Chicago stepping
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chicago stepping is a name given to a dance that has evolved over the years from various other dances. Originally created in Chicago's predominately African American neighborhoods, the dance has morphed from its beginnings with the Jitterbug in the 30s and 40s, to the Offtime in the 50s, to the Walk and the Chicago Bop in the 60s and 70s.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
The Chicago step has its roots in the Jitterbug craze of the 1930s. This highly athletic dance, which was fueled by the big band music of Lionel Hampton and Glenn Miller, required a lot of partner participation, which is the hallmark of the Chicago step. Other evolutions were the Offtime, The Walk, and the Chicago Bop.
[edit] The Jitterbug to the Offtime
While the Jitterbug was a popular dance nationwide, in the African-American neighborhoods, the manic jumping and swaying that was its trademark, became more smooth and the movements more fluid. The beat that the dance took on even changed, instead of being on the up beat, this new dance utilized the "off" beat, which led to its name the "Offtime".
[edit] The Walk
The Offtime weas further refined and changed to a dance called the Walk. Whereas the Offtime still utilized a little of the principles of the Jitterbug, but in a "smoothed-out" fashion, the Walk further smoothed it out to the point where this dancee only vaguely resembled the dances that came before it. In the Walk, the partners would face each other and simply walk around the dance floor in time with the music. This dance also incorporated other partner-led movements such as a dip (usually the female partner was dipped), stutter steps, and spins, all to the time of the music.
[edit] The 1970s and the Chicago Bop
As the 1970s approached and progressed, Chicago-area (as this was still relatively local) dancers continued and refined the Walk, accentuating it with their own personal styles. About 1975, the Walk underwent a major change. Whereas before it was more of a "walk around the dance floor" type of dance, it now became more stationary, almost like a front to back, shuffling type of dance, called the Chicago Bop. It still remained smooth, but more contemporary, in keeping with the music of that day.
[edit] Disco and the Chicago Step
Even with the onset of Disco music, there was still a strong contingent that would still Bop (now called Step) to any kind of music. Stepping didn't gain a real foothold until local station WBMX (102.7FM/1390AM) started playing two particular records by artist Jeffree, "Love's Gonna Last", and "Mr. Fix-It" in the mid to late 1970s. Neither song was a major Billboard R&B chart hit ("Mr. Fix-It" made it to #53, "Love's Gonna Last" didn't chart) but they perfectly complemented the newest version of the Chicago Step. In a classic case of a dance making a record a (local) hit, due to the massive request and playing of "Love's Gonna Last" on WBMX, it is now considered the ultimate "stepper's cut".
[edit] Today
The Chicago Step is now more widely known nationwide than it's ever been. Due to the popularity of songs like R. Kelly's "Step in the Name of Love", and Gerald LeVert's "Didn't We?", the nation has gotten a taste of the steppers style. Movies such as "Love Jones" (which depicts an event formerly hosted by local Chicago DJ Herb Kent, known as "The World's Largest Steppers Contest"), brought the dance and culture to the big screen. Stepping is usually coordinated into events called "Stepper's Sets", which typically cater to an older crowd. Due to the popularity of the aforementioned artists (along with old school artists), stepping is enjoying a nationwide "coming out party" with "Sets" popping up from New York to Los Angeles.
[edit] Culture of Stepping
Stepping is not just a dance, it encompasses a style of dress as well as music. As R. Kelly states in his #1 hit, "Step in the Name of Love":
"...stepping is not just a dance, it's a culture...it's what we eat, think, and breathe..."[1]
[edit] Dress
[edit] External Links
There are numerous sites devoted to steppers music.
