Reading Time: 5 minutes DJ Raphael is from the South side of Chicago – Morgan Park. 2023 makes it forty-two years for him as a DJ. He is not a stepper or House Music DJ and subscribes to no particular genre. He started off as a DJ, and he can hold his crowd for five hours no matter the…
Reading Time: 7 minutes INSPIRED BY: CELEBRATING WOMEN HOSTING WEEKEND EVENTS FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH For Women’s History month, we want to draw a special focus and celebrate Belinda Booker, a woman stepping out in Huntsville, Alabama, to bring the joy of stepping into her local community. Her MLK Weekend brings steppers from surrounding communities and cities to a…
Reading Time: 12 minutes INSPIRED BY: CHECKING ON VIRGINIA Although relocated from Virginia, I still keep a pulse on what is happening in the community where I discovered stepping and where I first met Tango Ernest. The latest, greatest news I heard was that Ernest was back in Virginia, fresh out of Chicago. It is fascinating to reconnect with…
Reading Time: 9 minutes A stepper weekend trip to Chicago is incomplete unless it starts in the middle of the week with Work It Out Wednesday at Visions with The Davneys. This is one of the most popular weekly sets in Chicago that brings steppers of all ages and levels in the dance together on a single dance floor….
Reading Time: 7 minutes INSPIRED BY: HONORING THE ORIGINAL IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2023 When it comes to Original Stepping in the lounges and on the dance floor today, Josiah is one of the first people I think of. If we dance, I can’t watch his feet. I have to listen to the music. Where is his count? Nowhere….
Reading Time: 8 minutes INSPIRED BY: THE STEPPERS, YOUNG AND OLD, WHO KEEP IT ORIGINAL DESPITE THE EVOLUTION OF STEPPING When I first started traveling to Chicago and witnessed Original Stepping on the set, one person that stood out for me on the dancefloor was Lloyd. He was young like me, but his dance was nothing like the eight-count…
Reading Time: 4 minutes I remember seeing Charlsie Hylick for the first time on a Friday night at East of the Ryan. She was traveling around the dancefloor with Nikee. She was memorable because she was sexy, artistic, and fluid. Charlsie exhibited everything I thought a woman should be on any dancefloor – confident, powerful, and unforgettable. She was…
Reading Time: 5 minutes In 2016 when I launched my blog, livingthe8count, my regular trips back and forth to Atlanta inspired the earliest segment of stepping stories and experiences. I started traveling from Virginia Beach to Atlanta to Ms. Mary’s monthly set and workshops. I was in almost every workshop. Her rotation of monthly instructors out of Chicago exposed…
Reading Time: 5 minutes I never expect success from any endeavor while going alone. It’s the same for livingthe8count while writing and stepping in 2022. Every story, interview, and opportunity has happened for this brand while engaging with at least one or more of you and, most times, many of you. Thank you! 2022 was a sweet ride for…
Reading Time: 14 minutes INSPIRED BY: A RESPONSE TO ME STEPPING TO GOSPEL MUSIC Almost every seat was taken at the Sunday Brunch at Carolina Summer Nights in Durham, NC, but the dancefloor was empty. I heard a beautiful song. DJ House was on the 1s and 2s, starting early with great gospel music. I turned to Vince Barnes,…
Reading Time: 4 minutes I am thankful for a lot of things in 2022 – especially when it comes to the Chicago Stepping community. This journey skyrocketed this year, much to my surprise! I am grateful for everyone that reads and supports the blog livingthe8count.com. Your support helps to sustain my joy in writing. It’s hard work, and the…
Reading Time: 8 minutes INSPIRED BY: AN EVENING OF ELEGANCE CELEBRATING WOMEN IN STEPPING All this summer, steppers anxiously awaited Silhouettes of Stilettos, the new “Oscars of Stepping.” This black-tie, red-carpet event was an evening to recognize and celebrate the achievements of ten powerful women in the Stepping community. Certainly, no one was more ready than Charnice Simmons to…
Reading Time: 9 minutes INSPIRED BY: THE VIRAL PHOTO OF BARAK WITH HIS LEG POINTING TO THE SKY IN WLSC 2021 When I saw the shot of Barak, I thought, “Spectacular!” I wondered, “Who took that photo?” Then I started to notice more and more photos of steppers in my feed that reminded me of the photo of Barak….
Reading Time: 10 minutes INSPIRED BY THE RENOVATION OF THE LADIES’ RESTROOMS AT THE FIFTY IN CHICAGO The name of a place, a street, or a neighborhood can elicit powerful nostalgia and trigger memories for many people I have met in the Stepping community. During interviews, I see or hear steppers lost in thought, smiling, and talking about where they…
Reading Time: 8 minutes INSPIRED BY ALL THE NATIONAL COVERAGE FOR CHICAGO STEPPING Every day I talk to people about Chicago Stepping. Probably five days a week, I discuss Chicago Stepping with someone who does not step. Co-workers, family, friends I grew up with, and professional colleagues make up this audience. At times, it is my Uber or Lyft…
Reading Time: 5 minutes STORY INSPIRED BY A MOMENT AT KEEP IT SIMPLE WEEKEND 2022 HOSTED BY CUSTOM STEPPERS IN BIRMINGHAM, AL The joy in music for steppers is that there is so much to listen to. A big part of learning Chicago Stepping is listening to and knowing music. It’s a well-broadcasted secret that stepping is a pantomime….
Reading Time: 7 minutes Yes, I am making contestant etiquette “a thing,” as someone said. In everything we do in the stepping community, by nature, some level of etiquette goes along with it. Contest season can be a very emotional time for some steppers. There are at least Facebook posts to prove it and my experience as a contestant….
Reading Time: 12 minutes We continue the Drewry “Drew” Alexander interview with part 2 to focus on the men and talk about community building in Chicago Stepping with Smoothtivity. This interview became a different type of conversation. For a minute, I thought Drew was about to flip the script and start interviewing me. I enjoyed it. Most interesting was…