[7/20/2010 SteppersUSA Daily News]
Contest Secrets
By Markie Bee
National Chicago Style Steppers Day
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As many of you (in Chicago) know on Friday, I finished taping the preliminaries of the J.E.P. Productions "Hotter than July" steppers contest. I just finished putting together the first DVD of the two DVD set (see the promo video below). Getting those shots from the floor really give you a different perspective from the shots people get from in the crowd.
I'll be taping tonight at the WLSC semi-finals at Mr. G's tonight where they are doing the first New Skool Original category. PS They just added Jeff Hendrick to the entertainment lineup for the finals.
I've seen my share of steppers contests through the years and have noticed more and more contestants learned many of the "secrets" many of the top known steppers have held close to the vest for many years.
Some of those "secrets" aren't really secret in the truest sense they're common sense while others require a deeper understanding of the process.
Choreography in a steppers contest; through the years there've been discussions about its use. On one hand there is the camp that says "real steppers" never dance to a routine or a choreographed plan because it detracts from what the dance is really about. On the other hand

 

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there is the camp that says the crowd needs to be entertained and choreographed routines win contests. (This year in the rules for the WLSC, choreography is acceptable, there's even a rule that spells it out.)
While I want to see the dance stay as authentic as humanly possible, as a consumer I also understand many of the people who attend a contest want to be entertained. While the "stepper savvy" attendee can understand the nuances of the dance and derive entertainment from watching smooth stepping, proper use of the hands and feet the less informed would be less excited with the performance.
A tightly choreographed and executed three or four minutes of dance can engage a crowd and give them the entertainment they feel the contest is really about. The question that comes to mind right away is where is that balance for both of the camps? After all we are trying to pick the best from the contestants who are competing.
The answer is in the rules of course.
The raw talent of a contestant needs to be tested in a contest and those who bring it to the floor are usually the ones who win crowds (but not always the judges) approval. The will to win by itself doesn't always win contests and even coupled with a lot of talent and the couple shows the ability sometimes the rules get in the way.
Understanding and using the rules for your advantage has been one of those "secrets" some of the most successful steppers have been exploiting throughout the years to win contests. Knowing what you can do and what you can't do in the eyes of the judges can mean the difference between first and third place. Pushing the envelope isn't the same as going outside of the box in the eyes of a critical judge. Getting a perfect score for showmanship and originality is worthless if you can't make the points for synchronization by missing your partner's hands for example.

What are you doing on August 14th? Please let me know!

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