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“To kick off Black History Month, “stepping” group Step Afrika! engaged Hofstra University students with a high-energy, percussive dance performance on Sunday, Feb. 8, at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. While the event was free, attendees were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to go toward the Hofstra Pantry and the Mary Brennan INN Soup Kitchen.
The 90-minute-performance involved guest participation, something that has been a part of the step tradition since the 1990s. Members of the audience were invited to clap, stomp and cheer with the performers on stage.
Anthony Collins, executive director of Hofstra’s Cultural Center (HCC), inaugurated the event by thanking the staff involved, along with telling a brief history of stepping and Step Afrika!
“Stepping was created by African American fraternities and sororities, and today is celebrated by thousands upon thousands. Since its inception in 1994, Step Afrika!’s mission has been to establish, preserve, and extend the most dynamic dance form,” Collins said.
Stepping focuses on pride, love and respect that is derived from community. To highlight that, members of Step Afrika! regularly engaged with the audience, asking them to make as much noise as possible when they enjoyed specific parts of the performance.
Each segment of stepping was followed by jokes and history from the members of Step Afrika!
Before the gumboot dance, a story about African workers and how they used boots and stomping to communicate with each other in the mines was shared. Step Afrika! told the crowd they were fortunate enough to travel back to South Africa and work with the Soweto Dance Theatre to perfect their gumboot dance skills.”
