CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!
Join Step Afrika! as we celebrate 30 years as the world’s leading authority on the art form of stepping.
Step through 30 years of Step Afrika!'s history
Step Afrika! begins as a Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa
Learn More“I am filled with deep gratitude, reflecting on the extraordinary moments that have shaped the last three decades of Step Afrika! So many amazing people have been a part of this artistic journey, and together, we have built an arts organization that has touched hundreds of thousands across the globe. This timeline is a celebration of the collaborative spirit that defines Step Afrika! and the traditions we honor.”
The Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival grows, earns national recognition
Learn MorePainter Charles Nelson creates Step Afrika!-inspired work of art
Learn More"A Step Show from South Africa": Step Afrika! appears in its first major article in the US for YSB Magazine
Learn MoreStep Afrika! is featured in “Steppin’ on The Blues”, one of the first books to feature and investigate the tradition of stepping.
Artists work together at the 3rd Edition of the Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival
Learn MoreThe Johannesburg Star hails Step Afrika! as “revelatory performance”
Learn MoreFraternity 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
Learn MoreThe 5th Step Afrika! International Dance Festival hosted by the Soweto Dance Theatre takes place in White City, Soweto
Learn MoreStep Afrika! partners with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to develop the Company’s arts education programs
Learn MoreC. Brian Williams leads a Sixth Delegation of Artists to Step Afrika!’s International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg
Learn MoreStep Afrika! performs 10 sold-out shows at The Kennedy Center
Learn MoreStep Afrika! introduces stepping to the 2000 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
"Divided by origin to unite in rhythm": Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble and Step Afrika! come together
Learn MoreThe Company works with Greg Polvere of Global Talent HQ, LLC; Embarks on the First Tour of American Colleges and Universities
Step Afrika! performs at the Royal Festival Hall in London, UK
Learn MoreStep Afrika! develops new performance; earns acclaim from The Washington Post
Learn MoreStep Afrika! premieres 'Solemates' in collaboration with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble
Learn MoreStepping Up: C. Brian Williams is profiled for New Vision (NV) in Business Magazine
Learn MoreCommunity members gather to celebrate the life and legacy of Mbuyiselwa Jacob (Jackie) Semela
Learn More“Soulstepping”, the first book to document the history of stepping, explores the history of Step Afrika!
Synchronicity Anniversary: Step Afrika! hosts the first ever VIP Gala in honor of the Company's decade-long success
Learn MoreStep Afrika! sells out performances at the Kennedy Center's Performing Arts Imagination Celebration
Learn MoreStep Afrika! partners with the Young Audiences of Arts Education Virginia and Class Acts Arts, bolstering arts education performances and workshops
Learn MoreStep Afrika! brings the rhythm home: the Company's very first Home Performance Series takes place in Washington, DC
Learn MoreStep Afrika! premiere's 'Nxt/step' by Jakari Sherman at Dance Place in Washington, DC
Learn MoreSharing the Joy of Stepping: The Washingtonian names C. Brian Williams as one of Washington DC's 40 under 40
Learn MoreGlobal Graduations: the Company returns to the Virgin Islands and tours Vietnam for the first time
Learn MoreC. Brian Williams receives the 2008 DC Mayor’s Art Award for Innovation in the Arts
Learn MoreStep Afrika! partners with the Girl Scouts for the first time for their DC Step Showcase
Learn More"Dancing Locally, Stepping Globally": Step Afrika! appears in the New York Times for the first time
Learn MoreCelebrating 10 years of partnership with the Kennedy Center, Step Afrika! introduces an updated Educational Guide to accompany arts education programming
Learn MoreStep Afrika! performs during the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree for President George W. Bush
Learn More"Stepping Stone to College": Dance Studio Life profiles Step Afrika!, centering the impact of stepping as an educational tool
Learn MoreMayor Adrian M. Fenty names Step Afrika! Washington DC's one and only Cultural Ambassador
Learn More“Step Afrika! is the most requested group by schools in the Washington DC greater metropolitan area”
Step Afrika! leads a workshop for seniors from Delta Towers as part of a new residency with David Pleasant
Learn More"Passport to Culture": Step Afrika! and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center release a Teacher's Resource Guide about The Spirit of Kwanzaa
Learn MoreStep Afrika! premieres 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence' inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series
Learn MoreSteppin' Out: Step Afrika! premieres 'Symphony in Step' with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra
Learn MoreStep Afrika! launches the first holiday show highlighting the African American tradition of stepping
Learn MoreStep Afrika!'s Home Performance Series premieres a reimagined "Nxt/Step", Remixing the Power and International Influence of Stepping with Hip Hop, Multimedia and Rhythm.
Learn MoreCombining reading, exercise, and creative movement, Step Afrika! introduces Step Afrika! Reads, a new arts education program
Learn MoreStep Afrika! brings stepping to the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco
Learn MoreStepping up to show what they’ve got: Summer Steps with Step Afrika! takes to a new stage at The National Building Museum
Learn MoreStep Afrika! introduces Step Explosion, later renamed Step Xplosion, in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation
Learn MoreIn partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Haiti, Step Afrika! tours the country for the first time
Learn MoreGreen is the New Black premiere's at Catholic University's Hartke Theatre
Learn MoreStrathmore 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.
Learn MoreStep Afrika!'s International Youth Exchange Program travels to Croatia and Slovenia
Learn MoreA momumental moment: Step Afrika! performs at President Obama’s Black History Month Reception
Learn MoreThe National Museum of African American History and Culture opens with an interactive stepping exhibit led by Step Afrika!
Learn MoreThe National Tour of The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence begins at the University of the District of Columbia
Learn More"Swingin’ Nutcracker à la Ellington featuring Step Afrika!” premieres with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Learn MoreThe first StepFest on Kingman Island and Heritage Islands takes place, spotlighting DC's least known natural areas
Learn MoreThe Company makes their first Off-Broadway debut with The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence at the New Victory Theatre
Learn MoreThe U.S. Embassy and The National Center for Culture and Arts in Jordan host Step Afrika!
Learn MoreArrive in anticipation, Leave in exhilaration: Step Afrika! Celebrates 25 Years with a Home Performance Series at Hartke Theater
Learn MoreWashington Life celebrates Step Afrika!'s 25th Anniversary with a five-page fashion spread
Learn MoreA celebration of community, resilience, and determination, Step Afrika!'s Drumfolk premiere's at Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium
Learn MoreStep Afrika! returns to Off-Broadway with a three-week run of Drumfolk at the New Victory Theater
Learn More'Stono', Step Afrika!’s first Dance Film, is released to critical acclaim
Learn MoreAmidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Step Afrika! steps up for public health, releasing the "Mask It Up” Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Learn MoreThe Company launches Five Days With Step Afrika!, a virtual arts education program
Learn MoreThe premiere of the virtual 'Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show' premieres, earning more than 19,000 views
Learn MoreStep 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
Learn MoreIn 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
Learn MoreStep Afrika! lands in Lviv, Ukraine, kicking off a groundbreaking international 5-country tour
Learn MoreArena Stage announces a partnership with Step Afrika!, expanding the Company's local presence
Learn MoreThe Company honors the Little Rock Nine in Step Afrika!’s Virtual Juneteenth Celebration
Learn MoreStep Afrika! Headlines the World Expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Learn MoreStep Afrika! makes a debut performance at the prestigious Fall for Dance Festival in New York, NY
Learn MoreStep Afrika! is inducted into the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame
Learn More'Drumfolk' makes its DC premiere at the Company's new artistic home, Arena Stage
Learn MoreThe Company hosts Step Afrika!'s popular International Youth Exchange Program for Polish and Ukrainian high school students
Learn MoreStep Afrika! conducts a three-city tour of Bolivia, performing for thousands across the country
Learn MoreStep Afrika!'s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show has its first sold-out run at Arena Stage
Learn MoreStep Afrika! begins 40-city tour across the United States in partnership with IMG Artists
Learn More“The tradition and performers embody the strength of an African-American experience. The art form is an expression of excellence, discipline, joy, resilience and triumph. Mr. Williams is such an important steward of this art form and tradition, honoring its origins and creating the space and conditions for its preservation and evolution.”
Step Afrika! Performs for Vice President Kamala Harris at the NMAAHC
Learn MoreStep Afrika! performs at the first-ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House
Learn More'The Movement', an epic tribute to Black Lives Matter and the domino effect of activism, makes its DMV debut at Strathmore
Learn MoreSummer Steps with Step Afrika! returns, making a new home at Arena Stage
Learn MoreStep Afrika! honors 30 Years of global influence with the unveiling of a dynamic 30th anniversary timeline
Learn MoreThe Company boasts its longest-ever run with the return of 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence'
Learn MoreFounded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe. To share your Step Afrika! story, visit stepafrika.org/about/. Step Afrika!'s 30th Anniversary Timeline is made possible by the generous funding of Bloomberg Philanthropies, with additional support from the Mellon Foundation and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.