Sometimes it is necessary to see things from the other side of the coin. This time, Kevin Brewer, the host of the Steppin’ and Glampin’ weekend gives livingthe8count his own review. Kevin gives the low down and insider’s view on the event and what steppers should look forward to next year at Steppin’ and Glampin’ 2022.
After attending a similar hip-hop event in Texas three years ago, Kevin was inspired to take the steppers’ weekend event experience to the campgrounds. He noticed at that event that at the parties the music was dope, but people were just standing around. We know how annoying standing around can be for steppers. Steppers dance all night. He pondered the idea of bringing an experience like that to the steppin’ community and realized that it had the potential to be a win-win. Steppers already travel in strong numbers, and he and Will Barnes had previously hosted successful parties under the moniker, “THE MOVEMENT IS REAL.” There was an audience to grab, and the challenge to bringing the idea to life was to find the right place and show people how to do it.
What is the vibe that you wanted to bring to stepping, and did you achieve your vision?
I truly wanted to do something different. I have been stepping for 13 years, and I have been all over the country to pretty much every stepper event there is. I wanted to twist the format up from having a standard 4-day weekend with parties and classes. I live in Chicago and we step often. I wanted to create something for us to get to know each other more intimately versus the passive nature of being in a club and saying a 1-minute hello to each other. Imagine waking up, cooking, eating, laughing, playing, and dancing the entire day.
Sam Long went live at Walmart purchasing sweatbands. I wondered what was he getting ready for. Tell us why you added the games element and who won tug-a-war?
The game element came from my competitive side and wanting to have good old-fashioned fun. I was thinking, “What can we do besides step?” The campgrounds had a kickball field already so that was for sure. I threw the idea of having a slip and slide past Aki Carter and he was like, “Bro you should add that to the kickball game!” I thought, “Damn. Genius!!” The obstacle course came from my childhood memories so I incorporated that. The tug-a-war idea was copied from the event I attended in Texas in which the women went against the guys. To answer your question about who really won the tug a war at Steppin’ and Glampin’. It is true the women did win, but I want to add that the women outnumbered the guys by 4 to 1. For some reason, the guys were too macho to play.
What were some of the surprises for you for the weekend?
The surprise of the weekend or should I say the event was the number of people who attended. I would have been happy with 25 folks but we had 225 black folks outside camping. The love and camaraderie were incredible. Just ask anyone there.
What do you think you did right from the start to have a successful event?
Well, I was leery about the support I would get for this event because it was outside. I have thrown steppin’ sets since 2013 along with my partner Will Barnes and they were very successful. I knew if I marketed it right, I would at least get 25 folks. A lot of people told me they appreciated the coaching and instructional videos I provided. I also test-by-theory and went on camping excursions with Michael and Dian Davney and used them as my testbed. Once I saw them having a good time, I knew I had something.
What are two things you know you are going to do differently for 2022?
First, I am definitely going to set a budget aside to feed my staff and me. We were up at 5:00 am getting ready for the crowd and worked until 2:00 p.m. straight and did not have time to feed ourselves. Secondly, I will not have so many activities planned Saturday, many people felt rushed and wanted more time to cook, grill, and chill around their perspective areas.
What part of Steppin and Glampin was most memorable for your guests?
There were a lot of memorable moments but I would say the Saturday party was EPIC. The mix of hip-hop, line dancing, and stepping was dope. DJ Shorty Smooth smashed that party.
Someone said “Steppin and Glampin made camping cool again.” Tell us, what’s cool about camping? What would you tell steppers who never went camping before to expect?
The cool thing about camping is that is different and it forces you to have camaraderie and to communicate.
Thank you for the inside scoop Kevin. I am sorry I missed this one, but I will definitely see you next year. You know – 2022 looks like it’s gonna be a little spooky. LOL.
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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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