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[4/29/2008 SteppersUSA News]
Why it Makes Sense Now
By Markie Bee
As
anyone who reads this column with any regularity probably knows by now,
I am a proponent of certification for stepping instructors. It's a
point of contention for many of the instructors in the Chicago area,
but also speaks volumes about the insecurity (or arrogance) of
the instructional community itself. I've actually heard instructors say
things like "Who's going to tell ME how to teach this dance"? Or, "How
is anyone more qualified than I am"? Or, "My company already has a
certification program."
A few years ago, any of those responses would have been "show stoppers"
because stepping hadn't grown much beyond Chicago, so each instructor
could easily control what happens in their individual class (mainly
because it was very localized). But what has been happening over the
last several years as Chicago Style Stepping has grown to a (currently)
fledgling national and (eventually) globalized international "movement"?
You will hear instructors and non-instructors alike in Chicago complain
that people are not being instructed "the right way". What makes it an
even more confusing situation is some of the people complaining are the
same people who who say, "Who's going to tell ME how to teach this
dance"? Or, "How is anyone more qualified than I am?"!
Well, what did they expect? There is no broadly accepted, universal,
unified, set of guidelines which is followed by all when it comes to
teaching the dance. everyone "does their own thing", and by that
definition, it makes it right... RIGHT? History has shown us that the
definition I just mentioned is self-destructive when it comes to the
"purity of the dance". Just look at the articles on
ChiSteppers.Com
where established dancers accuse each other of "misrepresentation of the
dance". There is and has been a major lack of consistency from one
instructor to the next. How is someone new to the dance going to know
they are learning the one and only "true right way"?
Part Two Tomorrow
Tags
Instructors Certification
Recent : Chicago Style Stepping Updates Chicago Style Priorities Change Divided they Fail or Not? Catching the Beat Catching the Beat Part 2
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
History of Stepping Project in any manner, please
Send us an email.
Multiple Definitions Added
Definitions Page
2006 3-G's Contest results added
Timeline Updated
Steppers Compete 2003
Timeline Updated
The Dungeon in Chicago in the 1970's
See the Personal Recollections Page
Gousters appear on the Chicago
Scene
Read a Personal Recollection Here
New York Steppers Completed the first level of NSAAB training
certification a total of 7 instructors
Added to timeline
Take the April Poll
Does the current
economy affect your stepping activities?
Take a look at our You
Tube Steppers Video page and rate some videos (Six
pages now) 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!
Marc Thomas: Steppin in Columbus,OH
Added to You Tube: April 19, 2008
Buy It Now On SteppersUSA
For
those of you who promote and submit events to SteppersUSA you may have
noticed we've added some new features. Some are for security purposes
like the captcha coding. Other changes are to make the
Events Submission
Form a bit more uniform and hopefully a bit easier to use. An
important addition is a three choice question where you choose... If you
sell advance tickets, can they be ordered on line? The choices are a
simple yes, no or Contact me about customers ordering tickets directly
from SteppersUSA. This FREE service by SteppersUSA
can help you increase
your advance ticket sales all from one place. Think about it. Thousands
come to this site every day looking at events and making plans. It's
convenient for the customer and you make money! Don't have a FREE Pay
Pal business account? Not a problem!
Just click Here! Even if you already have a website it only makes
sense to add a Pay Pal Button to SteppersUSA to increase the possibility
of a sale. Customers can use any credit card including Visa, Master
Card, Discover, American Express, or their Pay Pal account or directly
debit their bank account. It's safe, secure, and easy. SteppersUSA will
not ask for any personal or financial information or access to your Pay
Pal account. We will only ask for information related to your button. As
I said before SteppersUSA will not charge for this convenient service.
Both you and your customers have everything to gain! Do you have
suggestions to make SteppersUSA even better? Please Send us an email.
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
The 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.
Thank You for your time!
Markie Bee
The History of Stepping Project
Create & buy custom products at Zazzle
Thursday May 1, 2008
The MidSouth Steppers
Steppin' it UP on First Thursdays! @ Club 50/50 Elite
6761 Winchester & Ross Rd. Memphis, TN
7-8pm Free Stepping Lessons
Steppers Set starts at 8pm- 12:00am
Free before 8pm. After $10 cover.
After Work Attire
www.midsouthsteppers.com
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