Step Afrika!, one of many world’s most celebrated African American dance corporations, is celebrating a birthday! The Washington, D.C.-based skilled dance firm—the primary devoted to the artwork type of stepping—has carried out in over 60 international locations throughout the globe since its inception in 1994. Now a touring firm with 18 full-time performers, its participating performances and progressive arts education schemes have touched greater than 500,000 younger folks throughout three many years.
“Hundreds study to step with Step Afrika! every year as a part of the world’s first digital stepping interactive hosted as a part of the everlasting exhibition on the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition in Washington, D.C.,” declares C. Brian Williams, the corporate’s founder. The Nationwide Endowment of the Arts named Williams a Nationwide Heritage Fellow and acknowledged stepping as a essential a part of America’s cultural heritage. EBONY spoke with Williams and Step Afrika! creative director Mfoniso Akpan to speak in regards to the momentous anniversary and the corporate’s influence on the artwork type of dance.
EBONY: Why did you begin the group 30 years in the past?
C. Brian Williams: I realized to step on the campus of Howard College after I pledged to the Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Instantly, I turned fascinated by the custom of stepping and began investigating extra into the artwork type whereas on campus. After I graduated, I obtained a fellowship to reside and work in Lesotho, a small nation in Southern Africa. It was there that I first noticed the South African gumboot dance, a percussive dance created by males who labored within the gold and diamond mines of South Africa. I made a decision to create Step Afrika! to deliver these two artwork kinds collectively, stepping with the gumboot dance, and use the 2 traditions to attach folks and communities. Step Afrika! is, at its core, devoted to cultural and creative alternate. For the previous 30 years, Step Afrika! has dedicated to fostering inventive exchanges with various cultures worldwide.
Are you able to share the historical past of stepping and the way it has infused itself into present African American tradition?
Williams: Step Afrika! has developed its personal distinct definition of stepping, which we proudly showcase in colleges and on levels worldwide. We characterize stepping as a polyrhythmic, percussive dance type originating from African American fraternities and sororities. The roots of stepping hint again to the late 1800s and early 1900s when Black college students, dealing with exclusion from campus actions, fashioned their very own supportive teams, laying the groundwork for Black fraternalism in the USA. Initially, stepping was a way for these college students to precise love and satisfaction of their organizations. It developed from easy line and circle steps accompanied by communal songs within the Nineteen Twenties to the dynamic dance model practiced by fraternities and sororities immediately. Step Afrika! seamlessly blends percussive dance types from traditionally African American organizations with conventional Western and Southern African dances and modern artwork kinds, making a charming creative fusion. Our performances transcend mere dance exhibits; they incorporate songs, storytelling, humor and viewers participation to convey pivotal moments in American historical past, akin to “The Migration” or “Stono Rebel.” Our final goal is to infuse the enjoyment and rhythm of our immensely gifted artists into the hearts and minds of our audiences.
What’s this yr’s theme and the way is Step Afrika! celebrating its thirtieth milestone? What are the dances primarily based on for this particular season?
Williams: Step Afrika! will have fun our thirtieth anniversary with a 60-city tour throughout the nation, bringing our signature performances to communities in Florida, Georgia, California, Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and so many extra. In Washington, D.C., Step Afrika! will launch a 6-week run of its most celebrated efficiency ever, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence. Utilizing its hallmark model of percussive dance-theater, Step Afrika!’s The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence tells the story of one of many largest actions of individuals in United States historical past when tens of millions of African American migrants moved from the agricultural South to the commercial North within the 1900s to flee Jim Crow, racial oppression and lynchings. Impressed by Jacob Lawrence’s iconic 60-panel The Migration Collection (1940-41), this signature work from the award-winning dance firm makes use of the photographs, coloration palette and motifs within the portray sequence to inform this astonishing story by pulsating rhythms and visually beautiful motion. Step Afrika! may even return to Southern Africa in August 2024 with a three-country tour. Starting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Step Afrika! will then journey to Lesotho and Eswatini to carry out in main cultural facilities and theaters.
Mfoniso, how does Step Afrika! hold the legacy of Black tradition on the forefront?
Mfoniso Akpan: On the coronary heart of our work lies the wealthy heritage of traditionally African American fraternities and sororities, whose founding rules revolve round empowering African American collegiate and surrounding communities, training and public service. Via stepping, we now have a novel platform to amplify these values and share our tales with audiences on a world scale. With every efficiency and instructing alternative, we’re showcasing the artwork of stepping and shedding gentle on American historical past and celebrating the colourful tapestry of African American tradition. Step Afrika! is greater than only a dance firm; we’re ambassadors of heritage, training and cultural alternate, leaving a long-lasting influence wherever we go.
What is the opening date of the brand new season of the opening present?
Akpan: Our thirtieth anniversary season is in full swing, working from August 2023 by 2025. We have got some main highlights, like our thirtieth Anniversary Gala and 42-performance run of The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence at Area Stage this June and July. However that is not all; we’re additionally internet hosting our Summer season Steps with Step Afrika! camp in Washington, D.C. It is a week-long intensive the place we educate college students our core values of teamwork, dedication, self-discipline and educational achievement.
