[7/16/2010 SteppersUSA Daily News]
Front Row Seats
By Markie Bee
National Chicago Style Steppers Day
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Today's Steppers Beat column is sponsored by: Chistepper.com, Dre & Company, & Ken Bedford Productions Present the Steppers Soul Series at the Alhambra Palace 1240 W. Randolph St. Chicago, IL on Sunday July 18th Order Tickets Now!
There are 600 VIP seats at this years World's Largest Steppers Competition (WLSC). One full block, (150 seats 10 seats per table) are already reserved and 450 are up for grabs. The Majestic Gents are selling VIP tables for $500. Pete Frazier and crew are doing something different (for the steppers community) with a full seating chart which is posted on WLSContest.Com where when you place a VIP ticket order you can choose the table (by number) you want to sit at. The seating chart will be updated as tables fill up. One VIP ticket cost is $50. General admission will be at the back of the hall and will not have a choice when it comes to seating as the seating will be on a first come first served basis. General admission tickets are $30 for one ticket or $50 for two. Tickets can be purchased online at WLSContest.Com or MajesticGents.Net. Those VIP seats will go fast.
Steppers Weekend Roundup
Friday in the Chicago area:
Tonight's preliminary at the JEP Production Hotter than July (The old 3-G's Contest) is the last before the finals to be held in two weeks at Club Dyamonds in Lynwood, IL. The Elite Firemen will be
 

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stepping in white at the Lexington House in Burbank, IL. The Garfield Park Reunion Committee has a set at the Garfield Park Conservatory; Higher Level will be at Mariella's this month.
Around the country:
They'll be stepping in downtown Silver Spring MD tonight, Virginia Beach Steppers are having their 3rd annual White party weekend in Norfolk, VA, and the Smooth Steppers of Memphis will be having their Steppin' N Paradise 1st Annual Steppers Ball weekend  and in Indy, Day Ja Vu Rendezvous Black Expo Shades of Linen eventto round out the Friday highlights. The roundup will continue tomorrow.
On one hand, people tell me the idea behind establishing the National Chicago Style Steppers day is a wonderful idea whose day is long overdue. On the other hand, there are those who call me crazy because the Chicago style steppers community is so fragmented, is so closed, is so (and the list continues).
In either case it's time. It's time to recognize the dance we all love and yes, the people who have and are continuing and expanding the rich experience we call Chicago style stepping.
August 14th is a day each and every stepper can honor the dance by doing what they love... they can go stepping. Many cities are putting together Chicago style steppers day dances, some are celebrating the entire weekend with picnics and workshops, and in one city they are celebrating the entire week. It doesn't matter how many steppers there are in your city for you to participate, it doesn't matter which count you used to learn the dance. It's a special day just for the steppers so if you love this dance, by all means participate!
I have no idea how many people are going to participate and probably don't have any accurate way to measure that number since some people may choose to participate but in a less than public way... so I'm asking you now to let me know. If you have a Facebook account post something in the Chicago Style Stepping Facebook Group, or on the www.SteppersUSA.Com Facebook page or directly on the SteppersUSA.Com website with your AOL, Yahoo, or Google user ID.
Some locations will be streaming live video from their events using the UStream.TV service. As a matter of fact I'll be streaming live video from the Strictly Steppers party at the Best Western in Hillside, IL so if you can't make it you can watch it. We will have several laptops there so we can see other steppers parties that are streaming video at their events across the country. It creates yet another way you can participate even if you're not able to make it to an event.
The question remains... what are you going to be doing on Saturday August 14th? Will you be celebrating Chicago style stepping or will you be like that Christmas character who says "bah humbug"? Let me know what you're doing or you'll be visited by the ghosts of NCSSD past present and future! If you can read this you can respond. As a matter of fact, ask your friends to respond too. Share the post and share the word because National Chicago style steppers day is now less than a month away!
I have one question for you... what are you doing on August 14th? Please let me know!
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