At Big Al’s 2012 Steppin’ 4 Life Charity Ball when they did the state roll call I insisted on over the mic recognition of Virginia’s presence. I was one person in the crowd from Virginia hooting and hollering. From that moment, many steppers called me Miss Virginia and I answered it proudly. I got used to traveling solo and made friends in every city I visited but since 2012 there has been an amazing change in the Virginia Chicago-style steppin’ community.
The Virginia Steppers
In recent years and much more noticeably in 2017 a few of our steppers are traveling to many cities for events nationwide – Miami, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York, Charlotte, Raleigh, and other cities. When I go to weekend events there is a specific traveling crew that I see often that gets there before me and definitely are still dancing long after I have left for the weekend. Annette, Ivy, Faith, Porta, Demetra, Lani, Stephanie, Danita, and Odette. Look out for these smiling faces on the dance floor in your cities.
We have some talented steppers here and some have truly inspired me in my journey – two I must mention specifically. They are always smiling but have impressed upon my dance two specific things. Simmy Washington reminds me to have fun and loosen up. Tiffany Longmire is effortlessly precise without being mechanical. I always enjoy watching her step.
Growing and Showing in Stepping
Now one particular stepper shows me if you just keep dancing, you will see the results – Porta Aviles. I consider her a fearless stepper because she makes no hesitation to get on the floor with the best to learn even in front of an audience when she is nervous. I have seen her dance for many songs in a row and have seen the progressive change in her dance. Porta whatever you are doing, keep doing it!
The Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads community shows that intentional effort can take you to new heights in only five years but we are still working at it – both personally and as a community. When people ask me where I am from I say I live in Virginia. I get surprised looks because folks don’t know too much about the steppers in Virginia. Well, yes, we step in this state. Our community has grown, some steppers have moved to other states but still, many good things are still happening in our community. A lot of the steppers here also do ballroom and love to line dance.
Virginia Events
Now we have two major events each year with top-notch instructors. In early 2018, Drew Alexander, Tyk Mann Ali, Andre Blackwell, and Monique Caldwell will be feature instructors for our two biggest weekend events. Style Masters is on the Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend and in March the Emerald Set. Plan to make it to Virginia for one or both of these events soon. You still have at least three months to plan. I am telling all my stepper friends to be here. If you like to venture out into the city on a steppers weekend the area has a lot to offer – great museums, the naval bases, great jazz bands, and great seafood restaurants on the oceanfront.
Outside of weekend events, different groups host instructors at other times during the year. This year Westside Mike, Snoopy King, and Drew Alexander have already visited. Virginia Beach is about a four-hour drive from DC/Maryland and two to three hours from Raleigh, NC. We are a short drive away from other major cities that help to feed our steppin’ needs.
Local Sets in Virginia
Like other steppin’ communities we still have some opportunities ahead of us for growth and to get better. We don’t have a regular weekly local stepper set. We are in a thriving military community but despite that, we need more male steppers that stay. The ladies in our community have the traveling bug, but we need more of the men to travel not just to promote an event. As a transient community, some of our steppers have relocated due to military duty or contractor work. In my local city, Virginia Beach, we have different groups with beginners or mixed classes, but no focused continuous intermediate level classes. We are working on improving all of this in different ways. Well, I hope that sheds some light on what and how we do in my current city and what we are still working towards. Don’t underestimate Virginia! If I don’t see you in your city soon, I hope I will see you in Virginia early next year.
