[10/4/2008 SteppersUSA News]
Return of the Blue Light Party?
By Markie Bee
Buy Tickets Best Of Both Worlds Dance Extravaganza
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Here Buy Tickets + Chicago Steppers Convention Info -
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Here October is Breast Cancer Awareness
Month For Steppers Too -
Click Here New Email Address for Pluggers:pluggers@steppersusa.com The
weekend is the time for steppers to go out and wind down from the weeks
grind, the political gamesmanship of the last couple of years (Thank God
it's almost over), the economy, and all of that other stuff that manages
to pull us all off - center. Some of us travel to other cities searching
for that great dance, or instruction they can't get at home. Some of us
find fun right around the corner at "the club". Of course as I mentioned
in yesterday's column (Is The Economy Hurting
Stepping?), some people aren't able to come out and party
because of the local element of our poor economic situation. One of the
things I touched on in the column was/were the blue light basement
parties from the '70's. These parties proliferated in Chicago in another
era of poor economics, and I can see them on the rise again as a great
way of spreading stepping to more people without the whole "club scene".
It works for selling many products... Why not for spreading the word
about this wonderful dance? What does it take to have a blue light? Some
space in your house, like a basement or a recreation room, a CD player,
and word of mouth by inviting stepping and non-stepping friends. You
don't need to stock any booze, because it can be BYOB, and you can
control who comes into your house. Individuals who don't know how to
step can be "students" with impromptu "basics lessons" to get them
involved, and the party can last as late (or early) as you want. You
don't have to deal with the club's poor service and drink minimums as
well as the many distractions from stepping that go along with that
night at the bar like promoters and the associated costs that are built
into a club party. Blue light basement parties can be a great "stepping
incubator" just as they were in the '70's
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month For Steppers Too
If you haven't visited this site yet
the address is
www.stepandthinkpink.org and while you're there, sign up for the
monthly "Pink
Newsletter".
If you or anyone you know has any photos, footage or information about
or from any Steppers contests for the
History of Stepping Project,
I'd love to add it to what we have. It's Your History! OR If you have a personal recollection concerning stepping or if you care to help
with the
in any manner, please
Send us an email.
SteppersUSA.Com sells Steppin' DVDs from across the Steppers Community.
Click Here to view the listing
or
send us an email
if you would like to include your DVDs on SteppersUSA.Com
The SteppersUSA Daily News and SteppersUSA.Com are both
daily
publications which update continually. We accept and publish Steppers
classes and workshops, Daily events, weekly events, monthly events,
special events, steppers news, requests for information which we can't
answer but our visitors may have an answer to. All of this makes us the
most complete listing of Steppers information available anywhere. Send
your submissions and pluggers or flyers to us at
webmaster@steppersusa.com TODAY!
Please copy the message below and send it on to as many steppers as
you can please!
This is an open message to ALL steppers. Please share it
with as many people as possible.
As many of you may already know I started a new web
site for the benefit of the greater steppers community. It's called
History of Stepping Project. I wish to encourage you to add your
knowledge to the timeline. If you know anything about stepping, please
share this with the public on this site. We are looking for all
information related to stepping from it's beginnings to the present. The
information literally includes everything from clubs and bars which held
steppers sets and parties to contests and the participants and results,
to when different steppers organizations and classes started, who the
instructors were and are; Musical bands, and artists, DJ's, radio and
television personalities, Movies, videos, and photos… literally
everything stepping.
Creating an accurate historic timeline will go a long
way toward helping the community take the next step in its logical
progression as it continues to grow nationwide and will become a
valuable resource for all in the future.
Your input, your knowledge and your effort have made the dance what it
is today. Don't you feel your place (and your organization's) in the
timeline is well deserved? I do!
Please send an email to your members or readers inviting them to
participate. Place a link on your web site also please. All support is
appreciated!
The effort requires more than just posting the
information. The need for fact checkers, people willing to do some
research exists in this important ongoing project. Just a few minutes a
week can make a difference.