Step Afrika! Celebrates 30 Years with US Tour
Step Afrika! Company Members in Drumfolk. Photo by Jacob Andrew Iwinski.
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
By Norma Porter
Step Afrika!, the first company dedicated to the African American tradition of stepping, celebrates its 30th anniversary season with its first show at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in Pennsylvania September 16-17.
The Company will present the final performance of Drumfolk and commemorate the return of The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.
“Step Afrika! has been teaching and sharing the art form of stepping for 30 years, and this season will be full of performances across the country and the return of one of our most celebrated productions, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence, “says C. Brian Williams, Founder of Step Afrika! “I am also excited about our return to the African continent for an extended tour in August, 2024.”
The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence pays homage to the artist’s iconic painting series that documented the story of The Great Migration in the early 1900s.
Based in Washington, DC, Step Afrika! performers use polyrhythmic movements and live drumming as storytelling vehicles to take audiences on historical and cultural journeys through the African American experience. Stomping, clapping, chanting, and the use of elaborate sets and innovative costumes create an exciting energy in theaters - nationally and internationally - that has lasted since the Company’s formation, and kept theatergoers and funders supporting the organization.
Williams said he first encountered stepping when he pledged an African American fraternity during his years as an undergraduate student at Howard University. After graduating from college, Williams spent time living abroad near Johannesburg, South Africa. It was there that he learned about the South African Gumboot Dance.
“The initial idea for Step Afrika! was to bring stepping and the South African Gumboot Dance together, to bring the two art forms together,” Williams said. “We thought it would only happen in Johannesburg. We thought we wouldn’t do anything else besides for this historic festival in South Africa. But when we got back to the United States it became clear there was more work for us to do.”
Step Afrika!’s US tour covers over 17 cities with evening performances and community engagement activities:
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Bradford, PA) - SEPTEMBER 13, 7:30 PM - GET TICKETS HERE!
UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center (Amherst, MA) - SEPTEMBER 28, 8:00 PM
Anderson Center for the Performing Arts (Binghamton, NY) - SEPTEMBER 30, 7:30 PM
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (Appleton, WI) - OCTOBER 3, 7:30 PM
Butler Arts and Events Center (Indianapolis, IN) - OCTOBER 5, 7:30 PM
Indiana University Auditorium (Bloomington, IN) - OCTOBER 7, 8:00 PM
Drumfolk at Northrop (Minneapolis, MN) - OCTOBER 13, 7:30 PM
Carver Community Cultural Center (San Antonio, TX) - OCTOBER 20, 8:00 PM - GET TICKETS HERE!
Charles W. Eisemann Center (Richardson, TX) - OCTOBER 22, 7:30 PM
Drumfolk at the Cullen Theater (Houston, TX) - OCTOBER 27 – 28
Drumfolk at the Charleston Gaillard Center (Charleston, SC) - NOVEMBER 2, 7:30 PM
Gogue Performing Arts Center’s Woltosz Theatre (Auburn, AL) - NOVEMBER 6, 7:00 PM
Prairie Center (Schaumburg, IL) - NOVEMBER 10, 7:30 PM
The Mendel Center (Benton Harbor, MI) - NOVEMBER 12, 4:00 PM
Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show at Arena Stage (Washington, DC) - DECEMBER 8 – 17
For more information on Step Afrika! visit www.stepafrika.org.