Step Afrika! We Step. We Tour. We Teach. We're Ambassadors

In Schools

Stepping—and the lessons it teaches—are universal.

Through Stepping into Schools, our arts-in-education programs, Step Afrika brings the art and energy of stepping to K-12 and college students of all ethnic backgrounds. Our artists are college graduates who tailor their teaching to the appropriate age and setting.

For younger audiences, we integrate the energy and appeal of stepping with English language and social studies content. And, we use stepping as a tool to demonstrate the universal life skills of teamwork, discipline, and commitment. For older students, our classes and lectures delve into the history of stepping and its ties with similar percussive dance traditions in Africa, as well as its place in the long line of African American cultural traditions, including hambone, ring shout, and tap dance. In 2006, Step Afrika received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education. And every year, Step Afrika dedicates the month of May to young people, serving over 5,000 children in all eight wards of Washington, DC. Last May, we visited 22 schools and offered nearly 40 performances in only 22 days.

Here is just a glimpse at the range of award-winning programs offered by Step Afrika:

Stepping with Step Afrika: a 50-minute performance about stepping that culminates in a group activity to get K-12 students on their feet. Contact our agents for more information.

Step Up to College: A week-long residency for grades 3-12 that culminates in a field trip, where students witness stepping on a college campus and get a taste of the excitement of higher education. Contact our agents for more information.

Forward Steps: a year-round residency for DC metropolitan students. In weekly sessions, students research and write about stepping; learn about choreography, precision, voice and diction; and are taught about self and group management, using the step “team” as a model. Contact our agents for more information.

Step Afrika’s approach to education is grounded in curriculum, shaped by experience and influenced by experts. Programs are based on national models, as gleaned from training and partnerships with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Education Department, Washington Performing Arts Society’s Concert-in-Schools Program, and the Arts for Every Student program, run by the DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative. Programs are accompanied by comprehensive activity journals and other age-appropriate material.

For a complete description of programs, see the Menu of Performances and Arts Education Activities. Or, Contact our agents for more information.