The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will bring the energetic Black tradition of “stepping” to the Bromeley Family Theater on Sept. 13.
StepAfrika! Is the first professional company dedicated to stepping, and it combines this dance tradition with live music, technology and storytelling. The company will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the theater in Blaisdell Hall on campus. Tickets are $20 for the public and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased in advance by visiting www.upb.pitt.edu/theArts or calling the Bromeley Family Theater Box Office at 814-362-5113.
Stepping comes out of the culture of Black fraternities and sororities at historically Black colleges and universities, also known as HBCU. These are colleges that were founded primarily for the education of Black students before the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
These Black Greek-letter organizations performed percussive song and dance rituals in which the body becomes an instrument, using footsteps, claps and spoken word to produce complex rhythms.
The group’s performance at Pitt-Bradford will be the self-titled work StepAfrika! It incorporates traditional African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive artistic experience. In addition to dance, the 17 performers integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation.
StepAfrika! was founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams as an exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg. It has performed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and as part of Juneteenth celebrations at the White House. In February, StepAfrika! became the first dance company to be inducted into the National Association of Campus Activities’ Hall of Fame.
For more information on the company, visit stepafrika.org. This performance is being presented by Pitt-Bradford Arts. For more information on Pitt-Bradford Arts and the rest of its season, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/theArts.
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