Reading Time: 18 minutes INSPIRED BY: “Let’s talk about event flyers and how they are perceived when designed by a professional instead of by an individual who created it using a PowerPoint slide. I’m thinking that at some point…
Reading Time: 7 minutes Women wearing high heels on the steppers set is a tradition and a way of life in the Chicago stepping fashion culture. On social media, we have beaten the topic of women wearing combat boots…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…