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On Christmas Eve 2004, fate and I met when I was introduced to Chicago Steppin. Myxoh my was I amazed by not only the footwork, but also the grace, the passion, and the style. I was stirred up so much that I immediately had to take a steppin class. That first class turned into multiple workshops and functions across the nation as I set out on my quest to become an accomplished stepper. Read More |
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Arif “DJ Smooth” Mellow Khris Unique Maurice Turner Bryant Coulter “DJ DJ Chuck Dog DJ Raphael 708-415-3426 DJCalvin DJ Stevo DJ Issy Gets Busy Rockin Rodney Mack Mykel DJ Shorty Smooth DJ Sir John Pierre DJ Sparkles DJ Phantom |
Major Upcoming Events
Ceola's Favorite Youtube Video
To see more video, type chicago steppin, ballroom dancing or hand dancing in the search box
Steppin’ - A Chicago Invention
Steppers Tee Shirts
Steppers Tee Shirts
Steppers Tee Shirts
When cleaning out the garage we disovered a box of Large t'shirts from this year's DSC 2nd Annual Ball. If you would like one, please send a check or money order in the amount of $12 to Ceola Coaston 3846 W Calle Lejos Glendale, AZ 85301 checks payable to: Ceola CoastonAgain, we only have LARGE sizes. Don't proscrastinate and find your check returned because they are sold out.
Stay tuned for more Desert Steppers Connection merchandise
Please include your return mailing address
Have questions coastonceola@yahoo.com
Steppers Websites Steppers Lessons
SOCIAL dancing links African-Americans to their African past more strongly than any other aspect of their culture.
This is hardly surprising, because dance was (and is today) of central importance in West Africa. It is not only a routine communal activity, but an integral part of ceremonies that bind groups together as a people. It links one's personal identity to that of the
group; events throughout the life cycle of the individual and the community are commemorated in dance: fattening house dances, fertility dances, and rite-of-
passage dances.Dance also serves as a mediating force between people and the world of the gods. Specific dances and rhythms were appropriate for particular deities; com
monly, a specific rhythm is assigned to every mask and every step that the dancers perform. 2 Indeed, dance so much a part of the philosophy, customs, and sense of place that eliminating it would radically alter the African view of the universe.Although dances unrelated to ritual exist today in West Africa, most traditional dances have been connected to or are performed during religious ceremonies. Since virtually all such ceremonies are public events, officials such as chiefs, elders, and priests must be able dancers. Those deficient in skill undergo
several months of instruction before assuming office. We can say without exaggeration that dance competency, if not proficiency, is required of all individuals in traditional West African society.The pervasive nature of West African dance inevitably drew it into the struggle between slavers and their captives. Capture and brutal treatment brought psy
chological and cultural transformation, but beyond that, European and American slavers hoped to destroy independent cultural expression among their new ac
quisitions. They attempted to appropriate dance and reshape it into an instrument of domination. This section is concerned with the slaves' ability to retain or
transmute elements of their African cultures in their new environment.Capture, branding, sale, and especially the dread "middle passage" across the Atlantic were unlike anything the captive Africans had previously experienced.
The horror of the experience could only be increased by its unpredictability. Imagine the bewilderment of people herded together for a purpose and a destination they could only speculate about. Surrounded by a variety of African languages (Yoruba, Ibo, Wolof, Bam for more
