not you How do you respond to that

Feo: We have both been in and won contests with other people. I did a North Carolina contest last March with Keesha Anderson and I entered a contest in Atlanta last year with Ashley from that same state. Candace did the trio n the WLSC 2008. So we’ve broadened our horizons. Now it’s time for us to try and bring the new school to FLINT, MICHIGAN.

Tracey: Okay…it’s 2011 and you’ve done the triple threat workshops with two of the greatest male steppers in the Midwest, Tyk Myn and Mykel. You’ve put Flint on the map by throwing a successful three day affair and most recently you have hit the traveling workshop circuit. What are you planning on doing differently this year

Feo: Winning the WLSC!

Tracey: I read somewhere that you just want to be “respected” as a stepper. What does that mean to you

Feo: I was younger and trying to make a point. Now a days, I want people to respect me as a man and respect me as a stepper in this…my summer season.

Tracey: Feo…you’ve shared with many people that you son is moving all the way to Arizona. For you, I know that that event is going to be heartbreaking for you. Do you think that you will just be going through the motions and lose your inspiration for the dance in his absence

Feo: My son is my heart… my whole heart. He is my inspiration for everything that I do and will continue to be. His absence will only push me further in the direction that GOD has planned for me in the world of steppin and in life…

Birthday Dances - The Long and Short of It

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Never one to make assumptions or make light of rituals in steppin, I have come to a strong conclusion. I’m being told by SOME older steppers from Chicago (not in age but in the dance) that the birthday dances are not being conducted correctly in many out of town steppin communities.

The first birthday line I saw was in Chicago back in 1997 at Chez Rous Club. The two birthday guys and the two birthday girls took their places in front of one end of the floor. They each had their own line of people to gather in front of them and I saw one of two things. Either the honorees hugged certain people in their birthday line and those individuals walked away or one or two combinations were given to the honorees and the individuals walked away. In all, the song that was playing, “Mellow, Mellow” was able to accommodate some 50 + steppers. I would argue that the whole process took 8-10 minutes…tops. When I asked what the purpose of the birthday lines was for, I was told that it was a well-wishers way of saluting the birthday honoree in true steppers fashion.

Now of course, over the years, out of town steppers have tried to show as much fidelity to the Chicago rituals and processes. Everything from the musical selections, the basic male and female steps, instruction, footwork, the attire…you name it…and we have made valiant attempts at making our sets as authentic as possible. So that would dictate that the birthday dances should be done correctly as well, right

I’ve been to a couple of sets in places outside of Chicago and have heard comments that were not so favorable during the birthday dances. Comments like, “Damn…how many combinations he gone give her’ or “Wasn’t he already in her line Why is he dancing with her twice” and my favorite, “It’s considered rude to dance with someone else during a person’s birthday dance. They shouldn’t even be on the floor. That guy must need some attention.”

Whenever I’ve participated in birthday lines as the leader of the honoree, I’ve always given one or two combinations, and then I was out of there. There have also been times when I kind of had to break loose from a birthday honoree because it felt like it was turning into a dance between me and him only. I mean let’s face it. If a birthday dance is going on for three songs straight, isn’t something wrong

Are the birthday dances out of control Is this yet another adjustment we need to make in our quest to be authentically correct What do you think

Forget Sputnik - Plotnikov Has Landed!

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

An Exclusive Interview with Victor Plotnikov
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

I think it’s kind of funny how the Midwest always seems to have an answer for everything that Chicago presents. The Majestic Gents held the first stepper conventions, Detroit has the White Party. Chicago has Tyk Myn, Detroit has Drew Alexander. Chicago has The 50 Yard Line, Jeff Clark has Fire Water II Bar & Grill. Chicago has Stefan Wipf and although Detroit would love to claim him, Toledo, Ohio has the privilege of claiming Russian born Victor Plotnikov aka Slick Vic.” I think Victor is someone to look out for because not too many Europeans drive back and forth to take part in a dance that is dominated by some very fierce brothers and sisters. I talked with Victor about what it is about this dance that attracts him to it, if he feels that he has to earn his respect to reach an acceptable skill level to be considered “one of us” and if competing is in his sights one day.

Tracey: I have to laugh because upon first meeting you, you don’t strike me as looking like anyone who would be interested in steppin. I know there are probably more, but just like with Stefan and Frank from Chicago and Peggy Heibing from Milwaukee, people seem to wonder what attracts you to this dance

Victor: A few things: the dance itself, the people who do it, the music and the atmosphere. I have had some experience with salsa and urban ballroom before I took my first steppin class and it didn’t take me too long to realize that I finally found the winning combination.

Tracey: I guess I want to know if the words, “swagger”, “attitude” and “flow” mean anything to you as it relates to this dance

Victor: These are all foreign words for me. So strictly speaking I would have to check urbandictionary.com for the exact meaning. But I believe that I have figured it out from the context long time ago. I think “swagger” and “flow” is something that everyone who is learning how to step, including myself, or continues to advance their dance is striving to develop. Sadly, I think I have seen some beginner steppers who seem to try too hard to show it before they even get comfortable with the beat and some basic elements of the dance. I think it is important to enjoy your learning process and not rush things. I am not sure about the “attitude” though, it seems to be a tricky substance. Something that can make you look cool but also can turn people off from dancing or socializing with you, so need to be careful here.

Tracey: When it comes to steppin, are you a visual learner or a person that needs to be spoken to through instruction

Victor: At this point I am still not a visual learner. If I said otherwise, some of the people who ever taught me how to dance would be shaking their heads were they to read this. I do notice though that lately while I get a little bit more experienced, hopefully understanding the basics, the better my ability to comprehend during the class also increases. But I am still far from being able to steal other’s moves easily.

Tracey: As the “new kid on the block”, I’m sure you’ve been pulled in a lot of different directions when it comes to who you should go to for instruction. What do you look for in a good steppin instructor

Victor: Thank you for this question Tracey! In my opinion your dance instructor is probably 80% of your success and can easily be the reason who you are struggling or not showing enough progress. To me the most important thing is to be able to trust my instructor. If it is a male instructor I want to know that he can pull out any female from the stepping crowd, including last year’s WLSC winner, and lead her flawlessly applying the same principles he is teaching me. And if it is a female instructor than it really helps to know that she has danced with the best leaders and knows what is supposed to feel like. This way she can help me move in the right direction too. In other words, while I do not think that it is contest trophies that make a great instructor, I truly believe that this person has to be very active and recognized on the stepping scene. More specifically, a deep understanding of timing and both male and female footwork is essential for a good instructor in my mind, but it is usually a consequence of what I said before. I have seen good instructors being able to identify the problem and fix it in a matter of minutes while it could be simply overlooked by others for months and perhaps years.

I currently attend two classes. One is very detail-oriented (Friends United) and is extremely helpful for me to develop some essential leading skills with a confidence that I am doing it the right way. The other one (with Drew Alexander and Keesha Anderson) is very different. Even though the instructors do an excellent job breaking every move down to the tiniest details when needed, the class is very high-paced and the left hemisphere of at least my brain simply can’t do all the analytical processing in real time. Instead I have to rely more on my intuition which is perhaps a more natural way of dealing with things when it comes to dancing anyways. So I consider these two classes complimentary and very grateful that Detroit offers me an opportunity to attend them.

Tracey: As I understand it, you will be going to Chicago for the first time in a couple of weeks as well as to Atlanta for the Heritage Ball to attend steppers sets. What are you hoping to gain from these experiences

Victor: In fact I decided to postpone my Chicago trip a little bit. Simply because there is too much going on in Toledo, Detroit and as you mentioned, Atlanta, in the next few weeks. But when I finally go to Chicago, I definitely want to make the most out of my trip. I certainly plan on attending a class or a workshop and maybe having a private or two with some of Chicago instructors. I did that before in Toledo during the Mind, Body and Soul “Midwest Affair” weekend and it was very helpful to me. Of course, I am also looking forward to just dancing in Chicago, I think it will be an interesting experience. The Heritage Ball in Atlanta will be my first long-distance trip for steppin. I have always been amazed how steppers are committed to this lifestyle and sometimes travel all the way across the country to attend a set. So I guess now it is time for me to pay my dues. Needless to say, I am sure it will be a lot of fun! I plan to attend a couple of workshops and of course…dance and hang out with a lot of people from the Midwest and all over.

Tracey: I’ve danced with you and I must say that you don’t miss a beat. You are very smooth and you have a very soft, but deliberate lead. What do you feel you need to work on

Victor: Well, of course that list goes on and on here… but first and foremost is timing. With milliseconds separating a world-class performance from an odd-looking dance, there is always room for improvement for anyone, myself definitely included. You mentioned a soft lead, this is something I have to work on - for some of the more advanced moves that I have been introduced to recently I need to be able to control my follower better. I just had my first trio class a few days ago – it was a lot of fun and definitely a new dimension for me to explore. I hope that this along with learning basics of female footwork will give me better understanding of leading on different beats. And of course I could use more sophisticated footwork but this is something that I think should evolve naturally based on correct timing and just solid basis so I am not rushing that part.

Tracey: Are you going to get into the contest arena down the road

Victor: Yes, I have to admit that this is an exciting thought for me. I am pretty sure though that participating in contests calls for another set of skills, which I would still have to develop, such as for example an ability to do your best performance “on demand” when pressure is high and you only have one chance in contrast to a typical relaxed club or steppers set environment. But it would be a great experience and perhaps an opportunity to hear some constructive criticism and hopefully grow as person and as a dancer.

Tracey: I’m curious. What do your closest friends think about you steppin with “us”

Victor: Some of my best friends love to Salsa so they know exactly what the “dance fever” is all about. I hope it helps them to understand why I sometimes decline their invitations to hang out saying “Sorry, I am in steppin tonight!” Sadly though, I don’t think they have a very good idea about the quality of the dance, steppers sets, events and also how cool, strong and welcoming as a community steppers are. By the way, it makes me smile to see that you emphasized “us” like we are from different planets… but we definitely are not!

Making Steppin an Experience

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Exclusive Interview with Victor A. James Sr.
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Up and coming No…wait…he has arrived! In November, I talked about a young man that attended the Midwest Steppers Affair who demonstrated a style and grace with his partner as he moved across the floor. Aside from being handsome and debonair, there was something about his style of walking that captivated a lot of onlookers in that he seems to have developed his own style in the dance. I would like to introduce Mr. Victor A. James Sr. to the I Love Steppin readers as he talks about what he thinks men need to think about when they walk with a lady, what the lady needs to feel during the dance and what he hopes to bring to steppin and walkin with his style of dancing.

Tracey: Victor…it’s good to finally sit down and talk with you. Where are you from and who introduced you to walking

Victor: I’m from Indianapolis by way of Gary, Indiana. When I first saw Walkin, I saw it as another component of steppin as I attended the Majestic Gents steppers sets at the Willowbrook. There was floor etiquette and a process to walkin. There were people were on the outside Walkin in a counter-clockwise direction around the perimeter of the floor and the “slow dancers” were on the inside of it. I saw it and said to myself, “I like this and I wanna do that.”

Tracey: I think that you are one of the few men that I’ve ever seen “float” across the floor with a woman. You and your partner have certainly captured that “swagger” that seems to be a constant buzz word in the steppin community. How does one develop a walkin’ swagger

Victor: Thank you and wow! That’s the $65,000 question. Let me tell you two things…I’m giving you the secret to my style..my swagger, as you put it, comes from the music I hear. When I walk…it’s not about me. It’s about the music and my partner and what that music does to us as we dance. I grew up listening to most of the walkin music I hear so the familiarity is there. By the way, I thank you for calling me young in your introduction, but I’m 54 (Laughing). Having said that, the swagger you see is simply a confidence in my ability, and the ability of my partner, a confidence in my proficiency and skill in my style of dance, and a genuine love for good music. I know I’m a good dancer and a good walker. That’s validated every time I attend a set and leave with my feet hurting because I danced so much. The other crucial component for displaying that swagger is the person who walks with you. Nicola (Nikky) Thomas is my partner, and she lives in St. Louis, Missouri. She says that she totally submits from the female perspective to effectively follow. From a male perspective, you must be confident in your lead as you walk so that your partner trust you. Nikky says that if she opens her eyes when she walks with me, she can’t follow me the way I need her to. She says to really follow me, she has to totally surrender, so she’ll close her eyes, totally relax and just “feel” where I want her to go. We don’t practice and we don’t rehearse…everything we do is pretty spontaneous. And that makes the dance fun. I never know what I’m going to do until I hear the song and start dancing. I’m also cognizant of the fact that people watching me, so I try to be as smooth and proficient as possible, but I’m also having fun!!

Tracey: Let’s be honest. A lot of women live out fantasies on the dance floor with their partner because seemingly that’s where the bulk of their intimacy comes from…especially if there single. I was always told that a man should exude sexuality when he attempts to walk with a woman. Some men have argued that all that is not necessary to do that dance. Some men even say it gets them too excited and some just say they just don’t seem to understand the concept of Keith Hubbard’s “Romancing the Dance.” What does Victor say

Victor: I say romance the dance, but remember it’s just a dance, nothing more. All that other stuff is irrelevant. My perspective is this: As men, we’re outnumbered out here. As a whole, we don’t realize the fact that women press their way out to these sets just to be asked to dance…Listen, I know women who contemplate purchasing shoes for $1600 just to wear when they dance. They want to be acknowledged for the effort they put into coming out for a night of dancing. Men need to provide that “Calgon” moment, you know…take her away for that brief moment on the floor. And if all she got that night was that one “great” dance, she’ll be at the next set, and she’ll be back again. You HAVE to romance this dance…you simply have to! Make a woman “feel” like a woman, but it shouldn’t, nor does it have to be about getting that phone number at the end of the night.

Tracey: Tell me a little bit about instruction and where you think a lot of instructors are missing the mark in Walkin

Victor: Honestly, I can’t really say. I have never…ever…been to a walkin workshop and I’ve been steppin since 2003. No one showed me how to walk, I’m actually self taught, so I couldn’t give you an answer to the question of what instructors are missing and I say that with pride, thank you very much. I get out on the floor with my partner and people see me walkin and some guys on the sets ask me where I learned or who taught me how to walk. I always laugh because I think the question is funny. I grew up bopping and slow dancing so Walkin came to me naturally. And I think my body language is relaxed and confident while I’m dancing mainly because I’ve been doing so since I was five or six.

Tracey: As I understand it…few are chosen but many women want to be a part of the magic you create on the floor. What does a woman have to do to get the dances she wants

Victor: It’s quite simple. We as men gravitate towards that which we know and are comfortable with. On the sets, there are several women competing for a man’s attention, especially the more accomplished dancers. If you wanna dance with me, you need to come and get me. Just get up and come get me. And because I understand what it took for you to come across the room and ask me to dance, I won’t say no. At the same time, however, remember I’m also out here to demonstrate my proficiency, skill and passion for the dance too, so I need those dances which will challenge my skills and affirm my ability too. Some women (and I’m not mad at ‘em) also have that old school mindset that the man must always ask them for a dance. While it may be ok to adhere to that philosophy most of the time, you may never get a dance on the sets, especially with the exceptional dancers because other women will keep them on the floor. We live in an era now where if you want to get that good dance, you have to ask for it. The other thing…oftentimes the women who are pretty, sexy (or both) and fairly good dancers as well seem to get most of the attention of the accomplished dancers. And the women who may be slightly overweight, not very attractive, or fairly new dancers seem to sit most of the night except for the line dancing part of the night…I see many men gravitate away from the latter and I think they are missing the mark. I don’t care what you look like as long as you can dance or at least do the fundamentals of the dance….we were all new at one point or another, you know. I never sit at a set. I dance from the time I walk in until the time I walk out. I could be just finishing a dance and intend to leave the floor to get water and when I turn to exit the floor, another woman is there asking for a dance. Unless I’m dog tired, or extremely thirsty, chances are she’ll get that dance because I rarely if ever reject a request…later for the water…if you ask me to dance, I’m dancing with you. And I’ll do my best to make that dance an “experience” for you. There are people who like my style of dance all over the country. My company, Artistic Motions, was created solely for the purpose of branding my style. When people watch me dance, men and women alike, I think they enjoy it because it’s a visual and emotional experience. And at the end of the day, like “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon once told me,” it’s all entertainment”. I’m just one of the guys you’re watching during the show.

Tracey: Have you set your sights on competing in contests

Victor: I thought about it but I’m going to get a little philosophical (or controversial) here for a moment. Right now, talking to you in this interview, is more fulfilling than receiving, or not receiving accolades in an environment filled with people who have a limited understanding of what true steppin is and what the judges “should” be or are looking for. The “politics” of it can be irritating too. People have asked me to compete, encouraged me to compete, even arguing that more people would see my style if I did and it would help promote myself, my brand and my website ArtisticMotions.com. I told myself I might compete in 2011 but if I do, I just want it to be fun. I really don’t about winning really, I just want to showcase the Artistic Motions brand. But if I did compete in the Walkin component, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t see anybody doing what I do. There are a whole lot of guys on the set that can out step me, but I think I’ve earned my spot in the game with this Walkin’ thing. That’s just how I feel about it.

Tracey: What new school men and women are you watching these days

Victor: Hmm…this is gonna sound funny…I’m so busy dancing I’m not able to watch people. I teach, promote, travel and I’m not really in the loop. I like Drew Alexander because he’s is all over the place traveling, competing, etc. but as far as these new and up and coming people, I couldn’t tell you who they are. I’m trying to help curb the dropout rate in Indiana, I do privates four and five days a week, and I work full time, and have for 17 years. I’m trying to get my son out of the nest, and I’m on the computer often just trying to stay connected. I’m more cerebral about the dance. Brian Patterson provides occasional advice to me and the best advice I’ve gotten in the dance came from Dave Maxx who told me to “dance” this dance. And I like to be original…I don’t want to do moves where people say “that’s Tyk’s move…that Dre’s move, that’s Drew’s move.” And my philosophy is to invite that woman to into my dance. And if it’s a good experience for her, she’ll be back.

Tracey: Any closing thoughts

Victor: “Dedicated to the art and passion of steppin” is my brand tag line. I dream about this dance sometimes. I love this dance. It’s my drug of choice. Just let me loose on that dance floor. I thank God for this opportunity to share my perspective and to dance this dance. There are many people whose contention is that everything has to be about Chicago, but I contend that there are people outside of Chicago who have a passion for this dance and demonstrate great skill and proficiency in the dance. Social thinker and English art critic John Ruskin once said: “When love and skill work together…expect a masterpiece!” I love this dance and I think my skill-set is comparable. My purpose then, when I’m on that floor, is to provide a “masterpiece” performance. And when all is said and done, when I finish dancing with a woman and we both walk off that floor, I feel like I left her world a little better leaving it than how I found it.

Steppin into the New Year with a New Mind!

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

I’m very happy to see that 2011 is here and that steppin is very much alive and well.
I took the opportunity to talk with a couple of people in, around and out of town about their wishes for the upcoming year and what they hope to see steppin usher in.

1. A gang of new male steppers in every state who will bring fidelity to the dance.

2. More opportunities for vendors and artists to expose their clothing lines, music, etc.

3. Promoters uplifting their own cities as opposed to concentrating on uplifting others.

4. Individual groups coming together as one to show solidarity.

5. More opportunities for up and coming competitors to have more opportunities to win in contests versus seeing the same veteran winners all of the time i.e. “passing of the torch.”

6. A timeline video or publication that showcases the pioneers of steppin from Chicago versus the word of mouth stories that are passed down.

7. People honoring business practices by paying entry fees versus not expecting to get in for free based on name recognition and ego.

8. Expanded media coverage of steppin from BET, TV One and possible public access shows like “Steppin at Club 7.”

9. More opportunities for wide scale parties to be thrown in their sponsoring cities versus the suburbs.

10. Full participation of all 50 states in the national August 14 National Steppers Day activities.
While this list is certainly ambitious, it is not unattainable. I personally am looking forward to “I Love Steppin” and its continuous growth in spreading steppin news, events, conducting interviews, thought provoking commentaries and paraphernalia sales all over this country and even abroad.

DJ Kelvin

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

DJ Name: DJ Kelvin

Location: Chicago, IL

Age: 49

Contact Phone: 708-655-0521

Email: djkelvintheone@yahoo.com

Web Site: www.soulfulhousemusiccollage.com

Favorite Songs: All the ones that make people dance.

Worst DJ'ing Moment: DJ'ing to an almost empty room.

Best DJ'ing Moment: Having someone come up to me after a set and tell me they enjoyed themselves.

Biggest Influences: Mom, Grandmother and Uncle.

Non-Music Pastime: Computers. Past Events: Daddybill productions Every 1st Sunday.

Featured Event: STEPPING IN PARADISE with DJ KELVINTHE1 on www.soulfulhousemusiccollage.com Sundays from 8-10pm est

Podcast: http://steppinginparadise.podomatic.com/

Lending a Deaf Ear to Steppin

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

By all accounts, I think we have seen all kinds of steppers run through our sets over the years. Big, tall, young, mature, short, thick, thin, wheel chair bound, African-American, Asian, European…you name it...we got it. Each of the above mentioned types have all represented steppin in their own form and fashion but I think that this is a first for me. I met a deaf couple that wants to learn how to step.

As an educator, I have worked with and continue to work with all types of learners in school. I make my living teaching teachers how to connect with young people and how to help them think on an abstract level by “seeing and understanding” concepts. When I first started teaching steppin, I shared with other instructors, that to me, a sign of a good instructor is someone who can make a blind stepper see. In other words, if a virgin stepper cannot mimic what they see with their eyes, then you had the task of making their MIND see it as well. It’s been a challenge over the years but I swear by that formula.

This hearing impaired couple has apparently visited a few sets around Detroit but has not had the opportunity to participate in any classes. I met them at a conference and of course I had to ask them, “What is it that you both see in this dance that makes you want to learn it without hearing the music” The male explained, through his interpreter, that deaf people minimally rely on the music or beat of a song when they dance to it. They connect to the emotion that they see convened through the dance by people doing it and by connecting with the words of the song if they have access to it. The man added in his own words, “I don’t have to hear something to feel it. I don’t have to have my wife tell me she loves me; I can feel that she loves me. Steppin would be the same. We see what the people look like on the dance floor. They are communicating with each other without talking but they ARE signing (using sign language) with one another. We like the communicating that we see in the hands when the man leads the woman. We live that every day.”

Wow! That’s the same premise that some steppin instructors try to get their students to live by. Don’t just learn combination after combination but sincerely feel and experience whatever connection is transmitting through the two people on the dance floor.
Because I don’t charge people to teach them steppin concepts, I accepted the challenge to work with them. I meet with them next week. The very first thing I plan on explaining to them is that over the course of the next couple of months, I want them to convince me that they love each other through their dance and through their hands. I’m going to expect to see some attitude at times, some flirting, submissiveness and subtle aggression…in their dance that is. These are all of the things that I see from my favorite steppers. I won’t be able to escape the inevitable “counting monster” but I think once they get in sync with each other…all they will hear is the music inside of themselves.

NATIONAL SYMBOL FOR STEPPERS or STEPPING

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

By April Grant
Reposted from Facebook Notes
Click on the link below to view the
comments.

NATIONAL SYMBOL FOR STEPPERS/STEPPING

Fraternities, Sororities, Masons, Eastern Stars, have a strong bond...a kinship...an interesting sacredness. No matter where they go nationally or internationally they maintain a connection with one another. You will not find a Frat Brother lacking or in need anywhere they go if they can connect with another Frat. I noticed the other day that fraternities/sororities sometimes have decals on their cars. When they pass an auto displaying their respective decals, they honk and wave even if they don't know each other....KINSHIP...ALLEGIANCE to one another…something to be admired. Can Steppers develop the same lifestyle...another way for Steppers to be ONE...What if it were simply called...The 'Brother-Sisterhood'... (of Stepping)!!! What if Steppers sported car decals that say 'THE BROTHER-SISTERHOOD'...or what if Steppers had their own ‘national’ symbol so when you see this, you would know right away that this was a Stepper....this would help us to recognize each other...look out for one another....no matter where we are. I just know someone is gonna' jump on this! Maybe some dialogue can start on this. At least I hope so!

2nd Annual Midwest Affair Main Event

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

In 2010, there is no way that anyone can say that the Midwest doesn’t know how to throw a weekend affair. Of course there’s nothing like actually going to a Chicago set and being around legends, original steppin music, etc. but on Saturday, The Midwest Affair was an event not to be missed at the Stranahan Hall in Toledo, OH. Unlike Friday night, there was not a fog bed that engulfed the area so more people were able to come out. I really liked this hall because it has a huge venue with descending stairs that embraces a large dance floor. Every seat and every table offered good seating and allowed for easy access to the floor. Familiar faces scattered throughout the room as DJ Mellow Chris provided the sounds for the evening with Mykel “Shorty Smooth” Farr serving in a another role as…emcee. Rockin Rodney Mack made an appearance after entertaining the crowd the night before at The Meet and Greet.

Walter Jenkins of Detroit’s The Big Hat Gentlemen, Juan Hall of Toledo’s Mind, Body & Soul, and The Northeast Ohio Fellows out of Cleveland made a concerted effort to present an adequate buffet while providing dances for most of the single women. “Class” was definitely the theme for the evening. A list of who’s who from Chicago were scattered throughout the venue. Pete Frazier, Chase, Lynette Bond, Charnice Simmons and the Sistas in Sync, Deon Farr, Dominque Robinson, Melanie Fields, and Cheryl Powe, Keith Hubbard, Footwork James, Tyk Myn, “Tall Rick” Wetherspoon, Joanie and Easy (I know they are Indiana natives) and a few others.

There is only one thing that was missing that could have made this a true steppers affair. It’s a little thing but a big thing. Out of towners as a whole have not quite gotten the knack of “steppers sharp” attire yet. If we were at a large set in Chicago there would have been a cajillion original tailored made suits, matching outfits, shoes, etc. that would have been sprinkled across the floor. Out of towners dress up but this still seems to hold us from reaching the fidelity of attire that cities across the nation try to meet.

The ever popular, dance exhibitions in the middle of the set, were honored by Tyk Myn and Footwork James with Pete, Keith, Chase and Drew Alexander bringing up the rear. Male one on ones are being embraced very slowly by the out of town men. There is however, some reservation because a lot of the men do not want to follow so they have not yet acquired the ability to be led by a man yet. I heard this on more than one occasion.

The highlight of the evening for me was the “show”. Eye hustling is a craft that I have perfected over the years because I truly learn from those who don’t know it. Having said that, I would like to make mention of some steppers that I feel the public is truly sleeping on. They are not contest people but if you put them in a room…you’ll notice them. Jennifer Toles from Akron has creative footwork and finesse, Detroit’s Sophia Hooper has developed attitude through her feet if you can understand that. Cleveland’s Kendra Willis has that edge also! Detroit’s Darby Settles had a line of women waiting to step with him that prevented him from sitting down most of the evening along with Detroit’s Daryl aka “Flex”. They both have that swagger that so many men try to develop but can’t quite get. Then there’s the guy who Sherry and I believe is from Las Vegas or Memphis, who had on beige and was dancing with a tall and slender young lady. I couldn’t get to him but if anyone was there and witnessed this couple walkin’ then you’ll know who I was talking about. Fierce!

Also in the house was Bonita Gower-Williams, Mr. Ira Blakely, Jamal Brown, James Pacely, Brock Powers of the Copacetic Steppers, The Dancin Dons and Divas (Cleveland), Columbus’ Own, Donald Blount of GDI, Cleveland’s The Gentlemen of Ballroom, Terri the “Twister” from Cali, Vince Huckabee “DJ Huck”, DJ Paul Ross “The Boss” and a host of others.

When I am the one who doesn’t want to leave a party early and I wind up walking out with the employees, then you know it was a sure fire hit. Congratulations to the gentlemen who put on the Midwest Affair Weekend. I Love Steppin looks forward to attending more events from you all again. Pictures can be found on the ILoveSteppin.com website.

DJ PHILGOOD

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

DJ Name: DJ Philgood (Phillip Berry)

City, State: Chicago, IL

Contact #: (773) 255-2616

Group Affiliation: A MEMBER OF J.E.P. PRODUCTIONS

Website: DJPHILGOOD1.COM

Favorite Songs: No Limit by Kindred the Family Soul, If You Only Knew by Jeffrey Osborne/Euge Groove, and Closer To My Dreams by Goapele.

Worst DJ'ing Moment: I was doing bikers set and the coordinators of the set didn't tell me how large the venue was. So I didn't have the proper equipment for the set.

Best DJ'ing Moment: One of the best moments for me was last year after the Worlds Largest Steppers Contest…that Sunday night at Club D'elegance. I had a chance to spin with all of the out of town guests. People were coming in the booth complimenting me on my skills.

Biggest Influences: V103s' Eric (ET) Taylor, Lavelle C and my Night Life Record Pool family. They took me under there wings. And for that I will always be grateful.

Non Music pastimes: Family time, sports and poetry.

Past events: Swagg City Steppers going back to Indiana steppers set, J.E.P. Productions Hotter than July Steppers Contest, and National Chicago Style Steppers Day

Current events: J.E.P Productions ongoing set every 1^st and 3^rd Friday at Club Dyamonds in Lynwood, IL. 19755 Torrence Ave.

Future events: Nation Chicago Style Steppers Convention in Miami (April 2011).

Second is Twice as Nice!

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

An Exclusive Interview: Darrell & Angela Brown
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

Many out of town couples in the steppin community don’t have an opportunity to engage in a mutual steppin hobby and actually place 2nd behind Tyk Myn and Charnice Simmons in a Worlds Largest Stepper Contest (Original Old Skool) category but that’s exactly what Darrell and Angela Brown out of Detroit did this year! Some people may look at second place as being the first loser but for this couple, their years of tenacity has paid off and pushed them even closer to their ultimate goal.

Tracey: It’s really nice to have an opportunity to speak with you two to find out what has brought the two of you to this point. I can remember when you, Angela, were a staunch ballroomer, Greystone dancer, Latin Hustler and bopper for years. What made you get on the steppin train in Detroit

Angela: Well it was Darrell that brought me into steppin. I met him and although we were doing the other dances, he decided to show me how to step. When I first-- saw steppin, I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it was because I was doing all of the other dances.

Tracey: Darrell, I remember when you first began steppin and the one memory that I have that stands out is that you were never one for trying to imitate male steppers from Chicago when so many other men were. What made you decide to be your own stepper

Darrell: When I went to Chicago and met Donnie Davis. He slowed me down and taught me how to do the dance properly.

Tracey: Darrell, I want to share this with the readers of “I Love Steppin” because I think that it serves as a testimony to who you are as a stepper in recognizing your roots. I was told that on the night of the WLSC, you approached Donnie Davis, who is considered by many to be the chairman of the board when it comes to steppin in Chicago, and gave him your trophy. What made you do what you did that night

Darrell: It was because of him that I think that we won. I gave him the trophy because I think he deserved it. My opinion is that the guy will teach you how to step. Learning how to do the dance properly should be the driving force of what makes a man want to step. There are a lot of people that are teaching this dance that don’t know the dance. That’s in every city not just here (Detroit). If you have the resources to go to Chicago…go to Chicago and be man or woman enough to go up to that person and say “I believe that you do the dance properly can you show me what I need to do” Donnie told me when me and Angie went down there 5 years ago, “Angela is dancing too fast man. You know why she messin up It’s your fault cause you dance with her all the time.” That made sense to me. The men need to get it together.

Tracey: Being in a marriage cannot be easy but to be in a marriage in the steppin world can’t be a bed of roses because of the disrespect that goes along with women and or men ignoring one partner to get a dance with the other. Angela, how do you handle that

Angela: I have no problems if Darrell dances with other people. Basically it’s a dance. That’s different from being at home. Just from having conversations with people in Chicago, even with some of the guys, “Walkin” is more of an intimate dance that should be done with more of a common partner. To us, we respect that. I would want people to respect that belief that Darrell and I have.

Tracey: Your organization, Another Level of Dance, is one of MANY, here in Detroit. What makes your organization and instruction stand out

Darrell: Well I believe that our instruction stands out because I think we are more detailed than just teaching someone dance movements. We teach more than just stepping. I want our students to know what technique is, they will learn the history of the dance, how to go and practice the dance properly, where to go to see different dances…the whole nine yards. That’s not to say that no one else is effective in teaching the dance. That’s just our belief system.

Tracey: You guys have been in the WLSC quite a few times. Based on the amount of cynicism coming from Detroit and maybe Chicago, what made you all continually enter the contests

Angela: To me, it’s all in fun…for one. The other part of it, regardless of what the people in Detroit or Chicago said never bothered us. We feel like we are dancing because we know the dance. There are couples that dance extremely well in Chicago and outside of it.

Tracey: Angela, you’re noted for your “stop on a dime” multiple spins and Darrell you’re known for “feeling the music” and adding an occasional stomp. Drew, Sherry, Ann, James, Feo, Candace and Keesha all know how to do the various dances that we do in Detroit. Do you both think that being able to do all of the other dances is helping Detroiters stand out more now in competitions

Angela: I’ve been doing these other dances for years and years. Detroit should stand out anyway because of the multiple dances that we do. If they step in Chicago…we step here in Detroit with maybe a little added to it from another dance. If other cities Lindy Hop…we can bop. If people are Walkin’ we can offer Greystone to it…so we can fit it into the dance. We do it all. So of course…yes we do stand out.

Tracey: You’ve obtained second place and inevitably people will argue that you two should pursue 1st place What do you two say

Angela: Well. I’m going to tell you that every year, we debate about whether or not we want to get in it or not. It just depends on what’s going on at the time. It’s not top on my list of things to do. Once we entered the contests…we completed the task. As far as Chicago step goes, I think that if you’re serious and want to advance in the dance than you should seek an instructor that can help you meet your goal. If you’re not serious but content with the level you are at…then so be it… but don’t frown upon those who are willing to take it one step further.

Darrell: I like doing the dance, I like being competitive and I like doing the dance properly. As Angela and I continue to grow in the dance, there’s nothing wrong with showcasing what we do and I think what we do…we do well!

Drewry Alexander II Makes History!

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

An Exclusive Interview: Detroit Brings Home a Winner
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

We said he couldn’t do it but it got done! Drewry (Drew) Alexander II made history at the 2010 World’s Largest Steppers competition in Tinley Park, Illinois on September 26, 2010. At 19, he was the youngest contestant to ever win in 1^st in the Walkers Category with Detroiter Ann Dobson-Hunter, 1^st in Trios with Chicago natives Pat Clay and Lady Margaret Fisher and 3^rd in New Skool Original with Keesha Anderson. I can tell you that hearing the news about Drew’s winnings almost felt as good as the night when President Obama was declared our new president. Waiting certainly paid off for Detroit and their newly crowned steppin prince…Drewry Alexander II.

Tracey: Hey Drew…I definitely am gonna have to admit a lot of us were wrong this time around. I think that when we stood by for years and watched potential wins being taken out of the hands of out of towners…it kind of left a bad taste in our mouths when it came to the WLSC. Did you go in having any self doubts because of OUR insecurities

Drew: No… not at all. I wouldn’t say that Chicago doesn’t like out of towners steppin abilities but they have certainly showed me lots of love. The thought that I wouldn’t be given a fair chance was never a thought in my head just because I’m not from Chicago.

Tracey: I know that Anthony and Nora (Drew’s parents) are quite proud of your achievements as a dancer but I know that they are equally as proud of your achievements academically. You are currently enrolled in college majoring in what

Drew: I am studying Physical Therapy with a minor in Massage Therapy. I also have a part-time job.

Tracey: In addition to working, you are also teaching others how to step in the Detroit area. You have a lot on your plate. Are you ready for the things that come with this steppin notoriety i.e. people who want to be friends with Drew the dancer as opposed to Drew the person “Cougars” who are forgetting that you just want to dance and not romance, etc.

Drew: (Laughing) Cougars I am always ready for whatever challenges teaching or whatever challenges being Drew “the dancer” brings. My parents have taught me to notice the “bull” and to keep an open mind and to not take things negatively and for me to keep my head up. I was raised to do what I thought and felt was right regardless of what anyone else feels or thinks.

Tracey: I received a lot of flack back in 2007 for giving you the moniker of “The Phenom.” People said I acted too prematurely in calling you that because they felt you had many years to go before you should even receive a title. Did you deserve that name back then and do you think you deserve it even more now

Drew: Well the name doesn’t have much to do with the person behind the dance. To say one thing because I’ve won a contest doesn’t define who I am. People can call me Drew or “Phenom”. My name will always be Drew in the end. As long as I keep my name and not try to be something that I’m not…I’m alright with that.

Tracey: Okay…here we go. Back in 2007, when I first interviewed you, you gave me a list of names of people that were instrumental in providing your initial instruction in this dance. I don’t know how the story got turned around but once and for all, who gave you your fundamentals when you first started steppin

Drew: The person who gave me my fundamentals was Jamal Brown, formerly of Chicago. He was the reason why I wanted to learn the dance in the first place. I progressed after that. I had people like Sherry Gordon, James Pacely, Feo Duncan, Candace Hinton, Tracey Bivens…a lot of people helped to put something in the pot. I would watch Tyk Myn and other Chicago steppers dance and I was able to get a lot of different perspectives which helped me progress more in the dance.

Tracey: Have you ever received any private lessons

Drew: No I have not taken any private lessons. I have been able to get information from people verbally and by watching. For example, Feo used to show me “things” and so did Tyk but I’ve always been able to look and progress in the dance.

Tracey: Is it true that you can see a dance move no matter who is doing it and recreate a move without direct one on one instruction

Drew: Yes I can. I’m happy that God blessed me with the talent and skill to do that.

Tracey: How important was your win for the Detroit community

Drew: It was very important. Even though I’m from Highland Park, which is a city within Detroit, it let Chicago know that there are cities that can do the dance just as well as some of the steppers in Chicago. Detroit has talented individuals that can hang with Chicago at the same time. This was the first time ever that an out of towner has taken walkin, that someone my age was able to place multiple times…just being noticed was a humbling experience and a big deal for Detroit and myself. Detroit definitely has something to offer to this dance.

Tracey: Are you being besieged with offers from dance partners for future contests at this time

Drew: I’ve had a couple of different offers. However, I am very loyal to the partners I’ve competed with from Detroit. When I win…they win. I wouldn’t mind dancing with anybody. I’m very open.

Tracey: What new up and coming steppers are you watching with admiration these days

Drew: Wow! Well, Darryl, Richard and TJ from Detroit are doing it. A young lady named Keesha who is also from Detroit that I instructed from the very beginning. Adrienne and Allison from the ATL…they have some cold blooded footwork! Jazzy from Milwaukee, who also competed in the beginners category this past year is someone I keep an eye on as well.

Tracey: Are you going to compete next year in the Masters Category or are you gonna take a year or two off from competing I mean let’s face it…what is there left to prove

Drew: No. I’m not going to take any time off. (Laughing) It was suggested that I try to compete in the Masters Category next year but if the category is not offered I will compete in the Old School Category or strive to win in the New Skool category’s 1st place prize.

Tracey: Do you have anything that you would like to say to the steppin community as a whole

Drew: Take the politics out the dance. We don’t need it. It’s not necessary to have politics and the dance at the same time. Everybody has the talent and skill to win if they put the time and effort into the dance. I believe that I represented but practicing really hard, listening, watching and staying out of trouble. That’s my formula for making cream rise to the top.

Would You Ignore the Call

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Cynthia Robinson (MSBU.SOD)

So the podiatrist says to me one visit “I recommend you stay off of your feet as much as possible and stop dancing for a month”. She might as well have said “stop drinking water for a month”. Fact of the matter is for a lot of us, dancing is so much a part of our lives that being told to stop is like being handed down a sentence. It’s common for people to ‘take a break’ from the dance community, from teaching or from even going out. However, when advised to stop due to medical reasons, many will ignore the call.

Would you stop dancing right away if instructed by your doctor Ideally, the answer would be ‘of course’. But have you ever been out and seen someone dancing with some kind of foot cast, or other healing contraption Now, who knows what direction the doctor gave that person for aftercare, but I’ve heard many people say “I shouldn’t be on this” or “My doctor would get me if he knew”. I know my first thought is ‘He/she knows good and well that they should not be dancing with that brace”. In fact, many people will do not seek medical attention after taking a fall on the dance floor. Possibly thinking it’s not that serious. Some may even have a ‘nothing will hold me back’ attitude when it comes to their bodies and dance.

In my case, what originally brought me to the podiatrist was not injury; but a combination of symptoms including unusual pain and numbness among other things. My thought was that no one in the dance family knew and in fact no one had to know because it was not a visible condition and was personal.

This is important to remember because many people in the dance community have medical conditions which are not visible that lends them to alter how they dance, or how much they dance. For example, in recent years I’ve learned about dancers with fibromyalgia. This ailment that affects the nervous system and may cause constant pain throughout the body. My first thought is “How can someone dance while in total pain throughout their body” Well, they can and do dance. Most memorable is the comment one person made that they would not want dance partners to treat them any different or pacify them during the dance because of their condition. So they and others often keep their conditions private. I also decided to keep my foot concerns to myself.

So my podiatrist wanted to schedule a biopsy and in the meantime wanted me to stop dancing. Truthfully, the word ‘biopsy’ didn’t even sink in right away. In my mind, if there was no bone damage or injury, I can still dance on it. I imagine for anyone who is a dancer, the thought of any lower body injury, surgery, or other condition sets the mind to wonder “What if I can’t dance after this” The thought of not being able to dance outweighs the condition.

So I kept dancing, instructing, etc. with the thought that it couldn’t get any worse by dancing on it. Then it struck me that, okay, biopsies are typically done to check for cancer. Oh my goodness. This wasn’t a typical foot ailment. Although I felt the chances were slim, I could have something serious brewing afoot (no pun intended). Now, I knew good and well that I should have stopped dancing but still, I didn’t.

There are many people who have one situation or another that affect their dance ability, agility, and other dance habits at some point in their lives. Ultimately, it’s up to that individual to alter their habits based on what is best, or prescribed for them to do. As members of the dance community it’s important for us to keep it fun, keep it respectful and leave judgments at the door.

And thank God it wasn’t cancer.

Final note: I’m not advising anyone to disregard doctor’s orders, self-diagnose the seriousness of their condition, nor am I promoting disclosure or secrecy of any medical condition. Anyone who experiences any kind of change with their bodies whether it’s pain, sprains, falls, or slips should seek proper care and follow the medical advice provided. No parts of this article should be taken as medical advice.

Similes about Steppin

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

1. A good dance with someone is like having good sex. Your bodies are in sync, you both are feeling each other and you don’t mind doing it on the floor (the dance that is).

2. A bad dance with someone is like having bad sympathy sex. Your bodies are not in sync, you don’t want to be there but you endure it because you were asked to and didn’t want to say no.

3. Walking with a romantic man or woman is like eating soul food. It calls to your emotions, moves your soul and feels good when it’s going down.

4. Contests are like battlefields. Territory is claimed by one or more sides, a fight ensues, casualties are unavoidable, and a winner is decided.

5. The basic step count is like arguing over whether you should take a bath or a shower. They will both get you clean at the end of the day, so what difference does it make

6. Steppin with someone who likes to show THEMSELVES off all the time is probably like listening to Kanye West talk about how great he thinks he is.

7. Good relationships between men and women who step are like Ira and Gail Blakely, Cheryl and Devan Powe and Mykel and Deon Farr. They make you believe that having love for the dance and each other CAN exist on and off the dance floor.

8. A stylish stepper, no matter what size or age they are, is like a Rolls Royce. Even with a dent in it, it will always look good.

9.Steppin with someone who sweats profusely is like wearing wet clothes all day

10. Having loyal friends on the steppin scene is like having a pocket full of money. You are happy when you have it and you don’t want to part with it.

11. Having unloyal friends on the steppin scene is like having an STD. You never thought you would get one and you are uncomfortable until you get rid of it.

12. Hearing good music at a steppers set is like going to a spa. You can’t wait to get there and you never want the session to end.

13. Going to some steppers sets is like playing a slot machine. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t.

14. Steppin with someone who has bad body odor is like taking a baby’s #2 diaper and using it as an air freshener in your house.

15. Wearing one of Jeff Clark’s “I Love Steppin” t-shirts is like laying on the couch wrapped up in a blanket on a cold winter day. You will always wear it well.

Let's Talk Stepper Sharp!

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

A lot of pluggers get put onto tables at steppers sets and people often see the words “Stepper Sharp” on them and they simply dismiss it as “come dressed ready to dance.”

A decade of going to sets in Chicago on the west and south sides of town has afforded me the opportunity to witness an interesting array of clothing that came through the door on many nights. While I admit that in the late 90s people were looking like they were straight out of black ploitation movies from the 70s i.e. “Uptown Saturday Night” and “The Mack” much of this genre attire is still being worn and accepted in Chicago steppin communities to this day.

Having said that, I will throw out MY definition of what it means to be Stepper’s Sharp. Coming to an event dressed as though you spent a serious minute selecting your outfit from the top to the bottom. Your shoes match your top, your pants match your jewelry, your nails are manicured (men and women), you may possibly have on cowboy boots to enable better spins, your sweat towel may possibly be monogrammed, outfits are rarely seen twice in a year’s time, etc. You are “clean” meaning that you are well coiffured and your hair and or mustache/beard/nose hair is well groomed. You don’t look like you are going fishing or to the grocery store. You are dressed to impress! If you go to a seamstress or tailor and have an outfit specifically designed for you or your mate this is also considered Stepper Sharp. My ex-husband, who is from Chicago, used to take me to some of the most popular stepper gear stores in Chicago that were filled with bright pastel colors, baggy pant suits and goo gobs of mini skirt suits for the women. His explanation about the miniskirts would center on the fact that when the pimps used to bring their…er…ah…mates to the club, they were coming as they lived and dressed every day. These women were not trying to out footwork the men in those days but they simply followed and their only job was to show off their legs...that’s all. This was in the 70s and 80s and if anyone has ever been to a players ball or seen “Pimps Up, Hoes Down” you can verify this for yourself.

Is there a necessity to once again mimic the culture of Chicago steppin if you are an out of towner Well, if you want to authentically represent the dance shouldn’t the culture be represented with it as well Beginning with the dance itself, the music, the venues, etc. I think that too often, out of towners “half step” with this process. We say we are steppers but in order for us to be considered steppers we have to play the part in all aspects. Although other dances don’t have the same culture and history attached to it, steppin seems to demand it. Ballroomers WILL dress up for big parties and Sunday sets but you will not see self-created outfits worn by couples like you do in Chicago. Think about it. If you represent a job, you are representing the image of that company. You will never see a fireman putting out a fire in a jogging suit because he wants to make sure that everyone who sees him knows what he is and what he stands for.

Some might ask, “What if I want to define my own system of representing ‘Stepper Sharp’” Well, to each his own, but the next time a conversation comes up about why your city may not seem to encompass the authentic Chicago steppin’ culture, then you’ll more than likely know the reasons why.

Healthy Relationships on the Scene

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Jennifer Toles

What in the heck is that

Just kidding.

You want to ask if that even exists but as Imastepper pointed out in an article on chistepper.com there are quite a few (seemingly) happy couples - married or otherwise - on the scene. So it must be possible right

But what makes it so Trust, respect, open & honest communication, security (as in the opposite of insecurity), appreciation… what else Self awareness and assuredness…discernment….CHOICE… knowledge of who you're dealing with and what that means… what else What else What else Somebody out here is trying to make it work on the scene so help them with the recipe.

A good friend and I were a having this discussion the other day about how couples - especially high profile couples - might be well served to keep their dealings under wraps. It seems the greater community likes to feel as though they have access to the "superstars" and when they feel like they've lost their "access", begin to feel desperate, and feelings of desperation lead to ignorant actions. Once ignorance enters the folds, oh boy…. all manners of disrespectful and destructive foolishness are prone to run a muck.

Have we forgotten that when you disrespect another, you disrespect yourself What you do to one you do to yourself, period. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

So what about that What about "keepin' it on the hush". My girl would say (actually she has said) "absolutely not" to the very notion. That if she and this fella are "together" it need be declared so er'ybody knows how it's going down. She goes further to suggest that to not make people aware is to invite opportunities to deceive to the party.

Well… I for one, am all for the "hush" if it means keeping the drama to a minimum. Information is power and I have no need for anyone puffing out their chest for the sake of a rise or intent to produce turmoil. Mind your beeswax and I'll mind mine.

As for the deception invitation. People are going to do (or not) whatever it is they want to do - the moment you think you're getting ready to control anyone other than yourself is the moment deception knocks. Go ahead, open the door, you're about to deceive yourself.

But we've gotten off track… healthy relationships on the scene. We have evidence across the country that they work but the question is how What makes them work Drop a line on the subject… someone will surely thank you for it...

Again With The Men

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Jennifer Toles

Some community driven folk within the Cleveland Dance Family have ventured out to offer dancers in the area and outlet and opportunity to socialize and boogie (Woooohoooo). Tyrone Brown & Family offer a FREE weekly set at really nice venue in one of Cleveland's suburbs. This venture is the motivation for one dance family member's topic of interest...

How can we make Steppin' more attractive/ appealing to more men. We have done free classes, and workshops, free music, and food. I would like to hear from anyone who feels that the Free Friday Set at Capers is working to attract new men. It is excellent exposure for us in a new Venue packed with Bootie Shakers and Line Dancer. We are getting new women in Ballroom and Steppin', but no men!

The Dance Doctor has spoken at length on this subject so I refer any & all to that commentary if you haven't already read it… he talks about how we treat our men on the set, especially the beginners, they aim to please and to not feels as failure would… BAD. He goes on to say that being a bit more sensitive to their plight, more nurturing and encouraging could go a long way to alleviating the issue. I haven't given his piece a bit of justice in this bitty blurb so please, if you're interested, check out the Dave Maxx the Dance Doctor to get the context in its entirety.

As for my take… I think we should ask the men who are presently engaged (and thus at some point had to have been attracted) what made the difference for them. What got them interested and what kept them coming. I'm all for a Steppin' Men Think Tank and Street Team to collectively hash out the problem, brainstorm possible solutions, then come back to the greater community to let us know what they need from us to get the job done. GO TEAM!

From my limited perspective (not being a man and all, lol) all I can offer is some observations. It seems that men want to be able to get on the floor quickly. Now obviously, the neo is not going to be fluid with all the "super turns & tricks" they think the women so heartily enjoy, straight out the gate. But the basic pattern… maybe a personal turn in time… that's doable - early. So what if we (ladies) could take the pressure off the men to "perform" Hows about we show our appreciation of the process by expressing our enjoyment with just "dancing" while they work out putting the pieces together We say we want attentive partners but when do we give them an opportunity to pay attention to what we say we want them to pay attention to In the meanwhile, we could get to this "footwork" we've been screaming about for years. Here's your chance to fit it in (cause goodness knows you won't make it happen in the middle of that triple lute). Remember…"social" dance… it's about music, interaction, expression. So enjoy (if not listen) to the music, interact with your partner, express your joy and allow your partner to do the same. Let his Steppin' proficiency be the by product instead of the main focus...

A good friend in the Cleveland Dance Family started a mentoring initiative. Basically, the point was for all the "advanced" men to take a few newbies under their wing… work with them on their dance, hang out, introduce them to the community, host them on the scene, etc. I thought it was a wonderful idea but I didn't see many actually seeing it through. The initiator did and most of his men show me a really good time on the floor. even without all the "tricks".

A member of the Akron Dance Family considered starting a social club that had nothing to do with Steppin' (or even dance for that matter) as a means to bring men together first and foremost then eventually introduce them to Steppin'. I don't know that the idea ever got any feet but the idea seems valid… if guys are into that sort of thing. What are guys into anyway

I think this whole bit is a matter of awareness and creativity. Become aware of what is causing the hold up and create ways to squash all that. Create an environment that is attractive, and more importantly engaging to men… then tell them about it… show them and appreciate them… Collectively I'm sure we can pull this off.

So here's the call to action… if you're going to post a potential "hold up" in the system, I also need you to post a possible "solution" to alleviate the block. Put your thinking caps on and see both sides…

Ready, set, GO!

Can a sistah get a drank o' water or what

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Jennifer Toles

Etiquette on the scene…

If you asked someone to come and help you move from you present home to your new home… the likelihood that you'd offer them rest & a cold beverage after all that physical exertion is pretty high. Would you agree Why then, is it not the case after you've run somebody raggedy on the dance floor

Riddle me that Work is work. Energy expended is energy expended. And the need to rehydrate is universal…

This goes for men and women alike… to the men who are spinning the ladies to oblivion, treating them like rag dolls or ping pong balls… and to the ladies who will not let bruthas off the floor because it's "your turn"…

Seriously, this issue of "etiquette" extends beyond the rest & water issue - it just seemed a good place to start because I'm thirsty!

We could talk about leading folks on and off the floor… invading someone else's dance… lane etiquette… floor craft (i.e. not bumping and running into each other on the floor, especially when multiple styles are sharing the same space)… respecting romantic relationships… respecting personal space… sweatin' on folk… holding folk hostage… any number of things come to mind on how we "disrespect" each other on and off the floor and all I want to know is…

What's up with that

Where is the common courtesy Where is the home training Why isn't the golden rule in full effect in this "alphabet soup" We all know how we'd like to be treated, yes So how's about we extend that to the next one and see what happens I mean, just for experiment's sake let's pretend that the "next one" is a reflection of ourselves and act accordingly. I'd venture that we could drop this whole topic for lack of relevance.

Sound like a plan Give it a try. I dare you. AND I double dare you to comment on how "so & so" made you feel super special on the set with "xyz" kind word or deed. Post it here and copy it to the ILS Facebook page. Let's give er'ybody a "what for", an example of what we're talking about here (for those who need an assist :-)!

Hey DJ Won't You Play My Song

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)

“Hey DJ won’t you play my song Keep me dancing all night long!” This was my jam back in the day but until recently I didn’t fully understand the depth of this song’s central message.

In the steppin world, a DJ’s job is very important and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that he has to cater to the public and THEIR seasoned taste in music. As a DJ, you are expected to take mental or written notes of the most requested songs while introducing new and classic steppin songs. It’s not an easy job. However, this format has been a traditional practice of our steppin DJ predecessors in Chicago like DJ Raphael, Mellow Kris, Sam Chatman, DJ Calvin, etc. for decades.

For the most part, based on my auditory observations, the out of town DJs are making a concerted effort in trying to hold true to the fidelity of a crowd’s favorite playlists while they are spinning. However, I want to take this opportunity to share some information that I have collected in my years of interviewing DJs and listening to the concerns of the general public that patronize steppers sets.

1. You are not playing for yourself. You are playing for a crowd. If you are a DJ that loves the musical genres of Reggae or Jazz music, unfortunately, you are not going to be able to play YOUR personal favorite songs at a set. You are there to keep people out of their seats not in them. That’s how you earn your respect and your following.

2. If after one minute, you are playing a song and the only things on the floor are dust particles, segue into a different song immediately. Don’t have your crowd endure a song that you should not or mistakenly have played. If you are uncertain as to whether a crowd is feeling a song that you have put on, look at the expressions on their faces by surveying the room.

3. If a patron asks you to play a song, you should have the people skills to say, “I will try to put it in the lineup. Thanks for the input.” Even if you have no intention of playing the song, make me feel as if you will go to the highest mountain for me and my request.

4. If you are a DJ that steps, please dance with the women who are there sitting patiently if there are not enough men. Don’t insult our intelligence by making us believe that on your laptop, you have to physically cue up another song after one finishes. Women are not stupid. We know that you can play 600 songs back to back without running up to the booth every 5 minutes. As a DJ you do have to multitask at times.

5. Be creative. If you are playing the SAME line up every time you play at a set, something is wrong. There are DJs out there who play the SAME song for trio dances; walkin dances and they never change. I should not know what you are about to play every week and in which order. If you are uncertain, humbly ask a “seasoned” steppin DJ what you should play.

6. Please don’t lie about who sings or performs a song. You do not have a patent on any song nor do you have the right to lie. Now, if you have a mix that you have created that’s different but trust and believe, enough people are savvy enough to take a few lyrics and go on Amazon.com, You Tube, or Amazon.com/Asia/Europe to find it. Or they will record the song at a set, convert it to a MP3 and put it on a CD themselves.

7. This is probably the most important point of all. Be professional. DJs that tell people “No. This is MY set,” or “Whatever! I’m not playing that!” are more than likely going to be shunned by their community. As a DJ you work for the promoter and the people. You have very little power in the decision making process when it comes to hiring and firing. Being courteous, nice and professional is a must. Big ups to DJ Mykel “Shorty Smooth” Farr on this one. He is the epitome of professionalism! I’ve seen him play in hot boxes, witnessed drunk people pulling on him, selling his CDs at the same time as live mixing and he’s always nice

We all have important roles that we occupy in the world of steppin, therefore it is a must that we be supportive of one another in every capacity. From the club owner, the promoter, the DJ, and the stepper, if we are all in it to win it let’s act like it. DJs keep on doing what you do…just remember to say out of the “doo doo.”