Created in collaboration and conversation with Jakari Sherman, Conrad R. Kelly II, and Vusi Mdoyi, The Fruits of Our Labor pushes the boundaries of percussive dance while drawing from traditions that continue to shape Black expression and cultural identity across the diaspora. Be the first to see this powerful new production exploring rhythm, resilience, and the unfinished story of the American experience.
As America marks 250 years, Step Afrika! premieres The Fruits of Our Labor—a work that examines what it means to build, to belong, and to believe in a nation still in the making.
Created in collaboration and conversation with Jakari Sherman, Conrad R. Kelly II, and Vusi Mdoyi, The Fruits of Our Labor pushes the boundaries of percussive dance while drawing from traditions that continue to shape Black expression and cultural identity across the diaspora. Be the first to see this powerful new production exploring rhythm, resilience, and the unfinished story of the American experience.
Runtime is approximately 75–80 minutes with no intermission.
The Fruits of Our Labor is made possible through the extraordinary generosity and visionary support of Tiffeny Sanchez and Reg Brown, Lead Sponsors of the production and national tour.
Lead Commissioning Support is provided by ASU Gammage and the Charleston Gaillard Center. Additional Commissioning Support is provided by The Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond; Performing Arts Houston; and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts.
Blending stepping, contemporary dance, percussion, and striking visual imagery, The Fruits of Our Labor transforms the stage into a kinetic landscape pulsing with power, struggle, joy, and hope.
Jakari ShermanJakari Sherman is a passionate choreographer, ethnochoreologist, and performer whose experience extends over 20 years. Rooted in the African American tradition of stepping, his work pushes the boundaries of percussive dance using technology, storytelling, and diverse musical scores. Jakari served as Step Afrika!’s Artistic Director for seven years. He directed Drumfolk, Green is the New Black, and Symphony in Step, among others. Jakari received an M.A. in Ethnochoreology from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and is undertaking groundbreaking ethnographic work related to structural analysis, teaching methodologies and historical archiving of stepping in the U.S. Jakari has lectured on stepping throughout the world, including Greece, Kazakhstan, the U.K., and Belgium.
Conrad R. Kelly II
Vusi MdoyiVusi Mdoyi is an arts entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer, educator, artistic director, and creative activist dedicated to advancing the South African art form of isiPantsula. He is the founding director of VAP Dance Academy Theatre and Studios, Katlehong Township’s first dance academy and studio, which trains young artists in traditional dance forms. He is also a co-founder of Via Katlehong Dance Company and Impilo Mapantsula Global Movement, an advocacy organization that promotes, researches, documents, and strengthens the isiPantsula industry through coordinated leadership, education, and artistic practice. Inspired by his upbringing in Katlehong Township, Mdoyi’s work explores the history, culture, politics, fashion, music, and language embedded within isiPantsula. A leading voice in expanding the art form’s reach, he has introduced isiPantsula to traditional theatre, academic, and experimental performance spaces while championing its recognition on the global stage.