Step Afrika! NOTE
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PLEASE Step Afrika! NOTE JANUARY The taking of photographs and the use of Monday 8, 8:00pm recording equipment of any kind during Tuesday 9, 8:00pm performances is strictly prohibited Wednesday 10, 8:00pm Earl Cameron Theatre, City Hall By arrangement with MCM Arts and Entertainment Programme Tribute Tribute pays homage to the African American step show. Based on steps and styles seen in step shows across the USA, Tribute expands on stepping’s roots by increasing the length of the step from the traditional 2 minutes to 10 minutes. It combines the distinct stepping styles from different fraternities and sororities and blends them together to showcase the incredible variety of stepping. Tribute includes all the exciting elements of the step show--the use of props, ripples and floor work, creative formations and audience participation. Ndlamu Ndlamu is a traditional dance of the Zulu people. It is performed with drums along with full traditional attire and for more than 15 years, Step Afrika! has studied the dance form through the Company’s long-standing partnership with the Soweto Dance Theatre. Step Afrika! makes this Ndlamu uniquely its own featuring solos created by each dancer as well as the addition of contemporary dance. visit www.bermudafestival.org for more information Isicathulo Isicathulo or “the gumboot dance” is a tradition created by About the performers South African workers who labored in the oppressive mining industry of then-apartheid South Africa. Isolated from their – Founder & Executive Director families for long periods, the miners transformed their rubber C. Brian Williams C. Brian Williams is a native of Houston, Texas. He first learned boots into percussive instruments to not only entertain but to step as a member of, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. – Beta to share secret messages with each other. Isicathulo has Chapter, in 1989. While living in Africa, he began to research become one of the most popular dance forms in South Africa stepping, exploring the many sides of this exciting, yet under- and has striking similarities to the African-American tradition recognized American art form and founded Step Afrika! in of stepping. 1994. Brian has performed, lectured and taught extensively in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, the Caribbean and Solo throughout the United States. He is co-founder of the historic Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, Chicago South Africa. Chicago finds the rhythm in everyday situations. It is a percussive symphony using body percussion and up to 5 Brian has been cited as a “Civic/Community Visionary” by NV complex polyrhythms performed simultaneously in order to Magazine and “Nation Builder” by the National Black Caucus of narrate a percussive dance “story.” Inspired by a summer State Legislators. He is featured prominently in Soulstepping, spent in the Windy City, this ground-breaking work transforms the first book to document the history of stepping and in the 100-year old, folkloric tradition of stepping into 2010, Washington Life Magazine designated Brian as one of contemporary performance art. DC’s leading arts innovators. He is also the recipient of the Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance. The programme will proceed without intermission Under Brian’s leadership, stepping has evolved into one Special Note: Audience participation has been a part of the of America’s newest cultural exports and inspired the step tradition since its inception in the 1900s. Throughout designation of Step Afrika! as Washington, DC’s official any Step Afrika! performance, the audience is invited to Cultural Ambassador. clap, stomp, cheer and participate in call and response with the artists. The Company may also bring members of the Mfoniso Akpan - Artistic Director audience onto the stage to learn a step with the Company. Mfon Akpan has trained extensively in tap, ballet, jazz, modern, African dance and step. While attending the State STEP AFRIKA! University of New York at Stony Brook, she majored in Step Afrika! is the first professional company in the world biochemistry and cultivated her stepping skills as a member dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Founded in December of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mfon began her training at 1994 by C. Brian Williams, the company is critically-acclaimed the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center and has performed for its efforts to promote an appreciation for stepping and the at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Apollo Theater, the dance tradition’s use as an educational tool for young people Brooklyn Academy of Music and Lincoln Center. Mfon toured worldwide. Step Afrika! serves as a Cultural Ambassador for with the off-Broadway show “Hoofin’ 2 Hittin,” where she was the United States and has performed on many stages in North a featured stepper and dancer. & South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Reginald Barrington Based in Washington, DC, Step Afrika! completes an annual Reginald Barrington is a native of Glenarden, Maryland. He 30-city tour of American colleges and universities from Maine first began stepping as a member of Dem Raider Boyz Male to Mississippi. The Company is a model for the use of stepping Step Squad. He graduated from Bowie State University, where in educational settings, espousing themes of teamwork, he received his Bachelor’s in Music Technology and a Master’s academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding to degree in Human Resources. He served as the stepmaster for students grades K-12. Each year, Step Afrika! serves over various traveling step teams as a member of Phi Beta Sigma 30,000 young students with its award-winning arts-education Fraternity, Inc. He also led an undefeated partywalk team programs. ranked number one throughout the nation in 2013. Outside of performing he continues his love for rhythms through disc To learn more, visit www.stepafrika.org. jockeying. Christopher Brient Brittny Smith Christopher Brient, from Houston, Texas, performed in his Brittny Smith is a native of Houston, Texas. She began vocal, first step show in the ninth grade, and has been addicted to hip hop, jazz and acting training at age 7. By high school she the stage ever since. His love of dance began while attending had filmed national TV commercials and signed her first Texas A&M University, where he taught hip hop classes, recording contract. Brittny attended Southern University served as Step Master for the Potent Pi Omicron Chapter in Baton Rouge, LA where she was a “Dancing Doll”, before of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of graduating from Texas Southern University. She obtained a Science in Agricultural Journalism. Chris spent two seasons BA in Radio, TV and Film and a MA in Education and became dancing with Team NRG, the dance team for the WNBA a member of the Gamma Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Houston Comets, and was a member of G Force, the step Sorority Inc. Brittny was a Houston Rockets Power Dancer, team for the NBA Houston Rockets. He joined Step Afrika! in appeared in XXL magazine, Stomp The Yard 2 and opened for 2009. musical acts including Miguel, The Dream and Lyfe Jennings as lead singer of an R&B trio managed by Matthew Knowles. Danielle Dubois Glover Danielle Dubois Glover comes from Queens, New York. She Jordan Spry is a graduate of Howard University where she received her Jordan Spry graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Dance. Under Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. While at the mentorship of Dr. Sherill Berryman Johnson, she worked Howard, he stepped with the Drew Hall Step Team and served with artists such as Ronald K. Brown, Kevin Iega Jeff, Zane as a head coach for Drew. Booker and Whitney Hunter. She has also worked with dance legends such as Dianne McIntyre, Virginia Johnson and Baba Andrew Vinson, Jr. Chuck Davis. She is a former member of Danco II, DBDT II, and Andrew Vinson, Jr. attended Elizabeth City State University, Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She is also a member of Alpha where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Computer Science with a concentration in Business Administration. He is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Joe Murchison Fraternity, Inc. – Lambda Gamma chapter, where he served Joe Murchison comes to Step Afrika! from Lawton, Oklahoma. as Basileus and Hop Master. Andrew began playing drums He has had the opportunity to train at the Dallas Black at an early age and has since mastered styles ranging from Dance Academy, the official school of the Dallas Black Dance marching band to jazz. Andrew is a native of Enfield, N.C. He Theatre. Joe was a scholarship recipient at the Debbie Allen joined Step Afrika! in 2009. Hip Hop Intensive, led by Hip Hop great, Dave Scott. Joe began stepping in junior high school but it was not until he attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, that he bloomed as a performing artist. As President and Step Master of the Zeta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Joe led his chapter to numerous step show competitions, earning both district and regional awards. Artis J. Olds Artis J. Olds is a Chicago native who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Media from Central State University, where he served as the marching band’s Head Drum Major. An accomplished bandsman, Artis has performed with Grammy Award winning recording artists Kanye West, John Legend and The Roots. As a member of the Delta Xi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Artis has won several national step titles including both seasons of the Sprite Step Off, America’s largest step competition.