When I think of the World’s Largest Steppers Competition (WLSC) Contest Season, I think about a few things. What is next for the beginners from last year are going to do next? What will the Chicago Prelims look like? Who will win the money at Milwaukee’s Largest?
Returning Winners from the 2022 Beginners Category
The winners for Beginners for any year face a steep learning curve to move to another category. Unless you have been stepping for less than a year when you first compete in the WLSC Beginners, steppers most likely cannot compete for two consecutive years in the Beginners category. Officially, steppers only qualify for beginners if they have been stepping for less than two years. I am looking forward to a year when someone wins the Beginners category and then enters Original Old School or New School the following year and takes the trophy for first, second, or third. That would be a new type of record and shake-up for contest veterans. I am all about a shake-up! Check our WLSC contest history page to get familiar with the winners over the years.
Discontinuing the WLSC Intermediate and Out of Town categories affected how contestants, especially those outside of Chicago, chose a category. If not a beginner, WLSC contestants must choose another category against contestants who may have been dancing for 20+ years. I talked to Beginners Winners from 2022, Stuart and Candace, to find out their contest journey and the plan for 2023.
2022 Beginners Winners Stuart Clarke and Candace Hayden Feature
Candace has been stepping for over two years and came across stepping at a ballroom set while visiting home in Detroit. She fell in love with stepping because it was fun, and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed learning new dances and decided to stick with stepping. Stuart has been stepping for almost two years. He was introduced to stepping through an ex-girlfriend when she and her mom learned to step right before COVID. After the first day in class, he was hooked by the vibe, smoothness, and Old Skool music. Stepping became his outlet and coping mechanism to enjoy himself and live in the moment when he was going through some things personally. And it grew into something he enjoyed.
Candace and Stuart were taking the same class with Class Act in Atlanta and always enjoyed dancing with each other. After recognizing the unique vibe they had with each other, they decided to compete. They discussed being partners to enter a contest at the VFW for fun, and an unexpected chain of events and destiny led them to the WLSC. Winning was surreal, exciting, and felt good for them and was an honor. “
There were so many unknowns, and until the Prelims we had never been on the dancefloor dancing by ourselves with everyone in the room watching.”
Stuart and Candace
Having never experienced this before, the weight of the unknowns was lifted when they could get on stage, vibe with each other, and take the trophy. I had to ask them how it felt to be competing against only one other couple for the 2022 Beginners category.
“It was less pressure because of the 50/50 chance, and at the same time it’s only a 50/50 chance with only two couples, and it is now a head-to-head competition. The mind games and direct comparisons start.” Candace, having danced with Tony in St. Louis and Atlanta before, said, “I know this guy, Tony, and he is a great dancer. And Kiki is Choc James’ daughter. We have to go hard. We have to be prepared.”
Stuart and Candace
The lingering effects of winning felt good, especially going to the set; people knew who they were by name. Now they are focused on growing into their dances individually. Candace and Stuart are back for 2023 and showed up at the Atlanta Prelims in the Original Old School category.
WLSC Prelims in Chicago Start Wednesday, July 12, 2023
The Prelims in Chicago start on Wednesday, July 12, at the Grand Ballroom and start with the New Skool and Beginners categories. The Chicago schedule runs weekly on Wednesdays through July. In some ways, the Chicago prelims seem predictable, but in other ways, they are not. I am excited to see the outcome, but of course, I can count on many contestants to delay the reveal of their partnership or entry until the Last Chance for All categories in Chicago on July 26. Contestants love to keep us on the edge of our seats.
The last Wednesday in July is WLSC contestants’ last chance to qualify in Chicago or change partners. I look forward to the outcome of the Chicago Prelims. Many contestants hold out for the Chicago Prelims. The outcome in the Mecca can change the direction of the contest.
What Contest Followers Are Waiting to See From Chicago
It’s interesting to see who is competing from Chicago. I am glad that after the slim turnout for the Beginners category, it is back for 2023. I want to see the beginners from Chicago and know who their instructors are. It has been a long time since I saw beginner contestants from Chicago.
Every year, steppers watch to see who Kevin Doc Dockery and Tyk Man choose as contest partners. Some steppers and contestants are ready to see either one retire from the contest. In conversation, I have heard if someone believes they can only win the WLSC if Tyk and Doc are not competing, that stepper’s win probably won’t have the respect of Chicago because it was not a contest against the best on stage. I enjoyed watching Tyk and Tori in Minnesota, and I hope they are on the WLSC stage together for 2023. I can never figure out Doc’s choices until he is at the Prelims. And will we see Tyk and Doc compete in the same category on a non-Masters year?
Steppers from Other Cities Qualifying at the Chicago Prelims
After my first year competing in the WLSC, I promised to only Prelim in Chicago no matter where I live. If my contest partner is unwilling to Prelim with me in Chicago, we cannot be WLSC contest partners. For the WLSC, the audience should see you in person in the Mecca before you make it to the stage. Chicago prelims are also a unique opportunity and a great place to get feedback on your performance and contest partnership. Many people in the audience at the Prelims are very open with their opinions about what they see there. The Prelims crowd includes past WLSC judges, contest coaches, and even previous WLSC contestants willing to give feedback and opinions. Every contestant from any city should leverage that audience and opportunity.
New Faces and Contestants in the Original Old Skool Category
During and since the pandemic, there has been a spiked interest for steppers to learn Old Skool to keep the Original style of dance alive in Chicago. Steppers began to focus on footwork and fewer spins and turns. Old Skool steppers – Ty Skippy (RIH), Scorpio, Celeste, Jacques Sanders, Lisa Alexander, Tabu, Kim Bowie, Josiah Burt – to name a few. I hope this new focus encourages some new, younger faces to show up on the big stage for the WLSC Original Old Skool Category. Let’s see what happens this year.
Going for the Money and Bragging Rights in Milwaukee’s Largest
Although there are Prelims in other cities – New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Detroit- I focus on Milwaukee because this WLSC prelim has money on the line and attracts steppers from Chicago. I think of Milwaukee’s Largest as a hybrid contest because of the mix of contestants. People enter to qualify for WLSC, but some contestants compete just at Milwaukee to win the prize money. Sometimes, people who have qualified in other cities like Chicago arrive in Milwaukee to compete and may compete with an entirely different person than their official WLSC partner that they already qualified with. Milwaukee is always interesting, and contestants must be ready to show out against the local competition that steps onto the contest floor, already winning the room because of local support.
The Milwaukee Prelims are on Saturday, August 26. Some contestants show up on the Milwaukee stage to whet their feet on what the competitive energy feels like at WLSC, dancing against the best from Chicago. Here, most contestants are showing up and showing out whether they are advancing to the WLSC. Contestants are not doing the basic to qualify. I have seen that they have Chicago judges on the panel. Milwaukee’s Largest is one of the Prelims I do not want to miss.
Excited for the World’s Largest Steppers Competition Season
Other WLSC Prelims are scheduled in other cities in July – Los Angeles on July 22 and New York on July 29. Prelims in Atlanta and Detroit were held in June. It’s a busy month to get ready and make decisions about the World’s Largest Steppers Competition. Visit our WLSC page on StepintheChi for the full schedule of WLSC Prelims in Chicago and other cities.
Subscribe to Chicago Stepping News by eMail from Sonji
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.
Get the latest blog post by email because every stepper should be on this email list.
By clicking submit, you accept our terms & conditions. We do not share or sell your personal information.
