History in the Making with Silhouettes of Stilettos

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 see the fruition of a dream deferred. She admitted that she thought of the idea in 2019. Pandemic circumstances delayed the opportunity to make it happen. It was worth the wait, the ticket price, and the celebration. Charnice has already announced that Silhouettes of Stilettos will be an annual event.

The price and the dress code set the tone for a significant, elaborate evening and did not fail to execute the vision. Silhouettes of Stilettos was hosted at Governor’s State University in University Park, Illinois, approximately 36 miles from downtown Chicago. Ticket prices ranged from $65-$100 per person. The awards presentation took place in an auditorium with stadium-style seating and state-of-the-art audio-visual effects. The VIP reception staging felt magical, ostentatious, and opulent in an open space separate from the auditorium. It was a grand first impression.

VIP Reception and Award Ceremony

The VIP Reception MC was sweet-talking, shy guy Tony Adway. Dinner was served. Tori Lynch and I performed a spoken word dance to my poem, “Unapologetically Me.” The award ceremony started on time with two of the stepping community’s most charismatic, humorous hosts Pete Frazier and Madaline “Maddy B” Haywood. I observed the quietest moment of silence with lit cell phones at the start of the awards program in memory of steppers no longer with us. That was very nice. The audience preserved reverence and decorum from start to finish. It was an entertaining storytelling program lasting a little over two hours. Here are the ten honorees and their awards:

Funny story. Earlier in the ladies’ room, I helped a woman zip her dress. When I saw her walk out on stage as an honoree receiving an award, I laughed in surprise. I was a little embarrassed that I did not recognize who she was earlier. Sometimes I never know who I am interacting with. She was Mona Echols. This was my sign that tonight’s agenda was to “know” people by face and name.

My Top Five Moments

The storytelling documentaries to introduce honorees shared an astoundingly rich history not only about the honoree but about the journey and significance of Chicago Stepping history. The honorees’ life stories were the most impactful part of the night’s program. All the stories and honorees left an impression, but these were my top five moments.

1. Sherry Gordon’s presentation of The Star Award posthumously to Jannice Robertson and Jannice’s 91-year-old mother stealing the show.
2. Fabulous fashion and glamorous appearances but especially Tracy Neal’s dress was everything.
3. The stories. How Mona Echol’s passion for fashion was driven by her desire to be a model, Lisa Alexander’s love for her community, what inspired Black Mary’s movement and being in contests, how Cheryl Jackson started Good Times Production with the five Alexander brothers, and several contest moments and memories for women like Cynthia Shanks, Celeste, and Dimples.
4. Emotional and unforgettable was Leanna Miles’ acceptance speech about her father, her first love and her husband, her forever love; Tyk Mann’s humorous recount of memories of Jannice, and the Take 1 Take 2 in Mona Echol’s introduction of her numerous achievements.
5. The musical performances – the sound and every song – by L’Tanya and the band were phenomenal.

The Idea, Planning, and Creativity

With a great concept, planning, and creativity, anything is possible. Silhouettes of Stillettos showed signs of all three.

The Idea and Concept

Before this event, the most recent experience I believe steppers could connect to a stepper’s awards show was the Lifetime Achievement awards ceremony at Stepaganza. Silhouette of Stilettos differentiated itself through marketing as a one-night-only award show with some dancing. It was not a three-to-four-day steppers weekend event.

Hosted close to Chicago, people traveling from elsewhere had easy access to the regular, local sets happening every day of the week if they wanted more time stepping in the city. As a black-tie, red-carpet affair with honorees, the tone was for reverence and respect. The marketing was brilliant.

Planning

Most impressive was the program’s integrated storyline. For example, in her video introduction, Dave Maxx recalled Leanna Miles reprimanding him at her party in his younger days. And, here he was, escorting her on stage for the award. The presenters, the men escorting awardees, and the honorees were connected or related to each other in some way in their stepping journey.

We cannot control the seasons but hosting an event late in the year poses potential challenges since the weather in late November can be very unpredictable. It is the start of the chill in Chicago and the end of the hurricane season. Some folks from other cities missed the event due to flight delays and cancellations because of the storms. I hope that Charnice considers moving the event up earlier in the year.

Silhouettes of Stilettos had all the signs of an elegant awards show. Multiple photographers, step and repeat backdrops, a red carpet, a VIP reception, stage escorts, a trophy girl, memorable hosts, great audio-visual effects, good music with musical entertainment, and honoree interviews. All the presenters spoke from the heart with no notes. The plan for all these pieces, people, and parts all came together well to pull off a great show.

Creativity

The creativity was in the name and the ambiance set for the event. The show’s opening told us clearly what inspired the name Silhouettes of Stilettos. I am not one for spoilers, so I hope you watch the award show’s broadcast when it is released. I loved it! Understanding that there was no ballroom for a reception and seeing how they transformed the open space into the VIP reception seemed miraculous but beautiful. It was comfortable, good temperature, spacious, and glamorous. The decoration and ambiance set the perfect tone for the rest of the night.

What Did the Men Think of the Event

I specifically wanted to know what the men thought about this celebration of women. I intentionally spoke with someone who did not step – Darrius Barron, someone from out of town – Leonard Gregory from Toledo, and Chicago locals – Dave Maxx, Jamil Bey, and LC Henderson. They all said this was an evening of black elegance, with everyone looking classy. Charnice Simmons did a phenomenal job. Silhouettes of Stilettos created a space for women to celebrate and acknowledge their work and each other.

This event was needed and long overdue and is a moment that has started new history. Silhouettes of Stilletos was more than a celebration of women and presented rich information about Stepping history. “She started something important here. It is the start of something much bigger, and I can see it growing for years to come.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award. Cheryl Powe presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Black Mary to close out the awards segment of the show. When I spoke to Cheryl after the event, she expressed that it was important for her to give honor and respect for the work and history Black Mary had created and achieved in her life. She spoke from the heart and expressed what she knew and felt about Black Mary. She set the tone with her outfit, walk onto the stage, and introduction speech. I saw heart and work from every presenter and even the trophy girl, Chemeash Grant.

Planning for Growth of Silhouettes of Stilettos

The challenge for this event as it grows will be logistics if it keeps the same flow of activities. In the program transition from the reception to the auditorium, people were unsure where to go, and getting to the right seat was challenging. I saw a few moments of musical chairs for the honorees and attendees to get settled in the auditorium.

A simple solution could be more guides in place to help usher guests. Sometimes the event has to happen to realize these problems, and they did not delay the event’s start. Everybody ended up where they needed to be, and the show started on time.

The VIP Reception was elegant, and the food was great. A longer entertainment program during the reception could make it lively. At the start of the night, many people were not dancing despite the musical sounds from Tyk Mann and Jay Boogie, but the end was quite the opposite. The dance floor stayed packed after the awards show ended when the Celebration Mixer kicked off.

I have one wish; of course, I know this comes at a cost. I wish the 2022 Silhouettes of Stilettos had a memento or a printed event program to add to my stepper’s scrapbook.

The Questions About 2023 Silhouettes of Stilettos

Silhouette of Stilletos will be an annual event, and already there are questions:

1. How are the honorees chosen, and will all the recipients be from Chicago?
2. Will the event stay in the same location and happen again in November?
3. How can we get more of the younger steppers to be there?

The Purpose and The Opportunity

I walked away from Silhouettes of Stilettos, first wondering, “After 30-40 years of my adult life, which award would I deserve?” Then, I consider my resources, time, and talent and wonder if am I doing enough. Look at these women and what they are doing and all they have already done. What impact do I want to make on my community that will be my life story? Silhouettes of Stilettos inspired a woman like me. I learned so much about women that I have seen and heard about, but I realize there is much Stepping history still to be revealed in conversation.

There are many opportunities, especially for this event, to draw even more women to the Stepping community. I anticipate that the success of this event in 2022 will attract and draw the attention of many more steppers and attendees. Zee Thomas told me that women’s organizations have reached out to her to attend and support in 2023. I think Silhouettes of Stilettos will attract non-stepping organizations to fuel and encourage recognition of what this is and can be. A great opportunity!

Women outnumber men significantly when we look at the nationwide Stepping community. That’s the problem that local Stepping communities everywhere already see as a challenge. Will the men in the Stepping community create a similar initiative to celebrate the men and potentially attract new men and grow from it too? Let’s see.

Charnice Simmons, you did an excellent job showing us what this community of steppers can do when people come together and are motivated to act and perform for a purpose greater than themselves. Great job, and I will be at Silhouettes of Stilettos again next year. And I am going to practice “Sil-hou-ettes-of-Sti-le-ttos. It’s a tongue-twister.

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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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