WLSC 2023 Information from StepintheChi

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Highlights, videos, and the weekend plan for the World’s Largest Steppers Competition in Chicago. This iconic event and contest brings together the best steppers from around the globe to showcase their skills and celebrate the art of stepping. On this page, you’ll find essential details about WLSC 2025, including event Prelim schedules, event location, contest guidelines, and more. Whether you’re competing, spectating, or simply soaking up the energy, we’ve got you covered. Get ready to experience stepping at its finest

StepintheChi.org, livingthe8count.com, and/or all affiliates are not sponsors of the World’s Largest Steppers Competition but we love TALKING about all things WLSC and SHARING information for the contestants and contest supporters.

Get ready for World Largest Steppers Competition – WLSC 2025

Contest Rules and Categories

These are the WLSC contest categories. Each year the open categories change. Generally the contest has about five categories in a given year. When the Preliminaries schedule is released, the categories for the contest are announced officially.

The Masters

The Master’s Category is designed for Steppers who have previously placed either 1st, 2nd, or
3rd in an Original Category. Both partners have to have placed in the World’s Largest Steppers
Contest previously to be eligible for this category. Both Original New and Old Skool dancers are
welcome in this year’s Master’s Contest. The Judges for this category will contest of 5 Original
Old Skool judges and 5 Original New Skool judges. All Master’s Category contestants must walk
for the first minute of their performance. Master’s Category participants are not eligible to
compete in any additional categories.

New Skool

While this category shares many of the same elements as the Original Category, the Original New Skool category differs with respect to the emphasis placed on Turns, Dips, and Drops. While dips and drops are not required or preferred over creative dancing in the Original New Skool Category, they will not be frowned upon. Routines are also acceptable in this category, as long as the basic pattern of Steppin’ exists. The New Skool Original category will be judged by Steppers who began dancing after 1995, so plan your dance accordingly.

Original Old Skool

Original Steppers should be masters of all the basic elements of the dance. The emphasis in this category will be placed on fancy footwork, pulling the female dance partner in close while Steppin, and overall style and rhythm. Turns are accepted but dips and drops will result in deductions in this category. Timing, Style, Footwork, Close Dancing, and Slow Bopping are all elements of original style dancing. Routines will be frowned upon in the Original Category. The Original Category will be judged by dancers with 25 Years of experience or more, so structure your dance accordingly.

60 & Over

No rules published

Trios

The Trio Category is executed with 3 partners dancing together in unison. Coordination, rhythm, timing, and creativity are important elements of the Trio. While the lead in a Trio dance can change, the basis of this dance is for the lead dancer to keep his or her partners continuously involved in the dance. Limited routines will be accepted in this category. Turns,
dips, and drops are also allowed in this category. The judges for this category will be Original New Skool judges so plan your dance accordingly.

Walkers

No rules published

Beginners

Beginners Category. Beginners should have less than 2 and ½ years of total dance time. Beginners are judged on the Old Skool Original rules. The judges for this category will be the Original Old Skool judges, so plan your dance accordingly. Emphasis for beginners will be placed on timing and coordination, synchronization with a partner, mastering basic turns and basic footwork, the initial development and/or foundation of a unique style

Download the Rules

Preliminaries Schedule

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Date	City	Location	Time	Cost	Categories
TBA	Chicago, IL
TBA	Chicago, IL
TBA	Chicago, IL
TBA	Chicago, IL
TBA	Atlanta, GA
TBA	Detroit, MI
	Columbus, OH
TBA	New York City, NY
TBA	Los Angeles, CA
TBA	Milwaukee, WI

WLSC Blog Interviews with Sonji

Blog interviews from our sister website, livingthe8count about the contest with winners, DJs, and those who made a statement on stage. We even got some insights from behind the scenes with a WLSC judge.

Drewry Alexander Shares What It Takes to Win

WLSC Contest DJ Perspective with DJ Cross

All Hail Mys Tori Tannette – Queen of New School Chicago Stepping

Questions with Q – Judging New Skool at the World’s Largest Steppers Contest

Meet the 2021 WLSC Beginners Category Contestants

WLSC 2022 – Winners, Fashion, and Changes

About the WLSC

Chicago Stepping, a social dance with deep roots in Chicago, has spread across the U.S. and even internationally. While stepping contests are held in cities like Houston, Detroit, and Milwaukee, the pinnacle of stepping competitions is the World’s Largest Steppers Competition in Chicago—the dance’s Mecca. On September 20, 2025, this iconic event, organized by Pete Frazier and the Majestic Gents, celebrates its 34th year at the Tinley Convention Center, bringing together the best of the best to claim their spotlight on the big stage.

A record of the history of winners for the WLSC from 1990 to the current contest year.

Winners List

A flashback to contest moments from 2024.

Flashback to Last Year

Learn from the questions and experiences from other steppers and plan your trip to Chicago for the most popular Stepping contest in our community.

Which airport should I fly into – Midway (MDW) or O’Hare (ORD)?

Chicago Midway (MDW) airport is on the Southside. MDW is 9 miles from the Fifty Yard Line while the O’Hare airport is 22 miles away. MDW is the airport closest to Tinley Park. This airport serves mainly domestic flight routes and is not as busy as O’Hare which caters to more passengers for domestic and international flights. MDW is a hub for Southwest Airlines. MDW serves many direct domestic flight routes. We recommend Midway!

Do I need a rental car for my trip?

We recommend that you arrange to have personal transportation to get around. If you are in Chicago to step and plan to set hop daily you could be traveling from the Southside of Chicago to the Westside. It can become expensive if you opt for Uber or Lyft.

Should I use Uber/Lyft in Chicago?

When traveling in any city, practice safety and be vigilant of your surroundings. Be careful and aware of your surroundings. Exercise care on all rideshare options. Follow Uber Safety Tips and Lyft Safety for Riders. Beyond safety considerations, Uber and Lyft can become a pricey option eventually, especially if in Chicago for more than a single day. Having personal transportation to hop from set to set in a single night can be less expensive.

What should I pack to wear for my trip?

Chicago weather can change quickly. Watch the weather, plan your wardrobe. Bring layers and always have a coat. Chicago is known as The Windy City so be sure to have your windbreaker ready. On the stepping circuit, you may see themed parties calling for specific colors or styles. Plan ahead by reading Cynthia Bean’s weekly newsletter to know which parties to plan for on your trip. Know that Chicago is a great place to find unique styles and fashion at the malls, high-end stores or small clothing boutiques, and other retail clothing stores. Find tips on dressing for themed stepper parties and with pizazz for Chicago’s ostentatious fashion in Essentials and Fashions for Steppers.