“You have the beat boys, the people that do ballet, tap, jazz, square dancing, and all that… But where are the people that do the stepping? And what does that mean??” asked Mrs. Nelson, the Soul Steppers sponsor. Well, I’m about to clear up all the questions you have.
You have your drill teams that perform at school organizations such as pep rallies and sporting events, but what about some weekend entertainment? That’s where the Texas Step Team Association comes into play. “It’s kind of like military dance,” said Mrs. Nelson. “It’s routine. It’s steps that make sounds, and in making the sounds is where you come up with making the music.” Stepping originated back in the time of slavery as a means of communication. Certain hand gestures and step movements meant certain things; it was a code. Seems pretty simple, right? That’s the idea. “In creating a step team, it’s like ‘let’s do something for everybody!’ Especially those who want to be involved in their school, but don’t think there is really anything for them,” explained Mrs. Nelson. Anybody can join the Soul Steppers, no matter their gender or race; it’s for anybody and everybody who wants to try something new and different. “When you see a really good step show, it’s one of those things that just make you excited. It’s like ‘I know I can do this. I may not be coordinated but I want to do this!’ because you can feel how much effort the teams put into the performance and the amount of soul they have,” illustrated Mrs. Nelson.
With that being said, the Tiger Soul Steppers are starting a chain reaction. “I decided on the name Tiger Soul because it takes a lot of soul and guts and, for me, when you’re talking about ‘soul’ you’re talking about what’s within,” said Mrs. Nelson. Watching a step show is an inspiration in itself to want to be a part of an experience so moving that it sends chills down your spine. In creating the step team, we’re uniting the school. Though it’s not spoken of much, there’s division among the school. Everybody has their own organizations and cliques, but stepping is something that everybody can do, so why can’t everybody join the team? Well, they can! The other sponsors are Ms. Karyl Williams and Ms. Neptune.
Don’t have time for before or after school practices? We’ve got that covered. All you have to do is watch the video on the CHS Student Connection website, learn the steps, and show up to one practice! It doesn’t matter if it takes you two weeks or two hours, you can learn the steps on your own time at your own pace! The ONE practice will be at 10:00am on February 4th in the practice gym at CHS. All you have to bring is a positive attitude, your memory, your dancing shoes, and your soul!
Tiger Soul Steps
These are the steps that you need to practice. We are planning on auditioning for the school Talent Show. Auditions for the talent show will be on February 7th at 7pm in the Auditorium. We will practice with our Step Coordinator on Saturday, February 4th. The location for the practice will be sent to you once the location has been confirmed.
The directions are that you need to learn 2 of the 3 steps.
Step 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri8MKGtHqq8- (Intermediate)
Step 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcP1jSeZltA- (Hard)
Step 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Ol6ws247U- (Complex)