In-School Programs

Step Afrika!’s award-winning Arts Education programs serve students from PreK through 12th grade through high-energy performances, interactive workshops, and immersive residencies. Rooted in the values of teamwork, commitment, discipline, and academic achievement, each program builds confidence, fosters cultural understanding, and empowers students through the transformative power of stepping.

“Thank you for including our preschoolers today at the assembly. They absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop raving about it afterward. A few of them even said “Can they come back again?!” It was truly so special and meant so much to them, and to me as well! Thank you, thank you! :)”

Lowell Elementary School, Seattle

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for today’s assembly! Our students absolutely loved it and so did our staff and the parents who attended! The performers were amazing. The students were truly captivated throughout the performance. I have seen movies like “Stomp the Yard,” but I’ve never had the opportunity to see a step performance in person. I hope we will be able to have you back again next year – and every year!”

Thurgood Marshall, Washington DC

The Step Afrika assembly was the best part of Black History Month because it was engaging, educational, and allowed students to actively participate while learning about culture and history through movement.

Flower Valley Elementary School

Focus: Early Literacy, Mathematics, Movement Integration

This 35-minute performance is designed to encourage young children of all cultural and economic backgrounds to become active learners through movement-based literacy and mathematics experiences. Centered on kinesthetic learning, the programs use the body to support thinking, comprehension, memory, and problem-solving as students connect movement to stories, counting, patterns, and creative exploration. Designed for PreK–2nd grade students, the experiences blend read-alouds, stepping, clapping, rhythm, exercise, and creative movement to help students engage their minds and bodies simultaneously while building foundational literacy and early numeracy skills. The programs also encourage family engagement by modeling how movement, reading, and play can support learning at home.

 

Focus: Arts Integration, Cultural History, Social-Emotional Learning

This 45-minute, high-energy performance is our most popular assembly, especially for first-time Step Afrika! audiences. It introduces students in grades K–12 to the history, cultural significance, and artistic discipline of stepping. Through rhythm, movement, and interactive engagement, students explore themes such as teamwork, discipline, and academic achievement.

The program includes cultural context through African traditions such as the South African gumboot dance and concludes with a collaborative group activity where students engage in choreographed movement. Stepping with Step Afrika! supports arts education goals by integrating dance with cultural literacy, student voice, and SEL competencies such as relationship skills and self-expression.

 

Focus: College and Career Readiness, Health and Wellness, Performing Arts

Step Up to College is a weekly in-school or after-school residency designed to engage students in grades 3–12 through a dynamic blend of step instruction, college and career readiness, and personal wellness. Students explore the historical and cultural roots of stepping while developing self-confidence, leadership, and collaboration skills as active members of a step team. The program supports academic growth through age-appropriate reflective journals that reinforce goal setting, self-assessment, and writing skills. As students work together to create and rehearse original choreography, they build key competencies aligned with the performing arts, health education, and future planning.

As part of the full program experience, the residency begins with a high-energy recruitment assembly—Stepping with Step Afrika! —which introduces the history, technique, and cultural relevance of stepping in an engaging, interactive performance. The residency concludes with a culminating showcase, where participating students perform their choreographed work and share the knowledge and skills they’ve gained throughout the 10-week program. This final performance is presented to peers, families, and the broader school community—celebrating student growth, cultural understanding, and the power of teamwork.

 

Focus: Performing Arts, Cultural Awareness, Team Building

This 35-minute assembly-style workshop engages students in grades PreK–12 in the fundamentals of stepping while exploring its cultural roots and artistic expression. This is a great follow-up program to Stepping With Step Afrika! Students participate in choreographed movement that promotes physical coordination, unity, and rhythm. The workshop connects stepping to college life and academic success, reinforcing values such as discipline, commitment, and teamwork. Step by Step enhances cultural competency, encourages active participation, and provides a shared creative experience that builds school community and student confidence.

 

Focus: Performing Arts, Cultural Awareness, Team Building

A 75-minute workshop catered for students who have previous stepping/dance experience. One or two artists teach a maximum of twenty students choreography that is appropriate for their skill level. A 15-minute talk back concludes the session, where students can ask dancers about their experience as professional dancers, life on tour, greek (fraternity and sorority), and college life.

 

Focus: Performing Arts, Cultural Awareness, Team Building

This is a 60-minute masterclass that will help any grade school step team prepare for an upcoming performance. Step Afrika! will review the choreographed show, suggest edits, and train the students on performance elements such as stage presence, precision, voice projection, and staging.