In recent years, with no Beginners’ category in the World’s Largest Steppers Contest (WLSC) newer contestants had to forge a path in this dance. The question of new skool versus old skool has become more important to new steppers who want to compete. Choosing a contest category has become more difficult for out-of-town contestants.
In 2017, my first year in WLSC, I entered the New Skool category. In 2018, I entered the Original Old Skool category. At the times when I believed the beginners’ category was meant for me, there was no beginners’ category option in the contest. To me, the beginners’ category suits steppers new to the dance that isn’t consistently exposed to the regiment of stepping and are learning primarily from out-of-town resources outside of Chicago. When I considered entering WLSC and I had to choose a different category, Old Skool versus New Skool became very relevant to me personally. This change in the contest forced me to forge a path in my dance. I am still learning to concretely “know” the differences between new and old school and to understand what WLSC judges are looking for.
Preference for Choosing The New Skool Category
In conversations with newer contestants from cities outside of Chicago, I have heard, New Skool is easier. It is more freestyle and has fewer rules to adhere to. Yet, it puts newer contestants in a category with more steppers from Chicago that have competed many times. In New Skool are crowd favorites who have won – Tykmann, Kevin ‘Doc’ Dockery, Nike, and Tori, Feo Duncan, Drewry Alexander, and others. In Original Old Skool there are more rules to follow, some of which out of owners still aren’t sure of. And we don’t have to do away with all the turns and spins we’ve been taught to master. There is still much competition from Chicago in this category. Winners in New Skool also switch to compete in Old Skool. Somehow, some steppers think the Old School category is easier. I think that’s a mistake!
Learning About Old Skool
To find out the unknown, I go to Chicago, sit and watch at East of the Ryan. Some days I am at the Fifty. I talk to older steppers, go to classes in Chicago, and dance. Watching the video of my partner, Jerome Cheetam, and me in the 2018 Chicago Old Skool prelims. I cringe every time. Less than thirty seconds in someone said, “That’s not old school.” I cannot forget that moment. It’s not easy to learn and understand Old Skool when it isn’t taught. You have to go out and get it. My friends’ instructors advise them on whether their body type and how they move fits old school versus new school. Having watched people of all sizes do old school and/or new school, I am not quite sold on those assessments.
I consider myself one of the steppers stuck in what Quake Styles calls “Middle Skool” – a mix of the old school and the new school. Quake’s got a way with words that makes things plain. That’s why you should go out and get his book “Human Earthquake.” I am still sorting out where I stand in the equation. I believe the Old Skool and New Skool categories are equally challenging. I find it quite entertaining to see newer steppers enter any category in the contest and give seasoned steppers from Chicago a run for their money.
It looks like for 2019, Pete Frazier is trying to bring the Beginner’s category back and that helps. However, it looks like the decision to eliminate the category was born from the challenge to get newer steppers to enter the contest. Hmm. I hope to see beginners on the WLSC stage this year and look forward to the rest of the prelims. Let’s see which category out of towners pick.
