[9/4/2010 SteppersUSA Daily News]
Accepting Change
By Markie Bee
National Chicago Style Steppers Day
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It took a lifetime (in internet years) but I've finally managed to get everyone (that counts) to stop sending email to my old personal email address. People are generally slow to accept changes but when it comes to technology they are even slower to make changes happen. In most cases I really feel it's because they don't seem to know how to make the changes in something I would consider as simple as editing a contact email in a contact list. I don't know how many times I've heard people say they didn't want to mess something up in their email. Of course if they don't change the email address they'd be messing up too because the old address wouldn't do them any good. They rationalize that they'll remember to send me email using the new address but what happens if you have hundreds of contacts and several dozen people change their email addresses over time wouldn't that become a bit confusing?
I think (in a way) some of the same type of logic is used in the Chicago style steppers community as changes are proposed in the way we do some things within the genre. It's not a bad thing when people propose changes but when people show an almost knee jerk reticence to change (especially change that would benefit all) I have to shake my head in disbelief.


 

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Perhaps many people don't address change because they don't know how to. Perhaps they say they don't want to change because they are comfortable with the way things are and they don't really care to learn something new and different (for them).
Sometimes you see a new move on the floor at a club and you say to yourself the move is really good but when you attempt the move the first time you get it wrong (very few people get a new move right in their first attempt). You knew you got it wrong because it didn't look like what you saw so do you give up or try to get it right? Sometimes change is just a matter of conditioning your mind to being able accept the challenge presented at the current time.
It was made abundantly clear in our last reader poll about the WLSC that the vast majority of those who took the poll wanted to see the contest become more than a large scale club contest (which it actually is in its present form).
Think about it, the contest was created as a promotion which would benefit a radio station and a beer company. Steppers did what they love to do and they got cash prizes and recognition but the bottom line came down to the sponsors making money. So how is this different than a club contest? We may want it to be but that requires change.
Changing the contest from its present form might just present another opportunity to move forward for the Chicago style steppers community but it may also be another chance for those who resist change to find fault in the change were it to ever happen.
I'm just trying to keep it all in perspective. Perhaps my next poll question should be on this very subject. (The current poll below)
NCSSD 2011
When asked if there will be a 2011 National Chicago Style Steppers Day Event, The short answer is yes it will be an annual event held on the weekend of the second Saturday in August. Overall, the event was a smashing success in that we managed to pull the whole thing off. Once we've had some time to digest and machinate what happened over the weekend we will have a teleconference (probably after the WLSC) to discuss what went right and what went wrong and to entertain ideas for next year.

The J.E.P. Productions Hotter than July steppers contest is now on sale and can be ordered online here. Or Right Here!

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