West Virginia State University in Institute will host an energetic and modern African step show next month in celebration of Black History Month.
Step Afrika! is returning to WVSU’s Davis Fine Arts Theater stage this year on Thursday, Feb. 2. The dance company is dedicated to the art form of stepping, and integrates dance, song, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The company will perform at 7 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public.
Founded in 1994 as an exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg, Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. The dance company’s full-time dancers are all college graduates, and many attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Many are also members of Historically Black Greek Fraternities and Sororities.
Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. The dance 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 only Cultural Ambassador.
