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The first ever professional dance troupe dedicated to the tradition of stepping @StepAfrika1994 (Facebook)/@StepAfrikaHQ (Twitter)/@stepafrika (Instagram) takes the stage for an unbelievable performance @KimmelCC (Twitter)/@KimmelCulturalCampus (Facebook and Instagram) on 4/28. For more info, visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Press Contacts:
Lauren A. Woodard Hall Hannah Palermo
484-832-1963 267-765-3724
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KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS THE ICONIC, FIRST-EVER PROFESSIONAL STEPPING DANCE TROUPE, STEP AFRIKA!, IN AN ENERGETIC, ONE-OF-A-KIND PERFORMANCE, APRIL 28, 2023
"This is movement as communal celebration."
- The New York Times
"Always visually and musically exciting."
- The Washington Post
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (March 1, 2023) –The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents the culturally rich, history-based, performance dance troupe, Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, at the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
The group, founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances, and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. The instruments are the artists’ bodies, and their performances are much more than dance shows – integrating songs, storytelling, and humor, and blending technique, agility, and pure energy to make each performance unique. Step Afrika!’s signature performance shares the step tradition of audience participation and closes with a complex, polyrhythmic percussive symphony that brings audiences to their feet with their hearts pounding.
“From performing off Broadway to the White House to almost 50 countries across the globe, Step Afrika! is one of our country’s top five African American dance companies, born in the early 90s from an exchange program with Johannesburg’s Soweto Dance Theatre,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming & Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “We’re excited to bring this awe-inspiring group to our stage, sharing their incredible artistry with Philadelphians and in particular our littlest arts lovers attending this show as part of their Family Discovery Series package.”
Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement, and cross-cultural understanding. The company reaches tens of thousands each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theaters and performs globally as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador. Founder C. Brian Williams is also featured in Soulstepping, the first book to document the history of stepping, and several documentaries discussing the art form.
Step Afrika! has earned the Mayor’s Art Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education (2005); Innovation in the Arts (2008); and Excellence in an Artistic Discipline (2012); and performed at the White House for President Barack Obama and the First Lady. Step Afrika! is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive. In 2017, Step Afrika! made its Off-Broadway debut with the critically acclaimed production, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.
Family Discovery Series
The 2022–23 Family Discovery Series returns for its 7th year with a lineup including kid-friendly favorites and re-envisioned family classics, curated to appeal to the littlest growing arts lovers. Click here for a full list of series programming. Family Discovery Series multi-show packages start at $18.00 per show. Single tickets to all Family Discovery Series shows are on sale now. Choose three or more shows from our spectacular Family Discovery Series and save. This season's Family Discovery Series is generously sponsored by Dietz & Watson.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.
Step Afrika!
Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on the Kimmel Cultural Campus
Friday, April 28, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
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KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and six esteemed Resident Companies: Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, coworkers, and programs here.
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For photography, please visit https://kcccpress.smugmug.com
For a PDF version of this press release, click here.