WLSC 2023 Weekend Highlights By the Numbers and Perceptions

INSPIRATION: THE WORLD’S LARGEST STEPPERS COMPETITION WEEKEND

Walking away from the World’s Largest Steppers Competition (WLSC 2023) stage can be the most controversial part of the contest experience. The stepping community argues the results, people validate the accuracy of their predictions, contestants evaluate themselves and their performances, and we celebrate or vacillate the winners as a community. 2023 was no different. Everyone has opinions. This year, the excitement of the Original Old School dance-off between contest couples veteran Tyk Mann and Vicki Henning and young gun Stuart Clark and Candace Hayden is at the heart of many debates.

My curiosity and highlights stem from what I learned from the weekend overall. The dance-off was one part of my observations. I want to talk about the results overall, the fashion, and some trends made clear to me over the weekend by the steppers that showed up. I’ll admit that I walked into the WLSC Weekend with a fascination with Original Old School, so I have much to say about it.

The Winning Scores and Almost a Clean Sweep for Chicago Across All Categories

For context, let us start with how the contestant scores are determined. There are different judges for each category, and each category has ten judges. Contestants are judged as a couple based on five criteria: Originality, Synchronization, Footwork, Appearance, and Showmanship. Judges score each criterion on a scale from 1-10, with ten being the best. The highest possible score for a contest couple is 500 points. Only the Original and New Skool categories have 2nd and 3rd place winners. Here are the scores for the winners across all categories for 2023 and what city each couple was based in.

WLSC 2023 Category Placements by City and Total Score

Original Old School shows both the initial tied score and the final dance-off score. For 2023, the winnings were almost a clean sweep for Chicago across all categories, whether both or one person from the couple was from Chicago. Chicago is back with a vengeance. Way to go, Stuart and Candace, because your second-place win disrupted the clean sweep. Every serious contestant should request their score sheet to see how they stacked against the winners.

Was I Looking at Original Old School in Original Old School

I used the Original Old School category contest rules and my article on Defining Old School to measure what I saw for Original Old School. Especially, I was looking for the persona Pharies Henderson mentioned; couples dancing in a box, according to Ramon “Quake” Darnell; and Charlsie Hylick’s mention of transitions from the bop to dancing from the waist down. I listened for the right music selections and looked for footwork, hand movements, and clean turns. The judges’ decisions are final. I won’t debate the outcome, but I asked myself three questions after this contest.

1. Did all three contest couples winning in Original Old School meet most or all criteria? No
2. Were there couples that met more of the criteria that did not place? Yes
3. Andrew Allen’s comment on the Original Old School article comes to mind. “When these two dances [freestyle and bop] are presented together in a contest, they both look like a fish out of water.” Was this true? Stuart and Candace’s bop, Tyk Mann and Vicki’s bop, Celeste and Lloyd’s freestyle, and Scorpio and Roxie’s freestyle stood out from the rest of the performances in the category. Standing out with the bop worked in favor of Stuart and Candace and Tyk Mann and Vicki enough to tie for first place.

The Double Wins for Mark Alexander and Chemeash Grant

As Chemeash said, “Double wins = Double trouble.” I was excited to see Mark and Chemeash make it to the big stage. The chemistry, technique, and synchronization I saw in the TikTok practice videos came to life on stage. I loved both performances and have seen them putting in the work for months in Chicago.

Mark Alexander and Chemeash Grant earned first-place wins in the Walkers and New Skool categories. Well-deserved! Fannie Pettis said the Walkers category is difficult to place in. I agree. The Walkers category was one of the categories with the most contestants on the WLSC program. Mark and Chemeash were elegant, and moments of their walk reminded me of parts of Chase and Wakeba’s performance in 2014. Does anyone know when we have seen the last double wins in the WLSC before 2023?

WLSC 2023 CategorIES AND NUMBER OF CONTESTANT COUPLES

My Favorites in Contest Fashion

The contestants’ fashion, not only the dancing, leaves some of the best memories and impressions with the WLSC audience. Fringe dresses were a trend among the women on stage. To stand out in a fringe dress this year, the color, style, or embellishment would have to make it unique. I love short dresses with a flair and bright colors, and I also love black. If you wore black and knew how to highlight it with a pop of color, I had my eye on you. And the feathers this year were fascinating, and then some folks just came to dazzle us. Here are my top picks for favorite contestant appearances for the stage:

I wish I had a photo of Tyk Mann and Vicki together in the Blue and Black because it would go right here.

FLAMBOYANT, FLIRTATIOUS, FUN, FASHION

The Dance-Off for Original Old School First Place

At the tally of the score for the Original Old School category, #21 Tyk Mann and Vicki and #17 Stuart and Candace tied at 484 points. When Stuart told Pete Frazier, “Let’s dance,” his audacity to challenge a veteran winner earned him the audience’s and his competitors’ respect and admiration. Please note that Stuart and Candace are the couple who won the Beginners category in 2022 – just a year ago.

A Strategic Move

At first, the strategy for one of the youngest couples to pay homage to the bop – one of the dance styles many of the older judges can relate to – was smart. In their first performance against Scorpio and Roxie, Stuart and Candace doing the bop had the crowd on their feet, screaming and applauding. The couple’s classic look and color combination of orange, burnt sienna, and black stood out. You wanted to look at them. The culmination of appearance, high energy, and attitude gave them a competitive edge. The crowd wanted them to win, and the judges’ scores reflected that.

The Decision from the Judges

Did the judges make the right final decision for the dance-off? I return to my article and the contest rules. Tyk Mann and Vicki Henning won, and the judges were right based on what I saw and after comparing the performance to the rules. Tyk Mann commented, “Stuart’s routine could never beat experience…” The final scores were #17 – 466 points and #21 – 486 points. In the dance-off, Stuart and Candace’s score was less than the couple who placed third at 470. 

This veteran versus new blood dance-off made 2023 WLSC a time to remember. I can’t wait to see them back on the stage. Stuart and Candace’s coaches set them up for a win, and Tyk Mann and Vicki had to work for that first. The contest lesson from this dance-off is that one way to win is for the audience to love you, and there is more to making the audience fall in love with you before you even move your feet. Still, you must be ready to dance and “perform” to any song you are given. 

One of the songs selected by the contest DJ for the dance-off surprised me. Blow the Whistle by Too Short released in 2006. That was different for a song in the Original Old School category.

For the Love of the World’s Largest Steppers Competition

The stepping community loves the WLSC. Look at how much we argued and discussed it before, during, and after the contest, whether or not we were present at the Tinley Convention Center. However, I believe steppers in Chicago appreciate the cultural or intrinsic value of stepping more, while steppers and dancers from other cities accept a higher economic value for the WLSC. To explain, let’s use Donnie Davis’ All-Star Class as an example. This year, the turnout seemed lighter. I missed seeing some of the local Chicagoans that were there last year. When I asked around, some people said the $10 price increase for entry was too much. It should have been $5 or none at all.  

How Steppers View the Economic Value of WLSC

I think many people in Chicago do not accept paying $30 because they can see the Chicago instructors any time they want to. These instructors are probably friends. They can call and go to their house for a free jam session and learn. Why pay $30? This All-Star class seems to be just another stepper set. They can go to the Fifty and other places for free or for $5 on WLSC Weekend. On most weekends, locals can go to Donnie Davis’ class on Saturdays for $20 and see most of the same instructors.

Steppers traveling to Chicago see Donnie Davis’ All-Star class as a place to learn, meet new steppers and dancers, and a place to touch hands with Chicago instructors who are not readily accessible. They are mingling with the best of the best to learn and dance with them. I am sure there is more to it, but that is a start, and the value is different. “Out-of-towners” see this as a unique experience they really want to be a part of and are willing to pay – even if it goes from $20 to $30. They appreciate the economic value and are more accepting of the price increase. 

A Perspective on the Intrinsic Value of the WLSC

Do steppers from everywhere else value the WLSC more than the Chicago locals? Some locals were shocked when I exclaimed, “Of course I am going. That is why I am here this weekend!” When I asked, some locals told me they were not going to the contest but were going to watch live streams or videos posted afterward. At least three people asked me how to project the live stream from their phones to a TV or whose page to visit to view the contest. They were not going to the contest but still wanted to see the performances and know the results.

People in Chicago and many other cities counted on live social media feeds to see the WLSC 2023 as if they were there. To steppers everywhere, the WLSC has a high intrinsic value. Many Chicagoans see the stepping experience as a part of the culture that shouldn’t have a high price because of what it is – a part of who they are. It’s like how people used to think we shouldn’t have to pay for water.

Other Factors

Certainly, different factors play into the reasons why the audience attending the WLSC looks different and changes. Contest politics and travel expenses are some. What I observed with the class turnout can be a hint or general reflection of how the community feels about the contest too. In the same breath, we all appreciate the cultural or intrinsic value of the WLSC and want to see the contest. But, it seems that more and more steppers and dancers outside of Chicago are okay with spending more money for the experience, while the locals may feel differently. Meanwhile, this fever and eager energy in the stepping community to see new people winning in the WLSC will foster our contest debates, attendance, and support.

Congratulations to the 2023 World’s Largest Steppers Competition Winners

Here are the 2023 WLSC winners. See the full list of WLSC Winner’s History on the livingthe8count.

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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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