Chicago Stepping was born in the city’s backyard barbecues and clubs. It is a style of dance characterized by sensual body movements, partners spinning each other, and fancy footwork. The tempo is largely controlled by the DJ. A song like “Life in the Country” by the Ebonys, for instance, slows down the pace, pushing dancers into close contact, while “Chicago Style” by Carmichael Musiclover allows dancers to spin faster and show off their unique foot movements. Though the exact origins of the dance style predates the 1970s, it was in that decade that it earned its name—coined by Chicago DJ Sam Chatman, who helped popularize the dance.
Over the years, Chicago Stepping has served as a bridge between parts of the city often divided by gang tensions and violence. “If you started a fight at my set you couldn’t come to my events for a year,” says Chatman. Chatman invited dancers from the South and West side of the city—where local gangs were often at odds—and ensured that conflict was kept at bay when they were participating in his parties. On the city’s Southside, the 50 Yard Line is a popular spot with steppers. The first rule to stepping, a dancer there says, is always be cool. Chatman’s efforts were pivotal to circulating the dance across the city.
Throughout its history, the dance has often been passed down generation to generation. Shawn Bandy, 39, learned to step by watching his aunts and uncles and other more experienced dancers in the stepping community during his family’s basement card parties. Stepping sets, as the gatherings are called, are one of the few places where you can find a couple in their 60s and one in their 30s dancing together.
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