Talking to the Historians Cynthia Bean and Tracey Bivens – Episode 1
Join us as we discuss with historians from the Stepping Community, Cynthia Bean and Tracey Bivens, who have collectively published news, interviews, and events for over 20 years. Hear their perspective on things happening now and join the discussion as we share ideas of the possibilities.
Cynthia Bean
Cynthia Bean, based in Chicago, is with The Steppers Internet Connection. She has produced the Steppers 411 newsletter since 1999, sharing the schedule of weekly stepping events with the steppers community. She has been affiliated with several organizations and publications within the stepping community to share news and information. She has emceed several steppers sets and is a voiceover artist. Her publication affiliations also include:
- Fulson Cool Music Steppers Club member from 1999-2004
- Co-Host on ClubSteppin.com w/Lamont Watts at Kennedy King College from 2004 – 2006
- Steppin Chicago Style internet TV Show Host from 2005 – 2008
- Inside Steppin Magazine Director of Marketing from 2006 – 2008
- Called in to Ray Neal’s Old School Party radio show on 89.3 FM WKKC
- Voice Over Artist for www.RayNealMedia.com 12 radio stations under one website/app
Tracey Bivens
Tracey Bivens, based out of Detroit, started stepping in 1996. Although she never took classes, she greatly advocates Donnie Davis’ workshop. In 2003, she was a part of Centerstage Productions, one of the first instructional groups in Detroit. For seventeen years, Tracey has been an Angel Facilitator of the longest-running Chicago Stepping mega weekend, DJ Rockin Rodney Mack’s White Party.
For more than fifteen years, Tracey wrote and conducted forty interviews with steppers in Chicago and cities in other states to write commentaries for Chistepper.com and ILovSteppin.com. Her favorite interviews were Tyk Myn, Josiah Burt, Ice Ray, and Jannice Robertson. Her dream interview is Sherry Gordon.
Host – Sonji Stewart
Sonji Stewart is content author and publisher for livingthe8count.com, a blog for Chicago Steppers that has been in publication since 2016. Topics include Stepping history, culture, and etiquette, learning about the social partner dance Chicago Stepping, and providing information to anyone interested in learning to step.
