Step through 30 years of Step Afrika!'s history
Step Afrika! begins as a Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa
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“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
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Painter Charles Nelson creates Step Afrika!-inspired work of art
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"A Step Show from South Africa": Step Afrika! appears in its first major article in the US for YSB Magazine
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Step 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
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The Johannesburg Star hails Step Afrika! as “revelatory performance”
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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
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The 5th Step Afrika! International Dance Festival hosted by the Soweto Dance Theatre takes place in White City, Soweto
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Step Afrika! partners with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to develop the Company’s arts education programs
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C. Brian Williams leads a Sixth Delegation of Artists to Step Afrika!’s International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg
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Step Afrika! performs 10 sold-out shows at The Kennedy Center
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Step 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
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The 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
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Step Afrika! develops new performance; earns acclaim from The Washington Post
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Step Afrika! premieres 'Solemates' in collaboration with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble
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Stepping Up: C. Brian Williams is profiled for New Vision (NV) in Business Magazine
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Community members gather to celebrate the life and legacy of Mbuyiselwa Jacob (Jackie) Semela
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“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
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Step Afrika! sells out performances at the Kennedy Center's Performing Arts Imagination Celebration
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Step Afrika! partners with the Young Audiences of Arts Education Virginia and Class Acts Arts, bolstering arts education performances and workshops
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Step Afrika! brings the rhythm home: the Company's very first Home Performance Series takes place in Washington, DC
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Step Afrika! premiere's 'Nxt/step' by Jakari Sherman at Dance Place in Washington, DC
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Sharing the Joy of Stepping: The Washingtonian names C. Brian Williams as one of Washington DC's 40 under 40
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Global Graduations: the Company returns to the Virgin Islands and tours Vietnam for the first time
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C. Brian Williams receives the 2008 DC Mayor’s Art Award for Innovation in the Arts
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Step Afrika! partners with the Girl Scouts for the first time for their DC Step Showcase
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"Dancing Locally, Stepping Globally": Step Afrika! appears in the New York Times for the first time
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Celebrating 10 years of partnership with the Kennedy Center, Step Afrika! introduces an updated Educational Guide to accompany arts education programming
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Step Afrika! performs during the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree for President George W. Bush
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"Stomp the Stage": Step Afrika! appears in a Dance Magazine spread
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"Stepping Stone to College": Dance Studio Life profiles Step Afrika!, centering the impact of stepping as an educational tool
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Mayor Adrian M. Fenty names Step Afrika! Washington DC's one and only Cultural Ambassador
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“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
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"Passport to Culture": Step Afrika! and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center release a Teacher's Resource Guide about The Spirit of Kwanzaa
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Step Afrika! premieres 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence' inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series
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Steppin' Out: Step Afrika! premieres 'Symphony in Step' with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra
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Step Afrika! launches the first holiday show highlighting the African American tradition of stepping
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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.
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Combining reading, exercise, and creative movement, Step Afrika! introduces Step Afrika! Reads, a new arts education program
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Step Afrika! brings stepping to the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco
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Stepping up to show what they’ve got: Summer Steps with Step Afrika! takes to a new stage at The National Building Museum
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Step Afrika! introduces Step Explosion, later renamed Step Xplosion, in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation
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In partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Haiti, Step Afrika! tours the country for the first time
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Green is the New Black premiere's at Catholic University's Hartke Theatre
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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.
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Step Afrika!'s International Youth Exchange Program travels to Croatia and Slovenia
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A momumental moment: Step Afrika! performs at President Obama’s Black History Month Reception
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The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens with an interactive stepping exhibit led by Step Afrika!
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The National Tour of The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence begins at the University of the District of Columbia
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"Swingin’ Nutcracker à la Ellington featuring Step Afrika!” premieres with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
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The first StepFest on Kingman Island and Heritage Islands takes place, spotlighting DC's least known natural areas
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The Company makes their first Off-Broadway debut with The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence at the New Victory Theatre
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The U.S. Embassy and The National Center for Culture and Arts in Jordan host Step Afrika!
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Arrive in anticipation, Leave in exhilaration: Step Afrika! Celebrates 25 Years with a Home Performance Series at Hartke Theater
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Washington Life celebrates Step Afrika!'s 25th Anniversary with a five-page fashion spread
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A celebration of community, resilience, and determination, Step Afrika!'s Drumfolk premiere's at Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium
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Step Afrika! returns to Off-Broadway with a three-week run of Drumfolk at the New Victory Theater
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'Stono', Step Afrika!’s first Dance Film, is released to critical acclaim
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Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Step Afrika! steps up for public health, releasing the "Mask It Up” Public Service Announcement (PSA)
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The Company launches Five Days With Step Afrika!, a virtual arts education program
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The premiere of the virtual 'Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show' premieres, earning more than 19,000 views
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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
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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
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Step Afrika! lands in Lviv, Ukraine, kicking off a groundbreaking international 5-country tour
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Arena Stage announces a partnership with Step Afrika!, expanding the Company's local presence
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The Company honors the Little Rock Nine in Step Afrika!’s Virtual Juneteenth Celebration
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Step Afrika! Headlines the World Expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Step Afrika! makes a debut performance at the prestigious Fall for Dance Festival in New York, NY
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Step Afrika! is inducted into the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame
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'Drumfolk' makes its DC premiere at the Company's new artistic home, Arena Stage
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The Company hosts Step Afrika!'s popular International Youth Exchange Program for Polish and Ukrainian high school students
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Step Afrika! conducts a three-city tour of Bolivia, performing for thousands across the country
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Step Afrika!'s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show has sold-out run at Arena Stage
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Step Afrika! begins 40-city tour across the United States in partnership with IMG Artists
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“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
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Step Afrika! performs at the first-ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House
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'The Movement', an epic tribute to Black Lives Matter and the domino effect of activism, makes its DMV debut at Strathmore
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Summer Steps with Step Afrika! returns, making a new home at Arena Stage
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Step Afrika! celebrates 30 Years of global influence with the unveiling of a dynamic 30th anniversary timeline
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Founded 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.
