Step Afrika! Commemorates Major Milestone with Special Celebrations, Performances at 30th Anniversary Gala
‘The Migration’ Returns, Pastor Smokie Norful Sings with Company in Historic Preview
Written by Micha Green for The Washington Informer, Published June 5, 2024
A graduate of Howard University and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, C. Brian Williams first fell in love with the art of stepping in college more than 30 years ago. Then, while living in Lesotho, he was introduced to South African gumboot dance, opening up a whole new world of cross-cultural and ancestral understanding for the budding arts entrepreneur.
“The initial idea was to bring stepping and the South African gumboot dance together,” said Williams. “We only thought it would happen in Johannesburg. We thought we couldn’t do anything besides this historic festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. But, when we got back to the States, it became clear that we had more work to do.”
Fired up from his experiences abroad, in 1994, Williams founded Step Afrika! with a plan to spread the art of stepping to the masses; and while it hasn’t always been easy, he’s done just that.
“The motivation was to really preserve and promote stepping as a uniquely American art form. And I think we’ve done that, which is crazy, to say that we’ve actually done it,” Williams told The Informer in an interview in February. “You look at earlier articles of me talking about stepping, like 20- 30 years ago, and I’m saying, ‘We really want to get stepping recognized as an art form that should be preserved and documented.’ And we’ve preserved and documented it, which was important, because we had to do it ourselves. And then everyone in the rest of the world kind of caught up.”
Step Afrika! celebrated its 30th anniversary with hundreds of staff, company alumni and special guests, including Board Vice Chair Kym Taylor, Board Chair Conrad Woody, Founder C.Brian Williams, Pastor Smokie Norful, Executive Director Lamar Lovelace. (Courtesy of Phelan Mark)
Donning brightly colored garments, many featuring African fabrics and prints, hundreds gathered at Arena Stage on June 4, for Step Afrika!’s 30th anniversary gala, featuring performances from company members and Pastor Smokie Norful. The event celebrated Step Afrika!’s many accomplishments and raised money to continue the arts organization’s shows, outreach and educational work in the District, nation and abroad.
During the event, Williams emphasized that Step Afrika! could not have survived 30 years without longtime support from audiences, sponsors, board members, staff, the artists and more.
“From a small group of volunteer performers and a modest budget of zero, and I do mean zero, to where we stand today with 18 full-time dancers, and an annual budget of $3.5 million is truly humbling,” the Step Afrika! founder told the crowd. “But this journey isn’t just about numbers… It’s about the people, past and present.”
During the event, the support shown for Step Afrika! was palpable, as the engaging host, Tameka Harris, gracefully and hilariously encouraged the crowd to support programs with donations ranging from $130 to $10,000.
“Every dollar you generously donate to us tonight impacts our work in real time,” Harris said.
And people did not shy away from donating. In each funding category, people proudly lifted their auction numbers high to show their support for Step Afrika!.
In the company’s 30 years, Williams noted Step Afrika! has survived two recessions and a pandemic. Despite challenges, Williams explained Step Afrika! has been able to “somehow emerge from each challenge stronger than ever.”
Proving naysayers and doubters wrong, the Step Afrika! founder said the company has come a long way over the last three decades.
“We fully employ more full-time artists of color than any other arts organization of any stripe in the DMV,” Williams proudly declared. “When I launched this 30 years ago, very few thought it was possible– at all, actually. And for us to now provide consistent and constant work for artists… who come from all over the country, to live and create in D.C., it means a lot to me, and none of that is possible without you.”
Step Afrika’s ‘The Migration’ Returns
Throughout Step Afrika!’s 30-year history, there have been many shows that have relayed the beauty and importance of African American stories through trials and triumphs. One such show is, “The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence,” which first premiered at the Atlas in Northeast, D.C. in 2011.
“In my 18 incredible years with the company, I have had the joy of being a dancer and experiencing the transformative power of our art firsthand. And among all the productions that I’ve been a part of, there’s one that holds a special place in my heart: ‘The Wade Suite,’ a celebrated moment from Step Afrika!’s most acclaimed work ‘The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence,’ said the company’s Artistic Director Mfoniso Akpan. “This takes us deep into the heart of Jacob Lawrence’s iconic series of panels known as ‘The Migration Series.’ Through powerful choreography and captivating spirituals, this work explores the African American experience, with all of its triumphs, struggles, and resilience.”
Step Afrika! treated audiences to a special performance of the “Wade Suite,” as part of the company’s celebrated piece “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence,” running until July 14. (Courtesy of Phelan Mark)
During the 30th anniversary gala, audiences were treated to a preview of the “Wade Suite” from Step Afrika!’s “The Migration,” running at Arena Stage from June 7 to July 14. The only difference is, gala attendees received a special treat during the preview of “The Migration,” on June 4.
“For the first and only time in the history of Step Afrika!… we all have the distinct honor of witnessing the Wade Suite, with the incomparable, two-time Grammy Award-winning and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Smokie Norful,” Akpan told the crowd, garnering loud cheers and applause.
The premier featuring Norful did not disappoint. A powerful performance that included step and the sensational sounds of Norful and singers belting tunes such as “Wade in the Water,” and “Take Me to the Water (To be Baptized),” the piece from “The Migration,” was moving, exciting, and joyful.
The full show running until mid-July also promises to be an engaging theatrical experience. Step Afrika!, in residency at Arena Stage, is partnering with The Phillips D.C., where 30 of Lawrence’s 60-panel works from “The Migration Series” are part of the collection.
“It is a gift to close my first season as artistic director with this profoundly beautiful and groundbreaking exploration of Jacob Lawrence’s meditation on Black exodus, hope, possibility, and progress through the Great Migration,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. “I am proud to collaborate with two of Washington, D.C.’s most venerable institutions, as we collectively uplift the urgency and vibrancy of The Migration to the Kreeger stage.”
For Williams, tapping into the might and beauty of Lawrence’s work was key.
“Jacob Lawrence, for me, is really one of America’s greatest artists… I knew how important his work was,” Williams said, explaining his excitement when diving into “The Migration” years ago.
“We talked about how our work had already resonated with these images that Jacob Lawrence had painted. And I was just excited to really interpret the artwork. To really bring his paintings to life.”
From its debut in 2011, to its sold-out run off-Broadway at the New Victory Theater in 2017, to touring around the country, “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence,” is not just a great piece to watch, but allows audiences to recall their own stories, experiences and journeys.
“One of the most beautiful things about touring this work has been the connection that we’ve made with communities everywhere we’ve gone. We get offstage and we go in the house and meet people and they’re so anxious to tell us about their families’ stories, and their families’ histories about how they migrated,” said Jakari Sherman former artistic director of Step Afrika! and director of “The Migration,” in a video about the piece.
Having performed the piece, Akpan said she too can attest to the power of “The Migration.”
“As a dancer with the company, I have seen firsthand the impact that this production has had on our audiences across the United States,” Akpan explained.