This one-of-a-kind dance company dedicated to the art of step dance will perform April 19 and 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. in the Diana Wortham Theater at Pack Place.
Step dance, known to Asheville audiences through the renowned Hillcrest High Steppers, combines elements of African foot percussion with traditional African dance along with contemporary influences. Ranked as one of the top ten African American dance companies in the United States, Step Afrika! was founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams and is the first professional company dedicated to the step-dance tradition.
Rooted in the historically black fraternities and sororities of American colleges and universities, stepping has evolved under Williams’s leadership into one of America’s cultural exports, with the company touring to more than 60 countries across the globe. The company reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theaters and performs globally as Washington, D.C.’s sole Cultural Ambassador.
Step Afrika! generates irresistible energy as the team combines traditional stepdance styles and call-and-response chants into a compelling artistic experience that infuses the stepping tradition with live music, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The company also promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement, and cross-cultural understanding.
Step Afrika! has earned Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Innovation in the Arts, and Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, and headlined former President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception at the White House. The company is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture with the world’s first interactive stepping exhibit.
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