The stepping community mourns the passing of Willie “Casper” Perry and celebrates his life. The tremendous outpour of condolences and memories on social media from friends and family and on worldwide media showed the life of a Renaissance man. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote an obituary. He was an entertainer, stepper, skater, DJ and radio host, and businessman who created opportunities for the people around him. He accomplished a lot, and he was great at many things. On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the world lost a great man with an iconic presence in his coming and going.
It is always a pleasant coincidence when I discover the legends in the Stepping community, and Casper was one of them. I read and learned a lot about Casper from several posts from Facebook friends. Someone quoted Casper saying, “Many people know me as the Creator of the Cha Cha slide but don’t know that I am a stepper.” I was one of those many people. Older steppers told me about Casper several years ago and even showed me videos of his performances. It did not dawn on me until maybe five years ago that Casper, who stepped, was the same Casper who created the Cha Cha slide. Before I learned to step, I was doing the Cha Cha slide because I loved line dancing and knew the name Casper, but it took some time to make the connection that both “Caspers” was one and the same person.
How I met Casper
I met Casper at Stepaganza in St. Louis, Missouri. It was late, and I was walking from the Ameristar Casino to return to my Airbnb when I heard someone call out across the way, “Hey, young lady!” A man and a lady were sitting on the outskirts of the casino, waiting. There are many steppers at Stepaganza that I have never met before, and I was curious and went over to them. The man asked me a few questions, “What is your name?”, “Where are you from?”, “Where did you learn to step?”, “They step in Virginia?” I answered all his questions and laughed at some of them.
He said, “I enjoyed watching you dance. Good job.” I said thank you and realized I did not know who he was. I asked him where he was from and what was his name. He said, “I am from Chicago, and my name is Casper.” I almost fainted and was in a frenzy, asking him many more questions. After the encounter, I was on the phone with the people who had shared his videos with me to tell them everything about my conversation with Casper. It was a great night, and our conversation lifted my spirit.
An Interview with Casper for HersTORI
I had a special opportunity to interview Casper for the HersTORI documentary project. The most difficult part for me on projects like this is interviewing steppers I don’t know. I remembered how down-to-earth Casper was in St. Louis and his interest in who I was. This told me he was not self-absorbed despite his worldwide fame. I knew he was the same Casper that had millions connected through a simple line dance. He was an icon known around the world but moved among and talked with the people like anybody else. Our conversations while meeting and interviewing him taught me that we are all connected and can talk and have a meeting of the minds if we allow ourselves to.
Three Things I Discovered About Casper
- The endgame of his pursuits seemed to always provide benefits and opportunities to the people in his community. In several stories shared on Facebook and his post recruiting new hires at his new restaurant and show club.
- He loved to entertain and kept things simple so that everyone could be included and a part of what was happening. There is no simpler line dance than the Cha Cha Slide that I have learned. I bet if you play that anywhere in the world, at least two people in any room know how to do it.
- Casper used the knowledge he gained from his experiences to help people around him – even in his personal health struggles.
What I will remember about Willie “Casper” Perry is that he paid it forward. And, to keep his memory alive, we should continue his work and pay it forward through the opportunities and doors he opened for those he touched. He prepared us for this part of his journey in many ways. I send my condolences to his family and his friends. He will truly be missed.
Other Posts About Casper
Facebook Post on Willie Casper Perry from Terrance Pratt of ChiStepper
Facebook Post on Willis Casper Perry from Tony Dow, Author of Steppin’ A History of the Dance
Inside Steppin’ Tribute to Casper Perry.
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Welcome! I am the writer Sonji Stewart. These are my travel stories about my Chicago Stepping experiences, traveling from city to city to dance. I hope my stories encourage you to join me in the adventure.
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