# Step Afrika!

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{{Short description|South African-American dance company}}
right|330x75px|Official logo of Step Afrika!
[[File:Step Afrika in Israel (26836403632).jpg|thumb|300px|Step Afrika! during a visit in [Israel](/source/Israel), April 2016]]
'''Step Afrika!''' is a [dance company](/source/dance_company) dedicated to the African-American tradition of "[stepping](/source/Stepping_(African-American))".<ref>[http://www.weta.org/local/black-history-month/resources WETA Black History Month Resources]</ref> It is a non-profit organization that tours nationally and internationally, presents residencies and workshops worldwide, and uses "stepping" as an educational tool.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1524911 Norris, Michele (28 Nov 2003). "All Things Considered". National Public Radio.]</ref> Their dance style is a fusion of South African [gumboot dance](/source/gumboot_dance) and African American stepping.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-20-me-39362-story.html Peabody, Zanto (20 Oct 2000).  "Greek Week Steps Up to Challenge".  Los Angeles Times.]</ref>

==History==
Step Afrika! was founded in 1994 in South Africa through a collaboration between dancers from the United States and dancers from the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg, South Africa.<ref>Jenkins, Marilyn (20 December 1994).  “Stepping to Soweto”.  The Citizen (Johannesburg).</ref><ref>Ulen, Eisa Nefertari (June 1997).  “Bringin' It Home”.  The Source. pp. 87.</ref><ref>Fine, Elizabeth C (2003). "Soulstepping: African American Step Shows".  Chicago: University of Illinois Press.  pp. 117.  {{ISBN|0-252-02475-3}}.</ref> The company moved to the United States in 1996, and relocated to its current headquarters, in the [Atlas Performing Arts Center](/source/Atlas_Performing_Arts_Center), on [H Street](/source/H_Street_(Washington%2C_D.C.)) NE, in 2006.

Since 2006, Step Afrika! has produced a Home Performance Series (HPS), and in 2011 the Company designed a HPS themed along the lines of [Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series](/source/Migration_Series).<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater-dance/step-afrika-dance-inspired-by-phillips-collections-migration-series/2011/05/26/AGyGdNIH_story.html Brown, DeNeen (3 June 2011). "Step Afrika Dance Inspired by Phillips Collection Migration Series".  Washington Post.]</ref>

==See also==
*[Stepping (African-American)](/source/Stepping_(African-American))
*[Gumboot dance](/source/Gumboot_dance)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Step Afrika!}}
*{{official website|http://www.stepafrika.org}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Dance companies in the United States
Category:African-American dance
Category:South African dancers
Category:Dance in Washington, D.C.
Category:Performing groups established in 1994
Category:2006 in Washington, D.C.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Step Afrika!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_Afrika!) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_Afrika!?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.