Step Afrika!

Discount pricing is available for this event. Learn more here.

THE STORY OF STEP AFRIKA!

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the US.

Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. The Company reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theaters and performs globally as Washington, DC’s one and only Cultural Ambassador.

Step Afrika! has earned Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Innovation in the Arts, Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, and was inducted into the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame, the first Dance Company to earn this honor. Step Afrika! headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception and performed at the first ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House. The Company is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive exhibit.

Learn more about Step Afrika! at www.stepafrika.org 

Join us for more! Immediately following the performance, Shanique Peart will host a “Talkback” with the company, giving you the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the performance. 

Shanique Peart is a Toronto turned Kingston-based interdisciplinary artist with a passion for creation, dance, and photography. Shanique began her dance journey as a self-trained dancer exploring movement through Hip-hop and Freestyle Dance. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to train in a variety of settings that has allowed her to develop her skills in multiple dance styles including Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Afro Fusion, Modern, and Urban Contemporary. This diverse background has influenced her journey as an interdisciplinary artist, not only exploring and creating through movement but intertwining dance and performance through her many artistic mediums. Outside of dance, Shanique is moving into more creation-based and collaboration projects, both in and outside of Kingston, as well as the theatre, education and administrative space within the dance and arts community. 

Shanique was a 2024 Kingston Grand Theatre Local Artist-in-Residence.