The way some steppers cut at each other and the drama that comes out of those "run-ins" is the stuff legends (urban legends mostly) are made of.

The battles between the different sides of town, one gang versus another back in the day and settling it all on the dance floor were the stories I've heard and for that matter continue to hear as time goes on.

There's another battle shaping up for the steppers community and this one's for the hearts and minds of the community itself. We all know there's been a conscious effort made to broaden the reach of other dances at the expense of the steppers community.

We've seen it shape up through the years and recently with the line dance community having impact on the weaker steppers organizations. (Remember this column and website is all about the promotion and perpetuation of Chicago style stepping).

The ability of promoters to "keep their eye on the ball" is most important at this juncture because other genres of dance have their eye on the steppers market. The inability of some promoters, party planners, and instructors to build a strong enough base to provide a steppers community in any given city... it shows when the events loose focus.

If we are steppers and claim to be steppers why would we want other dances in a steppers set? This can be done at a different time and venue that doesn't go under the name steppers. If they aren't going to keep it as a pure steppers party they shouldn't call it a steppers set, or steppers party, or steppers event because anything else isn't stepping.

I've heard steppers through the years complain how the dance has gotten off point. I've heard people say the changes in the dance are necessary for its survival. As I survey the situation I will agree with the first statement but disagree with the latter.
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Once you change a dance in any way it is no longer the same dance. There are no high velocity continuous spins in stepping... that's something you see in Salsa or other popular forms of urban ballroom dancing... but not in genuine stepping. You will see an occasional spin but you'll most likely see a turn long before you see a spin.

I've been told if the dance doesn't make adjustments for the new style of dancing (which is nothing more than another form of dancing) it will go the way of the dinosaurs. I really don't think so... and if it is to be so, well that's OK (at least the dance will be what it always was smooth, elegant, eloquent and classy).

You want to dance a different dance? Do you want to promote a different dance? Then do it elsewhere under a different name... don't call it stepping or steppin' because it's not! Don't bring another form of dance into the steppers arena. Line dancers have their own parties, Hand Dancers have their own parties, and Ballroomers have their own parties. The music generally isn't the same most of the time and each dance is different. Let's keep it that way by not trying to homogenize all these dances into one generic dance.

Genuine stepping is unique and it branched off of the Chicago Bop. We need to move it back toward its pure form and that can't be done by selling out... by letting other forms of dance pollute stepping.

How often have you gone to McDonalds and ordered a Whopper with onion rings? Yes it's happened but you're not going to get that at Mickey D's. Think about that the next time someone wants to bring in more than the traditional maximum of two line dances to the steppers set or if they want to start dancing any other form of urban ballroom dancing at your steppers event.

Like the song says, "Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby."

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