INFORMATION FOR
Step Afrika!, which blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities with traditional African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms, will perform in the Shea Center for Performing Arts at William Paterson University in Wayne on Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance is part of William Paterson University’s Black History Month celebration. Tickets are $5.
Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Performances integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique. Step Afrika! now ranks as one of the top ten African American dance companies in the United States.
The company reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theatres and performs globally as Washington, D.C.’s cultural ambassador. Step Afrika! has earned Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education (2005); Innovation in the Arts (2008); and Excellence in an Artistic Discipline (2012); and performed at the White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Step Afrika! is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive. In 2017, Step Afrika! made its Off-Broadway debut with the critically acclaimed production, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.
This year's William Paterson University Black History Month celebration theme is "Black Resistance: Pride, Power, Persistence," highlighting stories of strength, advocacy, and change through the focal lens of economics, culture, religion, and politics.
For information or tickets, call the Shea Center Box Office at 973-720-2371 or visit wp-presents.org.
