Gospel Music, Religion, and Spirituality in Chicago Stepping

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INSPIRED BY: A RESPONSE TO ME STEPPING TO GOSPEL MUSIC

Almost every seat was taken at the Sunday Brunch at Carolina Summer Nights in Durham, NC, but the dancefloor was empty. I heard a beautiful song. DJ House was on the 1s and 2s, starting early with great gospel music. I turned to Vince Barnes, “Let’s dance!” After we danced alone, I sat down, greeting everyone at the table. Someone said, “Sonji, you are bold. You were out there stepping to gospel music!” I said, “What do you mean?” She explained, “Stepping to gospel music doesn’t seem or feel right. Why do you think no one else is dancing?” There were questioning looks all around the table, anticipating my reply. “Well, I hate to waste a good song,” I shrugged and laughed.

I was not offended by the comments. Rather, I was puzzled, amused, and amazed. Was this a topic to discuss? The idea for this article was born at that moment in 2016. At least one person had a strong enough opinion or position to approach and reprimand me. Over the last six years, I paid attention to and learned more about gospel music and religious and spiritual influences in Chicago Stepping. The effort was through observation, research, and conversation. I identified familiar songs, gospel stepper sets, and other influences in the Stepping community. What would lead someone to say such a thing to me?

Gospel Music and Its Roots

What is gospel music? Gospel music promotes a spirit of hope and provides an outlet to worship God. It has inspired and drawn from popular music traditions but can be traced back to the 17th century. Gospel music helped slaves escape to freedom and paved the way for other styles of music. Gospel music’s footprint is in soul, jazz, reggae, blues, country, rock, and more.

Artists and songwriters like Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and Kirk Franklin have blurred the lines between traditional gospel and mainstream music. It is easy to find songs with gospel messages integrated into lyrics but with a mainstream, secular feel and sound. There are gospel songs we step and walk to regularly that may not have an overt gospel “church” tone and vibe. Here are a few of those songs. Notice how many of the songs cross over more than one music genre. It has become more commonplace to talk about spirituality instead of religion, and this list considers both.

Gospel Songs on the Stepper Set

Some long-standing traditional values and views may explain why some people see stepping to gospel music or mixing Stepping and gospel music as a no-no. However, things and times are changing. Today in Stepping communities all over the country, DJs play songs at the stepper sets that integrate gospel messages into all types of music that we dance to. We step to gospel music. Listen to the words of the songs.

A Chicago Perspective on Gospel Music, Spirituality, Religion

What helped to guide the research was readily available public information and the people. I had to get personal, and I started with Chicago. Chicago is where I first knew of regular gospel stepper sets and social groups and individuals fulfilling their ministry through stepping events and time on the set.

Regular Gospel Stepper Sets

Looking at Chicago, I have seen a few weekly gospel stepper sets listed week after week in Cynthia Bean’s weekly email newsletter. Sets were hosted at Luversia’s, Josephine’s, and the Quarry Event Center across different issues from 2013, 2016, and 2019. I have not attended a gospel set in Chicago. Still, these were hints enough to show that gospel stepper sets were regular occurrences in Chicago.

Ministry in the Stepping Community

Some steppers socialize, can get down on the dancefloor, and fulfill ministerial work on the stepper set. Some organizations and individuals minister by giving to the needy, helping the homeless, or providing shelter and care for the less fortunate. The Stepping community is one of the primary places I see non-profit organizations, charities, and scholarship foundations at work through events. Many of these activities happen on the set and gain support, donations, time, and money from steppers. I talked to Lisa Alexander of Project 317 and Tony Scales of The Untouchables, Inc from Chicago. They shared thoughts and views on religion and spiritual beliefs relating to the Chicago Stepping culture.

Lisa Alexander and Her Freedom to Step

Lisa Alexander was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She has been stepping for forty-five years. Her big brother, Ronald Alexander, introduced her to Chicago Stepping. She fell in love with Stepping because she believes it is fun and therapeutic. Lisa is an ordained minister, and I see her on the stepper set when I am in Chicago. Project 317 partners with Franciscan Outreach to ensure that beds are offered to homeless people each year and gifts a transitional package to help people get back on their feet.

“Stepping lifts my mood. I find joy in Stepping; it makes me feel good, gives me energy, and is a good way to exercise.  I appreciate the connectivity with others and the relationships that I have developed as a result.”

Lisa A.

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He who the Son sets free is free indeed.  I live in the world, but I am not of the world, so it is not what I do but how I do it that matters. I started stepping at a very young age. It was before I came to know the Lord and long before I accepted my calling.  I gave up Stepping for many years, but my love for the dance never left me. Love covers a multitude of sins. I do my best to exhibit it at all times. God is Love.  I try to conduct myself in a way that is worthy of my calling, decently and in order, and I am always encouraging others of the stepping community to be at peace.

What would you say to steppers who believe they must choose between stepping and their religious or spiritual beliefs? 

To thine own self be true.  Remember, not being who you are is identity theft.  Follow the voice of the Lord. I have never attended a Gospel Stepper set.  Although some of the music played at our sets, I can relate to a gospel message.  For example, Anything Is Possible, If You Believe In Love, and I’m Waiting On You, to name a few favorites of mine. Yes, Chicago Stepping opens the door for my mission (witnessing is personal).  My mission begins in my heart, spreading God’s love abroad.  God is not confined to the four walls of the church.  He is not in a box.  Jesus himself went amongst all of God’s children.

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Tony Scales on The Spirit’s Purpose for Music

Tony Scales remarks that gospel music is hidden and classified under many other genres of music. It’s played regularly on the stepper sets in Chicago, including the sets hosted by The Untouchables, Inc at DuSable Park on Sundays. The Untouchables, Inc executes ministry for feeding, clothing, and helping the homeless and less fortunate in the Chicagoland area. When I go to Chicago, I see Eric Lewis and Tony Scales at the Fifty Yard Line and DuSable.

People don’t want to mix Stepping and gospel music because they are afraid and they think they are being disrespectful to the Spirit of God. It is all in one’s upbringing. The creativity of New school gospel music has changed the mindset of the youth who want to get to know the Lord. I love music, and certain songs make me think of certain things and people.

“Music soothes the savage beast. If it makes sense, it makes amends.”

Tony S.

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Activities at Chicago Stepping Weekend Events

Since 2016, Stepping has gradually spread to many cities and regions beyond Chicago. How do religious and spiritual activities and gospel music influence Stepping in other parts of the country? First, consider weekend events. At large, popular weekend events like Stepaganza and The Heritage Ball, the weekend itineraries include at least a service or a religious-based activity. In 2019, The Heritage Ball in Atlanta, GA, hosted by Good Deeds International, included an Ecumenical Service led by a Pastor. Stepaganza 2022 in St. Louis, MO, hosted by Word of Mouth Entertainment, included a Bible Class instructed by Iary Israel.

Year after year, both events include spiritual and religious activities in the programs. Cheryl “Sugar Foot” Powe, President of GDI, and Iary “Kat in the Hat” Israel, CEO of Word of Mouth Entertainment, are both from Chicago, although living in different cities now. I also talked to steppers from cities outside Chicago responsible for hosting events and stepper sets.

Emerging Gospel Stepper Sets After the Pandemic

Now that I was looking for them, I began to see more flyers for other gospel sets. Emerging from the COVID pandemic, flyers promoted new gospel sets in Chicago and cities in California. On the West Coast, there were gospel night stepper sets on Fridays in Los Angeles and different sets on Sundays in Ontario and Walnut. I talked to Charlene Anders, one of the people behind the coordination and efforts for gospel stepper sets in California.

The West Coast Surge of Gospel Stepper Sets

Charlene Anders started stepping in 2004. She fell in love with the dance from the first movement. To her, Stepping is an art form that both men and women could explore together, embracing their roles without judgment, control, or criticism. She truly believed Chicago Stepping was more than a dance. It is a cultural lifestyle.

“I was so moved by the exposure to something that perfectly described the dynamics of the beauty of the relationship between men and women. The perfect synchronicity, the flow of the two, and becoming one on the dance floor.”

Charlene A.

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Our Christian sets fulfill my love for worship and desire to incorporate my relationship with God in everything I do and even in Stepping. Why do we limit God’s ability to flow through us to a church building? The same God who located Elijah in a cave, or Gideon hiding in a crop field, should not be limited even in his ability to show up in a Chicago Stepping class during the World’s Largest or at a regular local city set.

Is this a concept that your community is receptive and responsive to?

At first, our Christian stepper sets were not received well. When you introduce something out of the norm, it takes a while to get that up and running. It is consistency and commitment that will eventually win more people over. Once people realize that there is no condemnation in doing what we do, they will begin to relax the strong division they draw between their relationship with God and their passion for dancing. I know our Christian stepper set may not be for everyone, NOT because everyone cannot come, but because they might feel uncomfortable dancing to unapologetically Christian music. God wants us to take him out of the box of our minds and discover him out in the open.

Patrons for our Christian stepper sets come out of the regular sets. Some of the top songs we play are Kurt Carr’s “We Lift Our Hands in the Sanctuary,” Dante Bowe’s “Joyful,” Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day,” Carmichael’s “Head to the Water,” Steppers hear songs from artists such as Doobie Powell and Cynthia Jones.  The music I collect mostly is Neo-Soul artists, but I am always searching for music with a message and a vibe that keeps the floor moving. I would love to say I see a place of longevity for Christian Stepping sets. However, we are breaking into a territory controlled by a long-standing tradition of simply dancing for the love of the dance.

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The launch of the new west coast stepper sets seems to be a part of the strategic boon of activities for California steppers since the pandemic. On the west coast, the gospel sets are labeled as Christian from the conversation, marketing, songs, and my experience. I have been to one of the early Friday night gospel sets in Los Angeles. The song selection spanned different music and had a conservative mood and atmosphere.

Are there gospel stepper sets on the east coast? Are there other religious or spiritual factors that play into the Stepping culture on the east coast? I know that the answer to at least one of those questions is a definite “yes.”

Influence and Consequence on the East Coast

Finding no flyers or posts about gospel stepper sets on the east coast, I sought information from weekly events. The All White Steppers Extravaganza in Orlando, Florida, is one of the popular events. They have a worship service on the Sunday itinerary. Walter Lane of Florida Steppers International, a Florida native, hosts this event. On the east coast, steppers incorporate religious and spiritual activities at Chicago Stepping functions. However, the key discovery to remark on is the influence of the Bible Belt culture in the South.

The Effect of The Bible Belt Culture

The Bible Belt states are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Whether operating classes or hosting events, stepping facilitators and organizers in North Carolina, realize that education and honesty are critical to successfully serving an audience with conservative, religious values. Tonya Foreman shared her thoughts on marketing differently, methods to align with social norms, and the importance of reputation.

Introducing and Marketing Stepping in North Carolina

The introduction of Stepping in North Carolina is not typically a hard sell. Showcasing the social benefits of the dance is the appeal. Radio advertising and demonstrations are sometimes the first exposure points for non-steppers here. It is more about creating opportunities in the community for non-steppers to witness Stepping, fall in love with it, and have people interested seek it out and make a choice for themselves. Once engaged, welcoming people subtly and providing a light, respectful social atmosphere with great music keeps the community growing.

“Let those who have ears to hear let them hear.”

Matthew 11:15

Challenges to Social Norms of the South

Because of the conservative religious climate in North Carolina, the Stepping culture can challenge some of the social norms. The initial address, the carousel, or even as far as listening to secular music and following can leave people conscience-stricken or be too intimate. Dancing with someone other than your spouse or significant other can be taboo. “Other people would be dancing with my wife?!” The Stepping climate promotes that we are a community where everybody dances with everybody. Educating new people on the Stepping community’s social etiquette, benefits, and dynamics beforehand helps curb reticence or shock in communities driven by conservative values.

Teaching Chicago Stepping in the Region

Consequently, some instructors adapt instruction to help quell the concerns and conflicts with Southern attitudes and beliefs. You may witness the adaptations in the DC-Maryland-Virginia region also. Although not a part of the Bible Belt, this is a moderately conservative area with many military families. For example, teaching the initial address or the start off to be more hip-to-hip may be something you see in instruction in the South. However, this may be presented as a body-conscious approach to understanding how to adjust to dancing with a woman with big breasts or a man with a big stomach. Executing a carousel and learning to walk may also call for adaptations in this region.

The Importance of Reputation

Doing business with integrity is critical. Patrons pay attention to who steppers affiliate and do business with, even outside the Stepping community. It is not about finding gossip, but people want to know you are not putting them in an atmosphere or cultural climate that will compromise their value systems. They want to know and count on you without having to check. Striving to maintain that integrity with everything Stepping and consistently equating it in all activities outside of Stepping is wise to engage and keep the conservative patrons of the South dancing with you.

The Appeal and Attraction of Chicago Stepping Traditions and Customs

Contrarily, beyond the kinesics of Chicago Stepping, the traditions of etiquette in the Stepping culture attract and speak to the conservative South, looking for respectful environments, low-key music, and no foolishness. The man functioning in his rightful role to lead reflects strong spiritual and religious beliefs. The etiquette for a man asking a lady to dance by taking her hand, leading her to the floor, protecting her on the floor, and then leading her back to her seat is very attractive.

“As a black woman in America having our men function in this way in this culture is something we should preserve.”

Tonya F.

Conservative values in the Bible Belt can be barriers to some parts of the dance while some are learning. Still, those traditional values of the dance have merit and should be preserved, and this region focuses efforts on keeping those traditions alive.

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The Gospel Segment Tradition at the CSN Brunch

I came full circle at the end to return to where this conversation started. I talked with Sharvin Whitted, the now President of Capital City Steppers and host of the annual Carolina Summer Nights (CSN), where the seed was planted for this topic. He was surprised by my 2016 story and the reaction to my gospel dance. Sharvin shared that for at least the last ten years, the CSN Sunday Brunch starts with 45-60 minutes of gospel music and then transitions into brunch. Guests have remarked in feedback for the event over the years that the Sunday Brunch was awesome, and they loved the start with a little bit of gospel music.

“The early gospel segment brings a little bit of church to the weekend for those that want it. It is a special part of the Sunday program for those who appreciate it. They are missing other things they could be doing elsewhere to be at the CSN brunch. This is an appreciation for them being here. DJ House plays gospel and spiritual songs for those away from home, and it has been well received. “

Sharvin W.

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Understanding the Results

The adventure of exploring and observing gospel music and religious influences has been enjoyable, informative, and captivating all these years. I learned so much and talked to some people for the first time, asking personal questions. I am grateful to everyone who joined this conversation and helped fill in the blanks. As Chicago Stepping blossoms nationwide, “things” everywhere change the dance, but I found a common vein in the conversations – Stepping is God or a Higher Power at work everywhere.

In many places in the Stepping community, leaders create space and opportunity to fulfill and serve our spiritual needs, and it does not stop at the music. There is a slice of this community that anyone can enjoy for a long time, no matter your spirituality, who you believe in, or where you are from. I understand why the lady made her remarks to me, and I also see why so many ladies here sit and wait to be asked to dance. I don’t take any of it personally. And, … I continue to dance to the music that moves me.

Thank you and acknowledgment to several people that contributed to this article:

Vince Barnes, Tonya Foreman, Sharvin Whitted, Tony Scales, Lisa Alexander, Dr. Henry Williams, DJ Shorty Smooth, DJ Cross, Herk Williams, Delores King, Lloyd Johnson, Charlene Fowler, Cynthia Bean

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