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Step Afrika! Announces 2019-20 Season

By: Oct. 03, 2019
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Step Afrika!, the world's first professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping, continues its 25th season with a newly commissioned work, international and national touring and performances throughout their hometown of Washington, D.C.

Much like the power and timeliness of their recently concluded tour of The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence, Step Afrika! adds another seminal work to the dance canon this season. Drumfolk, inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739, explores this little-known event in American history that would forever transform African-American life and culture. When Africans lost the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people, the Drumfolk. New percussive forms took root leading to the development of some of our country's most distinct performance traditions like the ring shout, tap, and stepping. 

"Creating Drumfolk as part of our 25th Anniversary season further highlights Step Afrika!'s celebration and preservation of the tradition of stepping. Drumfolk explores the origins of stepping in relation to The Negro Act of 1740 and its transformative and long-lasting effects on African-American culture."- Founder and Executive Director C. Brian Williams.

Drumfolk will debut at Eisenhower Auditorium at Penn State on January 31, 2020 followed by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, IL February 4-9, 2019; The Soraya, Los Angeles, CA February 19-24; New Victory Theatre, New York, NY February 24-March 15; Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE March 29-April 5; Meany Hall, Seattle, WA May 4-9; and Arts Emerson, Boston, MA July 6-26. Step Afrika!'s residency in each city will include feature-length performances, student matinees, master classes and workshops.

Continuing their mission to promote an appreciation for stepping and its use as an educational, motivational and healthy tool for young people; Step Afrika! performed, led workshops, and master classes during their tour of all eight wards of Washington, D.C. this summer. Following their September 2019 international tour (Zambia, Angola and South Africa), the company will return to Washington, D.C. to end 2019 with the Step Afrika! Birthday Party (December 4) and The Magical Musical Holiday Step Show (December 12 - December 22).

About Step Afrika!

Founded in 1994, Step Afrika! is the world's first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping-a polyrhythmic, percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. Step Afrika! promotes stepping as a contemporary dance genre through critically-acclaimed performances and arts education programs. Creatively engaging audiences in this nascent art form, the Company creates new full-length productions that expand on stepping's unique American history.

With 14 full-time dancers and administrative team of 6, Step Afrika! is one of the top 10 U.S. African American dance companies. The Company reaches thousands each year through a 50-city tour of American colleges and theaters and performs globally as an official U.S. Cultural Ambassador. New work, such as The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence and Drumfolk, tour to major U.S. cities. Step Afrika! is featured at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world's first interactive stepping exhibit.

STEP AFRIKA!

2019-2020 SEASON

Drumfolk

Public Playhouse/Cheverly, MD/January 2-24, 2020 (in residency

5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, MD 20784

https://web1.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/mdpgparkswt.wsc/search.html?display=detail&module=PST&category=PGPP

Penn State University/January 27-31, 2020

https://www.psu.edu/

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts/Urbana, IL/February 4-9, 2020

500 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801

https://krannertcenter.com/events/step-afrika-drumfolk

The Soraya/Los Angeles, CA/ February 19-24, 2020

California State University Nothridge

Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, Great Hall

18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8448

Website: https://www.thesoraya.org/calendar/details/step-afrika-drumfolk

New Victory Theatre/February 24-March 15, 2020

229 W 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

https://tickets.newvictory.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=10146

Delaware Art Museum/ The Grand Opera House/ Wilmington, DE/March 29-April 5, 2020

818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

https://www.thegrandwilmington.org/productions/6492-step-afrika:drumfolk

Drumfolk/Meany Hall/Seattle, WA/May 4-9, 2020

4040 George Washington Lane NE, Seattle, WA 98105

https://meanycenter.org/tickets/2020-05/production/step-afrika

Arts Emerson/Boston, MA/July 6-26, 2020

219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116

https://artsemerson.org/

Washington, D.C. shows

Home Performance Series/Washington, DC/June 6-14, 2020

Magical Musical Holiday Step Show/Washington, DC/December 12-22,2019

Atlas Performing Arts Center ,1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
https://www.atlasarts.org/events/

National College Tour

University of S. Mississippi/Hattiesburg, MS/September 20, 2019

https://www.usm.edu/

Pittsburgh State University/Pittsburgh, KS/September 23, 2019

https://www.pittstate.edu/

Maryville University/ St. Louis, MO/September 25, 2019

https://www.maryville.edu

University of Kansas/Lawrence, MO/September 26, 2019

https://ku.edu

Wichita State University/Wichita, Kansas, September 27, 2019

https://www.wichita.edu/

Albright College/Reading, PA/September 28, 2019

http://www.albright.edu/

Albion College/Albion, MI/October 1, 2019

https://www.albion.edu/

NACA Showcase/October 3, 2019

https://www.naca.org/central/pages/default.aspx

NACA Central Showcase/Arlington, TX/October 5, 2019

https://www.naca.org/central/pages/default.aspx

Furman University/Greenville, SC/October 9, 2019

https://www.furman.edu/

Francis Marion University/Florence, SC/October 10, 2019

https://www.fmarion.edu/

NACA Showcase/Buffalo, NY/October 17, 2019

https://www.naca.org/central/pages/default.aspx

Prince George's Community College/Largo, MD/October 19, 2019

Prince George's Community College

Center for the Performing Arts, Grand Theater
301 Largo Rd, Largo, MD 20774

https://www.pgcc.edu/arts/

Wittenburg University/Springfield, OH/October 21, 2019

https://www.wittenberg.edu/

Clarion University/Clarion, PA/November 9, 2019

http://www.clarion.edu/

Lenfest Center/Lexington, VA/January 16, 2020

Lenfest Center for the Arts at Washington and Lee University

100 Glasgow Street, Lexington, VA 24450

https://www.wlu.edu/lenfest-center/about-the-lenfest-center/ticket-information

Northern Virginia Community College/Springfield, VA/January 31, 2020

https://www.nvcc.edu/

NW Missouri State University/Maryville, MO/February 5, 2020

https://www.nwmissouri.edu/

Buena Vista University/Storm Lake, IA/February 6, 2020

https://www.bvu.edu/

Knox College/Galesburg, IL/February 10, 2020

https://www.knox.edu/

Texas A&M University/College Station, TX/February 12, 2020

https://www.tamu.edu/

International Tours

Southern Africa Tour/Zambia/September 8-14, 2019

Southern African Tour/Angola/September 17-22, 2019

Southern African Tour/South Africa/September 23-30, 2019



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