CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!

December 4, 1994

Step Afrika! begins as a Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa

December 23, 1994

- C. Brian Williams, Founder and Executive Producer, Step Afrika!

April 28, 1995

The Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival grows, earns national recognition

April 30, 1995

Painter Charles Nelson creates Step Afrika!-inspired work of art

February 1, 1996

"A Step Show from South Africa": Step Afrika! appears in its first major article in the US for YSB Magazine

September 1, 1996

- Author Dr. Jaqui Malone, Published 1996

December 4, 1996

Artists work together at the 3rd Edition of the Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival

January 14, 1997

The Johannesburg Star hails Step Afrika! as “revelatory performance”

August 1, 1997

Step Afrika! earns critical acclaim in the USA

December 4, 1997

Fraternity and sorority traditions merge at the 4th Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival; Celebrity Actor Dule Hill brings the tradition of tap for the first time

December 7, 1998

The 5th Step Afrika! International Dance Festival hosted by the Soweto Dance Theatre takes place in White City, Soweto

September 1, 1999

Step Afrika! partners with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to develop the Company’s arts education programs

December 6, 1999

C. Brian Williams leads a Sixth Delegation of Artists to Step Afrika!’s International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg

January 18, 2000

Step Afrika! performs 10 sold-out shows at The Kennedy Center

June 23, 2000

- June 23, 2000

August 24, 2000

"Divided by origin to unite in rhythm": Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble and Step Afrika! come together

September 1, 2000

- Touring begins in 2000

August 14, 2001

Step Afrika! performs at the Royal Festival Hall in London, UK

October 19, 2001

Step Afrika! develops new performance; earns acclaim from The Washington Post

August 24, 2002

Step Afrika! premieres 'Solemates' in collaboration with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble

July 1, 2003

Stepping Up: C. Brian Williams is profiled for New Vision (NV) in Business Magazine

August 14, 2003

Community members gather to celebrate the life and legacy of Mbuyiselwa Jacob (Jackie) Semela

September 1, 2003

- Author Elizabeth C. Fine, Published 2003

November 8, 2003

All Things Considered’s Michele Norris features Step Afrika!

November 22, 2003

Synchronicity Anniversary: Step Afrika! hosts the first ever VIP Gala in honor of the Company's decade-long success

April 1, 2004

Step Afrika! sells out performances at the Kennedy Center's Performing Arts Imagination Celebration

September 1, 2005

Step Afrika! partners with the Young Audiences of Arts Education Virginia and Class Acts Arts, bolstering arts education performances and workshops

May 31, 2006

Step Afrika! brings the rhythm home: the Company's very first Home Performance Series takes place in Washington, DC

November 4, 2006

Step Afrika! premiere's 'Nxt/step' by Jakari Sherman at Dance Place in Washington, DC

May 1, 2007

Sharing the Joy of Stepping: The Washingtonian names C. Brian Williams as one of Washington DC's 40 under 40

May 27, 2007

Global Graduations: the Company returns to the Virgin Islands and tours Vietnam for the first time

April 11, 2008

C. Brian Williams receives the 2008 DC Mayor’s Art Award for Innovation in the Arts

April 26, 2008

Step Afrika! partners with the Girl Scouts for the first time for their DC Step Showcase

August 19, 2008

"Dancing Locally, Stepping Globally": Step Afrika! appears in the New York Times for the first time

September 1, 2008

Celebrating 10 years of partnership with the Kennedy Center, Step Afrika! introduces an updated Educational Guide to accompany arts education programming

December 4, 2008

Step Afrika! performs during the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree for President George W. Bush

March 1, 2009

"Stepping Stone to College": Dance Studio Life profiles Step Afrika!, centering the impact of stepping as an educational tool

July 9, 2009

The Company celebrates 15 years with a return to South Africa

August 1, 2009

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty names Step Afrika! Washington DC's one and only Cultural Ambassador

September 1, 2009

- Center For Neighborhood Enterprise, September 2009

May 21, 2010

Step Afrika! leads a workshop for seniors from Delta Towers as part of a new residency with David Pleasant

September 1, 2010

"Passport to Culture": Step Afrika! and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center release a Teacher's Resource Guide about The Spirit of Kwanzaa

June 15, 2011

Step Afrika! premieres 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence' inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series

November 12, 2011

Steppin' Out: Step Afrika! premieres 'Symphony in Step' with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra

December 14, 2011

Step Afrika! launches the first holiday show highlighting the African American tradition of stepping

June 21, 2012

Step Afrika!'s Home Performance Series premieres a reimagined "Nxt/Step", Remixing the Power and International Influence of Stepping with Hip Hop, Multimedia and Rhythm.

December 14, 2012

Combining reading, exercise, and creative movement, Step Afrika! introduces Step Afrika! Reads, a new arts education program

June 19, 2013

Step Afrika! brings stepping to the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco

August 10, 2013

Stepping up to show what they’ve got: Summer Steps with Step Afrika! takes to a new stage at The National Building Museum

August 13, 2013

Step Afrika! introduces Step Explosion, later renamed Step Xplosion, in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation

November 13, 2013

In partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Haiti, Step Afrika! tours the country for the first time

May 29, 2014

Green is the New Black premiere's at Catholic University's Hartke Theatre

June 4, 2014

January 18, 2015

Strathmore presents Step Afrika!'s Step Xplosion for the first time, showcasing the art of stepping and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

April 19, 2015

Step Afrika!'s International Youth Exchange Program travels to Croatia and Slovenia

February 1, 2016

A momumental moment: Step Afrika! performs at President Obama’s Black History Month Reception

September 24, 2016

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens with an interactive stepping exhibit led by Step Afrika!

September 30, 2016

The National Tour of The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence begins at the University of the District of Columbia

December 9, 2016

"Swingin’ Nutcracker à la Ellington featuring Step Afrika!” premieres with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

August 26, 2017

The first StepFest on Kingman Island and Heritage Islands takes place, spotlighting DC's least known natural areas

November 10, 2017

The Company makes their first Off-Broadway debut with The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence at the New Victory Theatre

January 27, 2018

The U.S. Embassy and The National Center for Culture and Arts in Jordan host Step Afrika!

June 4, 2019

Arrive in anticipation, Leave in exhilaration: Step Afrika! Celebrates 25 Years with a Home Performance Series at Hartke Theater

July 28, 2019

Washington Life celebrates Step Afrika!'s 25th Anniversary with a five-page fashion spread

January 26, 2020

A celebration of community, resilience, and determination, Step Afrika!'s Drumfolk premiere's at Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium

February 28, 2020

Step Afrika! returns to Off-Broadway with a three-week run of Drumfolk at the New Victory Theater

September 9, 2020

'Stono', Step Afrika!’s first Dance Film, is released to critical acclaim

November 24, 2020

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Step Afrika! steps up for public health, releasing the "Mask It Up” Public Service Announcement (PSA)

November 2, 2020

The Company launches Five Days With Step Afrika!, a virtual arts education program

December 16, 2020

The premiere of the virtual 'Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show' premieres, earning more than 19,000 views

January 19, 2021

Step Afrika! joined the historic inaugural celebration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for the We Are One virtual event honoring America’s diversity

March 28, 2021

In honor of Women’s History Month, Step Afrika! Presents FOUR WOMEN, a groundbreaking short film series that brings the beauty and power of women center stage

April 17, 2021

Step Afrika! lands in Lviv, Ukraine, kicking off a groundbreaking international 5-country tour

May 10, 2021

Step Afrika! celebrates the Divine 9 with a viral tribute

May 11, 2021

Arena Stage announces a partnership with Step Afrika!, expanding the Company's local presence

June 19, 2021

The Company honors the Little Rock Nine in Step Afrika!’s Virtual Juneteenth Celebration

October 1, 2021

Step Afrika! Headlines the World Expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

October 19, 2021

Step Afrika! makes a debut performance at the prestigious Fall for Dance Festival in New York, NY

February 18, 2022

Step Afrika! is inducted into the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame

May 31, 2022

'Drumfolk' makes its DC premiere at the Company's new artistic home, Arena Stage

June 28, 2022

C. Brian Williams is named a 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellow

July 14, 2022

The Company hosts Step Afrika!'s popular International Youth Exchange Program for Polish and Ukrainian high school students

September 22, 2022

Step Afrika! conducts a three-city tour of Bolivia, performing for thousands across the country

December 9, 2022

Step Afrika!'s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show has its first sold-out run at Arena Stage

January 11, 2023

Step Afrika! begins 40-city tour across the United States in partnership with IMG Artists

April 10, 2023

- NEA Chair, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, April 2023

May 12, 2023

Step Afrika! Performs for Vice President Kamala Harris at the NMAAHC

June 14, 2023

Step Afrika! performs at the first-ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House

June 19, 2023

'The Movement', an epic tribute to Black Lives Matter and the domino effect of activism, makes its DMV debut at Strathmore

July 31, 2023

Summer Steps with Step Afrika! returns, making a new home at Arena Stage

January 31, 2024

Step Afrika! honors 30 Years of global influence with the unveiling of a dynamic 30th anniversary timeline