The Chicago Stepping Tradition Of Men Dancing With Men

Dj Stretch Alex, Feb 2, 2011
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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: July1, 2022

This pancocojams post showcases a 2011 YouTube video of the Chicago Stepping freestyle tradition in which men dance with other men. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are included in this post. These comments present information about the history of men dancing Chicago Stepping freestyle with other men. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to these featured dancers and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicago-stepping-information-videos.html for Part I of a 2013 pancocojams series on Chicago stepping. The link for Part II is given in that post.

Also, click the "Chicago stepping" tag or Google "Chicago Stepping pancocojams" for additional pancocojams posts about that dance style.

Editor's Note: Chicago Stepping isn't the same as the steppin'[g] that originated with and is still most closely associated with historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zikVaKr9K3c

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

This is only a small sample of the comments about men dancing with men that are found in this discussion thread.

2011

1. Mistepper1
"This old-school gangsta steppin right here! lol You TRULY would have had to grow up in Chicago to understand! Back in the 70's, the men did all the STEPPIN, while the ladies stood back and watched! REAL TALK!"

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2. hazeleyesChicago
"@ MrGucciboo - You had to have been there, back in the day and even now to understand the Steppers culture in Chicago.  Steppin' is a way of life here.  Steppin' is such a hot style of dance when done well.  The men in the video are "Free Styling", which allows for so many types of moves, as well as dancing with opposite and/or same sex partners.  The men in the video are doing some very stylish and hard core moves.  Don't focus on their gender, focus on their moves. Those some bad ass moves. " 

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3. nettewash
"Now this is how you step, FREESTYLE! No looking like you're line dancing! Go ahead y'all, do the damn thing!"

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4. Ira Seay
"Dudes is cuttin it up!!!! Chitown STANDUP!!!!"

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2012

5. Dominique Ali
"That's some old school steppin!!!!"

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6. hazeleyesChicago
"Men have been Boppin' and/or Steppin' together at least since the 50's.  I remember watching the gang members back in the day, in the 60's outside the corner record store boppin' on 61st Street, the south side where I grew up.  My mother still talks about how those "cats" could jammm!  I took Steppers workshops in the 90's and the men practiced with each other.  Cool as hell, stepper smoooth...."

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7. Carla Ford
"my big brother was one of those steppers back in the 70's......he did this 'show off' thing with his guy friends....it was like a mating call for the ladies who were there at the party......he was and still is a ladies man...he had ALLLL THE GIRLS....he is all man...all the time.....and I'm from chicago.....we roll like that"

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8. Knot2005
"THE BOMB DOT COM. THESE ARE SOME SMOOTH MOVES. DON'T HATE, MOTIVATE!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!"

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2013

9. RemyDeLeMonde
"The people calling this gay obviously are NOT from Chicago, nor do they have people from Chicago. Steppin is a dance that everyone has fun doing, and men are seen dancing the step together in the R. Kelly "Happy People" music video."

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10. Black Girl Magic BGM, 2018
"And the women watched while just enjoyed them doing their thang.

If the women didn't mind why should you?"

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11. Arthur J
"I love this!!!. The brothas are cool, skilled, and comfortable doing their thing. Great energy between them."

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12. toogrown83, 2016
"soulbreeda a man has to be very comfortable within himself and his manhood to do this...black people in America  have a very warped sense of manhood... throughout the world it is not uncommon for men to dance with each other whether due to religious requirements or cultural reasons"

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13. Susan Miele, 2016
"They are just showing their moves. It's dancing. Doesn't matter who you dance with if you can move, move. I wish they had this everywhere. Everybody get sharp and go out. Sat nite. sigh"

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14. Treva Vaughn, 2020
"They are so smooth"

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15. Arthur J, 2020
"@Alexander Brown  A man dancing with a women doesn't  make you masculine, nor does dancing with a man make you feminine. Dancing is simply dancing."

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16. CuteeCupee
"Kicking it old school. Love it."

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17. Henry Gibbs
"O.G's Rocked it!!!!"

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18. Raheem Shakur
"PLAYA PLAYA's !...

THAT is STEPPIN!"

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2014

19. bacoia
"When I was in grammar school(many years ago) I would sneak into the high school parties near my home to watch the guys step together, it was something to see.....They had mad skills...."

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20. kitsolo9, 2020
"Thank you for sharing that. I was beginning to think I had false memories. Everything has changed so much. When I was in high school in the early eighties in Chicago the boys used to step in the gym and I would skip cut class to go and watch. At that time there were very few girls that could step. That didn't come until much later and even to this day it's normally the guys who show out and the ladies play it cool. Those men were SO smooth."

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21. cadillacstr8mk
"I grew up in Chicago and I remember back in the day  "the early 70's" the only people that really were Steppin were Straight up Gangsters Disciples ,and Vice Lords, Hardcore Pimps and Macks . What drew me to Steppin was the fact that these dudes were super cool with permed out hair ,Ocean waves ,Finger waves and Custom made Clothes, or we called them "Mades" and Stacy Adams shoes . That being said , Times are different now so I can see why people think it's "suspect" ! Back then nobody even thought anything funny because those dudes were know for criminal lifestyles."

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22. cadillacstr8mk, 2016

"Fa Sho !!!!"

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23. Monica Williams, 2017
"cadillacstr8mk.  you are so right... ..grew up in Englewood they were banging and stepping. All the ganstas and pimps stepped they ass off."

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24. Real Estate Answers, 2018
"....But they holdin hands and everything!!! 🤢"

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25. REALLIFETv, 2018
"DL brothers...you would never suspect Them being gay because of they tough guy persona.""
-snip-
"DL" = "down low" This refers to keeping something -in this case one's sexual preference/s -secret.

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26. Suzie From the block, 2018
"cadillacstr8mk I think that  it’s very artistic, whilst it retains its macho image 🙏 I like it"

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27. CHERISH AMOURA, 2019
"I love it and it doesn't look gay to me"

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28. fefe917, 2019
"Yes!!!!!! You better tell em!!!!"

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29. Anniece Washington, 2019
"I was just telling my husband that when I use to go to the basement parties this is what the guys did, they stepped together, sh&t* . . .what woman could step like that back in the day and we did not think any of them as being gay . . ."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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30. ricardo catlett
"Did u say where the women lol'' ?  Baby this is Chicago style stepping and most women could'nt keep up1 Or felt the need to get down on this song like men do!!"

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31. ricardo catlett
"See with women you rarely find the ones who STEP' and women in Chicago are so sophiticated'' and sometimes hard to approach on the Stepping tip unless you know em' But men hear a song and just start stepping and the beat a be so smooth that a man can't resist the oppertunity too Step and show his skillz even if it means STEPPING with another guy that's all it is Is fun!''

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2015

32. ayjay36
"Some stepping fools right there.  Get down. What are the songs?"

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Reply
33. joni baloney, 2017
"One of them is Mario's Call the Cops"

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34. Lee Jordan, 2017
"joni baloney And the James Brown  Band "More Peas"."

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35, Bronzeville Historical Society
"This is how I learned to step... watching my brothers stepping in the front room after we pulled the rug and waxed the floor.

I am four years younger than them... guess what we all still dance together"

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36. Rabi'a Keeble
"I love seeing these brothers show out with their steps.  It reminds me of Africa and the Middle east how men dance together!"

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Reply
37, mija288, 2021
"Yes. Exactly!"

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38. DeeDee Doted
"I don't believe it is "gay".  It is more of like a challenge/battle dance.  From learning about the HISTORY about stepping, it was said that they men started this because the girls couldn't keep up and weren't strong enough to effect some of the tricks."

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39. Slj Wilson
"Y'a'' don't have to understand that people can have fun and enjoy the mastery of steppin' without being afraid of ignorant people thinking this is a a bunch of homosexuals.  I miss this kind of steppin and wish I was back in the cityI was thinkin the same👌🏾"

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40. R. V.
"These Brothers are smooth!"

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41. Clockwork Red 
"This is brotherly love, the jewel some idiots will never comprehend"

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42. chicagorilla 21
"+Clockwork Red Right because they not from chicago"

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43. Big body Benz
"indeed"

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44. lala1milable, 2016
"I just think dancing with your significant other is a good way to nurture relationships. Not a big fan of a bro-mance.

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45. Cher yl, 2017
"I'm not from Chi-town but I get it. So cool."

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46. MrsRozier, 2017
"I've never seen 2 dudes dancing before... but I think if I can dance like this with my girls why can't the fellas... loved it!"

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47. Ayinde Murphy, 2018
"I remember once I was stepping by myself and a dude stepped in and started dancing with me. I thought he was gay at the time but now I see that maybe I was wrong".
-snip-
"Ayinde" is a Yoruba (Nigeria, West African) name for males.

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48. Tawanda LINDSEY, 2018
"Amen old schools understand"

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49. Carr !rene
"its like piano stride back in the day, Harlem Renaissance but only this time dance and body form.Nothing gay about it lol im not from the Chi but i know my history and this right here is history staying alive."

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50. Rod Shaw
"your so right. think of the b-boy breakers, pop lockers, boogalooers. Same concept. it's about the style, flash. who got juice."

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51. Connie Jones
"Before stepping it was the Bopping in the 70s still going strong HALA chitown walktown  Illinois"

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2016

52. Shari McHayle
"The first time I saw this video ,I fell in LOVE!!!!!  This is the tightest dance I have ever seen!! These brothers are casket sharp and looking good dancing!! I'ts not a gay thing--i'ts an art!! As a matter of fact I have shared this video with many people and they love it too. And by the way, I am from D.C and you guys need to come here and showcase your dance.  Breeze Dancers or other venues.  I watch this over and over, and each time it looks sharper! Thank you my brothers."

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53. G Abron
"Excellent dancing!! Folks stop with dem twisted minds!!!  Brothas having fun ain’t nuttin wrong here!   Do it now👏"

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2017

54. À la mode Design
"These guys are not gay. I know most of them personally. This is simply a demonstration of old school Steppin'. The reason they were not dancing with ladies is because they were demonstrating to the audience. Chicago Style Steppin' can be done with two women, two men, or a woman and a man. You simply need a leader and a follower, doesn't matter the sex. 😄."

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55. Big W Mack
"If you notice everyone has their own style.."

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56. StrikePython
"Terrance pitts you already know what goes down in the chi makes it way to the D and vice versa"

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57. Sharon Thomas
"Mississippi steps like that to."

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58. Anthony Taylor
"I know y'all saying this is a Chicago thing but with much love y'all it just don't look right"

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59. clipsahoii, 2019
"Lmaooo"

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60. S Henry, 2019
"@clipsahoii  This is a battle of foot SKILL thats it thats all. With woman its different more like a courtship dance.."

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61. ɴᴅɢᴏᴄʜʏʟᴅ ♊
"if you so bothered by seeing two men stepping together then you should question your own sexuality.  Everything ain't sexual.

This step is the bomb..".

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62. Darkness, 2021
"Word!"

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63. Mali Rabbit
"I like his long white shoes! Back in the day we called them tic tacks!"

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64. Truthful Rating
"The baddest steppers everrrrrr. I love it"

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65. Janeen White
"Love it! Excellent job, fellas!"

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66. Baby Doll
"Is Taboo still stepping??? He is awesome!!  More of him please."

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67. ONekki Montrea, 2021
"Yes he is

He teaches a class in Detroit"

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68. Nichole Royster
"Nothing but some real brotherly love.."

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69. Leon deVose
"Two things to consider (I know I am late to the conversation).  First, in West and Central Subsahara Africa (and many other cultures), dancing was a demonstration of virility.  Men who could not dance skillfully were considered as weak.  It was as important to dance as it was to hunt game and protect the village.  The men were considered as strong on the basis of their ability to demonstrate mastery in dance.  A few years ago, I enjoyed a Nigerian Ibo birthday party.  The men were the ones "dropping it".  Remember, you need good knees to drop it and pick it back up again. 

I am 57.  I grew up during the 60s and 70s.  During this time a guy who wanted to have any romantic success had to have three qualities.  He had to be able to sing the love classics (Motown, Soul) (privately in her ear at least), he had to look, smell and dress clean.  He had to dance.  If you were lacking these, it was hard to obtain the key to beginning a relationship - "the digits'.  Of course later, he had to show that there was more to him than partying, primping, pimpin' and singing - like work ethic, character and some kind of plan.  No, this system was not perfect, but, well that is another discussion.   I had a jump, because despite my overwhelming insecurity, I was a musician, and when behind my instruments a monster, so... .  Think of Andy Kaufman after his conga performance. 

A lot of words here, and I apologize, but I first saw guys dancing together during the advent of disco.  The "Hustle" was big, so a lot of guys would work out elaborate routines with whoever was readily available - brothers, sisters, cousins, runnin' buddies, etc.  At a party you would see two guys who were by no means other than straight, dancing in solid sync.  It is like @ricardo_catlett said, that for men it was a demonstration of expertise, not sexuality.  They developed their skills with those who were willing to perform with them, and "do 'da' thang"!"

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70. steezie steezie
"Leon De Vose, II IT JUST LOOK SUSPECT((FLATOUT!"

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71. Vassie Adams, 2018
"Sin and perverted behavior is not new."

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72. Vassie Adams, 2018
"Steezie,  its suspected gayness.  I couldn't hardly view this.  These  strange men, whatever they are flirting and performing for each other"

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73, Lancey Kersti, 2018
"Its a sin for them to dance? Lol"

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74. DJ B-1 Planet Funksville
"i have never seen two guys dance together  before"

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75. johnina Ryan, 2018
"What an education for you than !!!"

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76. Daren Terr.
"to the best of my knowledge,..there are a few of the men on this vid that have been around from the beginning of stepping... and they show how the freestyle has evolved....and make some wish they can step...thats just like old breakdancing( i guarantee,...theres some moves in BOTH dances you've NEVER seen, and probably never will)...wasn't a lot of women doing it....wasn't nothing gay about it."

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77. seuqraM014
"This is how we roller skate in Baltimore MD with the same tempo and music.

Oh and we skate as a mens trio. I swear it looks like they are skating."

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78. seuqraM014
"And it's all about the show boating. Who has the best or tightest crew. LOWRIDERZ!"

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2018

79. Imperial Dagger
"This reminds me of a dance competition at the annual Puerto Rico Day Festival here in Chi.  One year there was a gigantic salsa competition where there were all kinds of couples.  One male couple crushed and killed it so hard people were losing their voices from screaming.  And they won.  Que viva la fiesta y que viva el baile !!"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English: "Long live the party and long live the dance!!"

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80. phillips Sykes
"Back then I we as black men didn't  haven't questions our manhood we knew what we about we always had a great time including our women they loved to see brothers on the floor who could step like these brothers here .CHICAGO WILL ALWAYS BE the birth place of the true STEPPERS  mister p from CHI long live the true steppers"

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81. Wonderful World
"Love it! This how it goes down in the Chi"

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82. djbhe
"Steppin or boppin has been around since the 60's and all the people talking about it looks gay are young or from somewhere that knows nothing about it. This is how the old school gangsters,pimps, hustlers and macks use get down back in the day. These guys are good but I know steppers from Chicago ten times better than them. It's plenty of videos on YouTube of it, go check it out. They dance with women also but these guys are freestyling. The only people that really know what time it is are people from Chicago and Detroit."
-snip-
The comments section for this pancocojams post includes an excerpt from another Chicago stepping video's discussion thread about the differences between Chicago stepping and Detroit ballwroom dancing.

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83. djbhe
"Old school steppin like the gangsters (GD's/folks) from the 80's with the long butters (finger waves) and Alligators & Foti shoes steppin to the JB's. I miss those days. Two guys steppin is normal for people from Chicago or Detroit. This is not no damn swing dancing it's steppin or boppin."

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84, Shante'a Goods
"To those confused on the guys dancing together, this is not uncommon in STL nor Chicago. The guys show off their moves, the women watch but eventually the men end up with women. I don't see it as gay at all. I love it and miss seeing my uncle move like this. As a kid well over 40 years ago, I too was on the side lines watching my uncle. This is not new."
-snip-
"STL" = Saint Louis, Missouri

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85. Don juan, 2016
"so tru  my family from both cities and that's how we dance men .father son mother daughter it don't matter I'm in sc right now and the  men here in clubs just sit around ......"
-snip-
"SC" = South Carolina

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86. Luz Estrella
"Two women can dance together and it's not a problem.  If you love dancing, you look beyond gender.  This is fabulous!"

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87. Lancey Kersti
"Its the ignorance of Black American culture that says that men can't dance together. With all the problems in the black community im glad to see them dancing together."

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88. Tee Oh
"Newbie question: Do they all know each other? Or, are there some fundamental "stepping" moves everyone knows? Seeing men dance with each other, that aren't gay, is taking some getting used to,  no matter how cool the moves are. I'm 51, from Jersey, and this is my 1st time seeing this."

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89. Eugene Wilkins
"It's Freestyle Stepping when Men can dance together showing off their footwork and aggressive turns which you normally don't do when a Man is Stepping with a Woman. This comes from Basement Parties when you are a teen mostly on the South and West sides of Chicago. In parties it can be common to see people multiple  in circles watching this at one party with different partners cutting in to show off their skill. Different cliques of young Men would be showing off with the best of that clique remaining as the lead."

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90. J Wilson
"Gay or straight, nobody cares. Check the moves. Chicago Steppin at its best. Thanks Gents."

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2019

91. JesusIsTheLordAndSavior
"I grow up in the Chi back in the 70's. After School, the guys would get together and step together so we could be ready for the weekend and step with the ladies.  YOu had to be on your game or you would be looking bad.  We stepped, played football, basketball, boxed and played pool. But when it came time to go out we all had our lady friends to step in style."

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92. 63 Impala Rag Dude
"I remember back in the day the men would hit the dance floor and step together to attract the ladies to the dance floor. It's not suspect, these guys have probably been stepping together for decades."

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93. 22mrwill
"I can step but these guys are true legends in the steppin games"

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94. patrick Meeks
"Anyone from Chicago like my self knows that this is gangsta"

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95. Hakim Sabir
"Kid and Play were never considered gay, stop it! These brothers are smooooooth!"
-snip-
Kid and Play were a popular Hip Hop duo in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This commenter is probably referring to what is called the "Kid & Play" dance move which in part involves two dancers facing each other and hooking their feet together as they dance around. Kid & Play performed this dance move in their concerts before and after that move was immortalized in a dance off scene in the 1990 movie House party.  The Kid & Play" dance move is still sometimes done nowadays for fun. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWyxVRdj-Gw for a video of that House Party dance off scene.

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96. Teena Phelps
"I'm from the Southside of Chicago, back in the 1970's we were doing the two step bop over there. I learned free style stepping from my friends on the Westside of Chicago."

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97. Daryl Kinder
"This is cold blooded. Theses are the legends of the Steppin game getting it in. They all dance lead and follow which is the point here."

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2020

98. cdamien900
"They dance together to try and match their skills . Like " Can you keep up with what I'm doing " , Or " Match This". Steppin  is a very old sport for Chicagoans back to the 1950's and still alive today ."

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99. kckgirl78
"This was the first steppin video I ever watched and I STILL love it! I hope these Brothers are still alive, well and doing what they do best, STEPPIN!!! 💖"

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100. ONekki Montrea, 2021
"Definitely still here"

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101. kckgirl78, 2021
"@ONekki Montrea  So glad to know!! 🎉"

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102. Lynn Daughrity
"They bopping! Oooweee ‼️"

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103. Renee Henderson
"In the late 1960s/early 1970s, I remember watching the 47th Street Heavies of 47th and Ingleside (Chicago, Illinois) stepping.  They were so precise and athletic.  I loved watching them."

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104. Prince Saint James Xzavier Shabazz - Rockwell
"I RESPECT THE DANCE , ITS ALL ABOUT HAVING A GOOD TIME A SMILE IN YOUR HEART DANCE ON BLACK MEN I'M PROUD TO WATCH THIS WITHOUT ANY NEGATIVE MALICE ON MY MIND AND HEART"

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105. I AM Jovan Jones 12-8
"This is jus AMAZING!   I  LOVE MY city & my ppl!❤️💯👍🏿💪🏾"

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106. GABRIELA DAWSON
"Don’t nobody thinks it’s gay when the Fellas see us Ladies Dancing together we really gotta Quit all this Stereotyping each other and just have FUN...Much Love to The Windy City from The Big Apple 🍏 these dudes are Smoooth AF especially with their Footwork Keep Steppin in the Name Of Love I Know R KELLY is wishing he was at this Ball but he’d Definitely be Proud to see this video....Step In The Name Of Love Clap In The Name Of Love.🕺🏻🕺🏻"

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107. Renee Henderson
"In the late 1960s, I recall men dancing together because they danced so athletically that the girls couldn't keep up with them.  We used to watch and marvel."

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2021

108. AquilaChe #FBA
"They look like they are gliding!  Low key remind me of a b-boy dance battle! git it yall!"

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109. A Walker
"This is still lit in 2021"

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110. Ronaldo
"If it was two women nobody would say half of y’all not really homophobic y’all just got fragile masculinity or down low y’all selves because why you worried bout what two men do. And it’s not gay for two men to dance together even if they was gay why does it matter to y’all it’s none of y’all’s business."

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2022
111. Karen Figgs
"Now this is Old School, True Steppin. Their partners Must know how to step. This part wasn't for beginners 🤗 These brothers nailed it, as they worked the floor, loved it 🥰. Happy New Year All and many blessings in 2022💗"

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112. BoROC3000 
"Years ago when I saw this video it was one of the dopest displays of Chicago Steppin' and it still is... As one of the other comments said - These brothers put on a Steppers Clinic!"
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