Impact in Chicago
Chicago is known for being a rather segregated city. The white population tends to live on the north side, and the black population on the south side. The two styles of dance follow this trend, with swing facilities congregating in the north and step events in the south. Step has always been located on Chicago's South Side, there are many events for this form. Merry Green established The World’s Largest Steppers Ball.
Chicago Step
#ChicagoSteppin
#dancepopccc18
Dance is Power. Dance is Love.
Introductions
Hi I’m Victoria, a photo major here at Columbia. Some of my interests include: photography, watching movies, and spending time with family & friends. My current relationship with Chicago step is that I don’t know a whole lot about the specific form of dance but I am slowly learning about it! My role in the group is being the photographer and seeing how Chicago step is photographed and filmed. I am excited to learn more about step and how to do Chicago step!
Hi! My name is Hannah Loessberg and I am a Theatre Directing major. I also enjoy things like graphic design, sound design, costume design, singing and acting. I am excited to learn about Chicago Step because I don't know anything about it! As a theatre practitioner I am very excited to learn a different dance form because I am always looking for different ways that the body can be used in theatre. My role in the group is the website designer and I am excited to gather information and make it visually pleasing to the eye!
Hi friends! My name is Cassidy Ballin and I'm a musical theatre major and sushi enthusiast. Performing in musicals will introduce you to three basic types of dance: jazz, tap, and ballet. That said, I'm eager to broaden my horizons and branch out into the world of Chicago Stepping. My role in this group is to be a strong editor, note taker, and researcher. Throughout this semester, I'm curious to find out if Chicago-style Stepping can be found in any musicals, whether on or off Broadway.
Ayo! My name is Aleyah Rodriguez. I am majoring in Fashion Studies for my Bachelor's Degree. I am so captivated to the attributes clothing gives to people’s character and personality, due to the fact, the way people display their style for others to see on a day-to-day. I love creating my own individual pieces for myself, so I can display myself non-verbally, so others can see the quirks on how I take inspiration from artists or from my surroundings throughout my individuality through a piece of clothing. As having the role as the researcher, Chicago Step has been described as an authentic urban dance that was a spinoff Chicago-style way of creating their own spunk in their individuality, which has spread off to other cities such as Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It has also gained the popular nickname “Steppin”. The relationship Chicago-Step has impacted on me as a whole, it displays its unique twist on how they wanted to show how Chicago puts their twist on things such as dance. As being a fashion student, Chicago-Step displays a very casual style to an elegant,classy style, which is relatable to how I display my fashion. It has no boundaries which I give the gratitude for doing showing how it can be used for all types of people or event.
Hey girl hey! My name is Megan Hammond and I am a Contemporary, Urban and Popular Music major. Music, social justice and fashion have been huge passions of mine that have only grown ever since I was little. Chicago step is such a wonderful dance style because it was established among the urban neighborhoods in Chicago in the 70s and it was used to bring people together in such a smooth way. No matter what cookout I have been to, someone always ends up playing ‘Steppin’ by R.Kelly and I am sure you could guess how that turns out. I happen to be the leader of this group and I intend to use my major, which is essentially all genres of music, to further dissect this dance form, the timeline of music from the start of this dance form to now, and to completely understand the full content of this form.
What is Chicago Step?
Chicago Step is all about partnership.
From the videos you just watched you can see how stepping is a sexy, smooth and sensual dance. In step, typically a man and a woman dance together. However, it is not uncommon to see two males dancing together.
Chicago Step is all about non-verbal communication. The partners decide together which step they do next through non-verbal cues such as a touch on the arm or a different part of the waist.
If she follows his lead, the dance partners are in sync; and if he leads well, then she makes them both look good, and the couple will command attention.
Chicago Step was born and still lives on the South Side of Chicago. We found it difficult to find classes and most classes are in a church recreational room.
Chicago Step Essay
In Margena A. Christian’s article Strictly Steppin’, she takes a close look at Chicago Steppin’ and describes the dance form, delves into its origins, and discusses the dance’s most popular competitions. She goes on to explain how the form evolved from an intimate social dance in south Chicago to a common dance spanning across the United States’ major cities.
“Stepping is the perfect example of what male/female relationship should be [your partner] doesn’t have to be an independent woman and shouldn’t want to be” (Christian 146). Chicago Steppin’ originated in the 1970s. Steppin’ evolved from dance forms like, hop, swing, and jitterbug. People thought of it as a new, different type of dance. Having such a huge fan base in the Windy City in 70s, it has now expanded across the country. “Once unique to Chicago, within recent years its appeal has grown across the country” (Christian 146). This form was unique to chicago because it originated on the Southside of Chicago. Chicagoans take great pride in their work, to have a dance that was completely their own changed the way they danced. “Steppin’ came from the [neighborhood] underworld” (Christian 146).
In the early 2000s it had expanded to places such as: Los Angeles, Oakland, Milwaukee, Detroit, New York City, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Then in 2003, a well-known R&B singer, R. Kelly, who is also a Chicago native, helped the dance earn worldwide notoriety with his song “Step in the Name of Love,” a steppin’ anthem to this day. An education recruiter, Tasha Downey, who won in the Beginners category of last year’s WLSC says, “It’s our art form, and we take great pride in it. It’s urban ballroom.” Chicago Steppers love their form of dance, they also enjoy strutting their stuff on the dance floor. Dancers wear flashy clothes to gain attention while they dance and to add flair to their dance.
Chicago Steppin’ was accompanied with a specific music. “Songs featuring heavy bass lines make for the best dance tunes; steppers can “ride the rhythm” by doing their velvety signature eight-step dance patterns to a six-count beat” (Christian 146). This music that these dancers dance to is specifically formulated to this type of dance, they wanted dancers to move with the beat of the music. Chicago Step is not a hard core dance, it is a “mellow” dance that should just flow. Steppin’ got so popular that clubs would open up that a tailored to this form of dance. Some popular steppin’ clubs include the Dating Game or 50 Yard Line, all located on the South Side (Christian 146).
In this article, Strictly Steppin’ written by Margena A. Christian she analyzes Chicago Step by describing the dance form, the history, and competition aspect of S tep. Christian discusses the history in depth and describes the music and social scenes of the popular dance. The author also talks about personal history and certain people’s personal connections with this specific form of the dance. Christian told stories of the stories of some Chicago Steppers, some instructors, and some rehabilitation stories. The author talks about how the form evolved and how it affected the people of Chicago.
Similarities between Step and Swing
They both developed around the same time
The dance styles evolved together but separately between different ethnic groups but both started with black people
The dance is very heavy on steps and foot placement
Both dances are about the energy between the partners and the other people on the floor
Both require intricate movements and steps
Both can be found done in large groups of people and at competitions
Both are heavily dependent on the evolution Jazz
Both are partner dances
The Differences
Swing was a white interpretation that got a lot of attention from the media
Swing Dance music got influenced by folk, country and rock music
Chicago Step is more influenced by R&B music
Swing defined a lot of their moves by name such as the lindyhop, boogiewoogie, and the handjive
Chicago Step is more about the steps and the turns and not defined a lot by name but by the number of steps in a sequence
Interview
Joel and Megan
Joel Bess is a Chicago native whose family has deep roots in the Chicago-Style Steppin’ culture. His entire family dances Chicago-Style Step socially at family gatherings and get togethers, but his grandparents have a rich history with the form that includes them steppin’ at local step competitions and events. At step competitions, there are a vast variety of styles in the dance form. While older competitors keep things traditional, following the technical counts and rhythms, younger couples add more flair to their step. This involves more bending to the knees, turns, and kicks.
Bess believes that Chicago-Style Step’s tight-knit culture and small, local circle will make it hard for the form to branch out into the mainstream. As a predominantly black, Chicago-based art form, it has not had much reach into popular culture, aside from R. Kelly’s song Step in the Name of Love. However, the form still does not have much community outside of the city of Chicago. It is still loaded in its traditions: the same steps are the base of every dance, the attire is still incredibly formal, and the music danced to is still smooth R&B. Chicago-Style Step has not lost those traditions over time, nor does Bess predict that it will, as the tradition is what is keeping the dance form alive.
Thesis Statement
Within the history of Swing dance cultural appropriation was used to make the style of dance more palatable to a wider, primarily Caucasian audience. That being said, the Step community, which has always been heavily influenced by black culture, adopted black swing dancers who felt ostracized by swing's new white audience.
History about Swing and Step
Swing dancing (specifically Lindy Hop) originated in African American communities in the 1930s. As it gained popularity, the white population began dancing swing but in a very watered-down style. This slower, less intricate style gained more popularity than the original Lindy Hop.
Chicago Step is made up of several African American dance forms like, The Cakewalk, The Jitterbug, The Swing, and The Bop. Steppin is an cultural dance form that combines ballroom dancing with other unique social dances which was created during the 70s.
Appropriation in Swing Dance
What is cultural appropriation?
Cultural appropriation can be defined as "the act of taking an element of one's culture being used by a member of another culture without regard for the origins of the tradition". Often it is the dominate culture using a cultural element from a minority or less represented culture. Many times, the adopted cultural element is used with hopes of gaining profit or attempts of increasing popularity of a celebrity with members of the appropriated group.
In the 1990s, swing dance was revived, but by majority white audiences. One neo-swing dancer describes swing as "of the war era....Swing means cool clothes, cool cars, hot moves and talent filled music. It means being traditional and having fun."
The problem here is that swing dance is being correlated with "traditional American values", AKA 1950s white American culture, and NOT that of those who actually invented Lindy. Therefore, the culture of the original African American Lindy Hoppers has been appropriated by white American youth who disregard the origins of swing and proclaim the parallels between swing and American culture.
Chicago Step and Swing both have African American roots but Swing was taken over by primarily white dancers when it became more popular during the 50s, while Chicago Step was open to anyone but stayed primarily black.
The Progression Of Chicago Step
Once swing became more affiliated with white communities, many African Americans soon began to practice step. The dance, which is very similar to swing, is most often set to R&B music, which was also gaining popularity with African Americans. Soon the dance gained its own following and has grown into its own form, far from its roots in swing.
While Chicago Step has always been inclusive to everyone and anyone who wanted to Step, the form has primarily within the African American community.
Chicago step has a rich African American history. Steppin' brings different people together all with different perspectives and personalities. They all have one thing in common, their passion for Chicago Step. The form comes from many different African American dances and music. Overtime they kept these same values.
