Step Afrika! The Nation's First Step Dance Company Announces Its 30th Anniversary Season

Renowned African American arts organization and premier Dance Company Step Afrika! announces the commemoration of its milestone 30th anniversary season from August 2023 to July 2025. Established by Houston native and Howard University graduate C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! has become a pioneering global influence in African American dance. It holds the distinction of being the first company exclusively dedicated to the art of stepping and is Washington, DC's largest African American arts organization.

Step Afrika! embarked on a journey to offer a unique opportunity to preserve and revolutionize the legacy of stepping for future generations without precedents, blueprints, or models. Before Step Afrika's establishment, stepping was confined to commercial television and American college campuses. Since then, the company has solidified its position as the leading global stepping powerhouse, showcasing the art form on eminent stages across the United States and captivating audiences in over 60 countries. Step Afrika! made history as the first company to introduce the practice of men and women stepping together, disrupting traditional gender roles and actively promoting equity within this niche of the performing arts.

"As we celebrate this milestone, we foresee sustained administrative growth, the enhancement of arts education programming in our beloved Washington, DC, and additional benefits for the 18 full-time dancers who passionately carry forth this remarkable tradition across the globe.  Truly grateful for our dedicated Board of Directors and radical support from the Mellon Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies during and beyond our 30th Anniversary season.” – Lamar Lovelace, Executive Director, Step Afrika!

Kicking off Black History Month 2024, Step Afrika! has partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to debut Step Afrika!'s Interactive 30th Anniversary Timeline, commemorating the organization's 30-year history. With the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, the ambition of this partnership is to help arts organizations stabilize and thrive in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic through strategic improvements to technological structures. The Digital Accelerator will create a meaningful opportunity for key stakeholders to learn and engage with Step Afrika's unique history, increase fundraising, and drive revenue, while concurrently highlighting its artistic and programmatic milestones. 

Access the timeline here - https://timeline.stepafrika.org/ 

The Mellon Foundation, known for its unwavering support of the arts and humanities, has made a substantial commitment to Step Afrika! This multi-year grant not only provides vital resources but also addresses the organization's programmatic and infrastructural needs. By scaling up resources and enhancing its administrative support network, Step Afrika! is now well-equipped to meet growing program demands, diversify its artistic portfolio, and strategically fill staffing gaps in both administrative and artistic roles. This transformative grant empowers Step Afrika! to continue its impactful work with renewed strength and expanded capabilities.

“Step Afrika!'s work bringing stepping into the American theater and around the world has been vital to the preservation, appreciation, and evolution of this important art form. Their fluidity in uniting traditional stepping with untold stories of the African American experience is a privilege to witness. We are thrilled to be long-term funding partners of Step Afrika! and are committed to supporting their success.” - Emil Kang, Program Director for Arts and Culture at the Mellon Foundation.

Photo Credit: Keith Major

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