Step Afrika! Dances at Detroit Opera House
Legendary Dance Ensemble Makles Detroit Opera House Debut
DETROIT – Step Afrika! brings its unique blend of dance, songs, storytelling, and humor to the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. The Company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they introduce audiences to stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance an unforgettable celebration of rhythm, culture,
and community.
Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to
the 100+-year-old folkloric tradition of stepping and ranked among the top ten African American dance companies in the U.S. While living in Southern Africa, Williams began to research the many
sides of this exciting, yet under-recognized American art form. There, he was introduced to the
South African “gumboot dance” and was inspired to bring this art form and stepping together.
Under Williams’ leadership, stepping has become one of America’s cultural exports.
Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork,
academic achievement, and cross-cultural understanding. The company has toured more than 60
countries across the globe and reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-
city tour of colleges and theaters. Audience participation has been part of the Company’s tradition
since inception, and audience members will be invited to clap, stomp, cheer, and join in call-and-
response with the artists.
While this performance marks Step Afrika!’s debut at the Detroit Opera House, it will be the Company’s second visit to Detroit (2017) and sixth visit to Michigan. The Detroit program will feature four group performances—Tribute, Ndlamu, Isicathulo, and Chicago—and a solo performance exploring the art form of stepping at its most intimate level.
Tribute, choreographed by Jakari Sherman, pays homage to the African American step show. The
work combines distinct stepping styles from different fraternities and sororities, blending them to
showcase stepping's incredible variety. Tribute includes all the exciting elements of the step show— the use of props, ripples, floor work, creative formations, and audience participation.
Ndlamu, choreographed by Jackie Semela, is a traditional dance of the Zulu people. For more than 25 years, Step Afrika! has studied the dance form through the Company’s longstanding partnership with the Soweto Dance Theater. Step Afrika! makes this Ndlamu uniquely its own, featuring solos created by each dancer as well as the addition of contemporary movement.
Isicathulo (“the gumboot dance”), choreographed by Jackie Semela, is a tradition created by South African workers who labored in the oppressive mining industry of then-apartheid South Africa. Isolated from their families for long periods, miners turned their rubber boots into percussive instruments to entertain and pass secret messages. Isicathulo has become one of South Africa's most popular dance forms and shares striking similarities with stepping.
Chicago, choreographed by Jakari Sherman, showcases the rhythm in everyday situations. It is a
percussive symphony using body percussion and up to five complex polyrhythms performed
simultaneously to narrate a percussive dance “story.” Inspired by a summer spent in the Windy City, this groundbreaking work transforms the tradition of stepping into contemporary performance art.
“Step Afrika! continues to foster cultural connections and elevate African American art forms, remaining a beacon of cultural preservation and artistic innovation.” - Melissa Noel, ESSENCE
Detroit Opera House plans to host a series of activities including a pre-show meet and greet with
Founder and Executive Director C. Brian Williams, as part of the Detroit Opera Prima Experience,
a pre-show and intermission package which includes drinks and snacks in the Cadillac Cafe. Special group rates have been extended to area Divine Nine fraternities and sororities and HBCU alumni chapters. Including Williams, 11 members of the Company are members of the Divine Nine and 10 Company members are Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumni. Detroit Opera House will host the “Best Step” social media challenge, in which local groups can submit videos of their stepping routines. Selected winners will earn the chance to perform at the Detroit Opera House before the Step Afrika! performance on Saturday, November 14th. Timing and scope of activities are subject to change.
Tickets for Step Afrika! start at $56.65 including fees and are available at detroitoperahouse.org
and in person at the Detroit Opera House. Detroit residents who show a valid government-issued
ID with their address can buy 2 tickets for $25 each at the Detroit Opera House Box Office during the week of the performance.
