[5/12/2009 SteppersUSA Daily News]
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By Markie Bee
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I have stated time and time again over the years there MUST be a conversation held in the greater Chicago style steppers community about certification of the basics. This goes to the very identity of the dance in not only the community, but in the larger world around us. People from all around the world are being given a wrong impression by calling any dance to an R&B track "signature Chicago style stepping" An email from our friend Bop daddy said, "Needless to say the dance Steppin' (our dance) is being exploited for the finances." The link I posted that was promoted as Salsa and Cha-Cha-Cha Meet Steppers in Chicago is a good representation of someone exploiting our dance for their profit while not even representing Chicago style stepping in any way, shape, or form (Read the comments on YouTube). Bop Daddy also pointed out, "The Cakewalk kept the Minstrel stage and Vaudeville alive for a few more years. And just like the exploited the dance didn't even look like us, the original Cakewalkers. Celebrities like the Castles and Fred Astaire made a Hollywood version of the Cakewalk and gained international fame." Of course others have been exploiting the African-American Community for many years, reader Cat Beaty mentioned this in an email yesterday; "I say that because if we don't own and claim our unique cultural arts, others will." She continued by sending links "that illustrate (her) point, as far as our art and culture is concerned. Can Korean Steppin be far behind?" As Chicago style stepping gains more notoriety the possibility (and probability) of the dance loosing it's identity will increase faster than the interest rate on your credit card unless the conversation is had and brought to resolution very soon. Reader RJ posted this on the SteppersUSA Google Friend Connect bar, "I agree. If you don't put an official stamp, standard, on the dance now, in 20 years, you will have a totally different dance/step." Standards are a scary proposition for steppers; no one wants to inhibit the creativity of the dance through some form of standardization. I agree with that thought… we don't want to stifle the creative juices and wouldn't want to say to the dancers of the world who do embrace the basic pattern and rhythm of the dance, "You can't do that." No one wants to bog down the dance with all sorts of rules and regulations like having to dance to a particular count. If we already accept the basic pattern, what needs to be done next? Well, every message and email I got in the last 24 hours indicated we do need a steppers council or a national board of governance. Not one message from our readers indicating no need for this. I'll put this out to the community… Who amongst us are qualified to be members of a national board of governance? Who would you in essence be handing the very future of the dance to? The people on the board would have to be well versed in the dance and its history as well as being representative of the Chicago style steppers national community. I personally feel every living generation that has danced this dance should be represented to insure a good and proper portrayal of the genesis of the dance to the present. Send me an email, hit the bar below. The bottom line is we need to move the conversation off the web and into a concrete representative legacy which can't be disputed… can be defended, and we can be proud of by putting our mark on the future of the dance for posterity.

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Sunshine Stepping at Club 142 in Hammond, IN with a variety of the stars of the Chicago style stepping community including Steppin' James, Carlos, Dominique, Johnny (JC) Carter, Royce Banks, Swan, and G. Porgie. The video was shot freehand by Markie Bee (SteppersUSA.Com) live and unscripted after Sunshine's Ladies Styling class.

 

Earl & Robin at the 219 Contest Finals

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