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Western Presents Step Afrika
Contact: Kent Heier
Title: Assistant PR/Marketing Director
Phone: 816-271-4124
Email: kheier@missouriwestern.edu
WESTERN PRESENTS STEP AFRIKA
St. Joseph, Mo. - Aug. 25, 2010 - The Western Activities Council and the Center for Multicultural Education at Missouri Western State University will present Step Afrika at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1 in the Potter Hall Theater. Doors open at 6:30. The performance is free and open to the public.
Step Afrika was founded in 1994 and is the only professional dance company in the world dedicated to traditional stepping. The company has been critically acclaimed for its understanding and promotion of stepping and its use as an educational tool for people worldwide. Step Afrika performs on university campuses across America and on stages throughout South America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Stepping is a unique dance tradition created by African-American college students. In stepping, intricate rhythms and sounds are created by a combination of footsteps, claps and spoken word. The tradition began in the early 1900s, growing out of song and dance rituals practiced by historically African-American fraternities and sororities. Although stepping is traditionally aligned with college fraternities, the art form is universal and highly appealing to audiences of all ages and communities.
Step Afrika's founder, Brian Williams, noted a connection between the South African gumboot dance, an art form created by African mine-workers, and the stepping he had learned as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Howard University. Today Step Afrika incorporates gumboot rhythms into some of their most popular productions and educational presentations.
Please contact the Center for Student Engagement at 271-4159 or the Center for Multicultural Education at 271-4150 for more information.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.
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