August 27, 2021, marked the five year anniversary of the official launch of livingthe8count.com. We could not have made it this far without your support. Every stepper I meet motivates me and so much has changed and grown since this blog has started – because of you. And, change doesn’t stop. I am so glad to boast about our achievements. Let’s hit some of the high notes over five years.
Most Popular Posts and Pages
Two of the posts were your suggestions. Please continue to submit your story ideas. And, I feel privileged and a huge sense of responsibility for those who have conversations with me to share their stories and to tell them right.
Top 5 Favorite Posts
- 2017 Should A Lady Ask A Man to Dance
- 2018 Taking Care of Your Feet renamed “The Right Dance Shoe for Chicago Stepping“
- 2019 Reggie Miles on the Three Dimensions of Chicago’s Social Dance
- 2020 Steppin’. A Historian’s Perspective – Terrance Pratt with Chistepper
- 2021 DJ Sam Chatman Shares What Happens When You Follow the Music
Most Visited Page
In 2021, when many readers approached me about stepping classes, we decided to add a new page to be a quick introduction to Chicago stepping and how to find classes. Excluding the home page, In less than 6 months, Learn to Step, has been the most visited page on the website.
Our Growth is from your Loyalty
Our audience has grown by 154% in five years. Thank you for sharing my posts and coming back every time every week.
National support means everything to me. I have to recognize the top 10 states for staying with me through everything.
On the Matter of Stepping History
On Facebook, I mentioned the disappearance of some of the popular websites that were dedicated to Chicago Stepping. I realize the work behind putting together accurate information, organizing it, publishing it and paying for it out of your own pocket. I will always respect the work and memory of the people I know behind the business of publishing stepping history – the historians, Markie Bee (RIH) and Terrance Pratt. The role I have embraced in the stepping community with writing is to encourage steppers to visit Chicago. Since day one of livingthe8count that has been my mission and nothing is changing. I talk to the people I meet and share my experiences and conversations. To me, livingthe8count shares the new history and parts of the old that Chicagoans honor me with.
New things are happening with livingthe8count to continue to fulfill our mission and stand behind the cause. We are now an LLC. In 2021, our newest program is stepintheChi.org, a website launching in September 2021. This website is to help steppers to find information for traveling to and stepping in Chicago. It provides information from steppers by steppers. I am very excited and hopeful. I’ve responded to a lot of calls and emails to help steppers plan visits to Chicago, so I hope this can help others looking for the same information.
I shall continue storytelling and sharing on livingthe8count.com. I hope you visit and support stepintheChi.org. Our goal is to help any stepper who has been timid to go to Chicago or just didn’t have enough information to get to know Chicago and learn in the “Mecca of Stepping.” To be a part of this venture, please contact me at sonji@stepintheChi.org or livingthe8count@gmail.com.
Thank you very much everyone for the love and support. This adventure has become more than I imagined. It seems that we’ve been doing things right by following our hearts and listening to the voices of the people. Keep talking, I’m listening.
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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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