Step Afrika! Dances into the Detroit Opera House this Fall

DETROIT, March 9, 2026 – Step Afrika! will bring its unique blend of dance, songs, storytelling,

and humor to the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Audience participation

has been a part of the step tradition since the company’s inception in the 1990s, and members of

the audience will be invited to clap, stomp, cheer, and participate in call and response with the

artists. Tickets for Step Afrika! start at $39 (plus fees) and go on pre-sale March 10 at 12 p.m. ET at Ticketmaster, DetroitOperaHouse.org, and in person at the Detroit Opera House. The public on-sale date is March 13 at 10 a.m. ET.

Step Afrika! performs works that blend 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 integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and will leave the audience with their hearts pounding. Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the world’s leading authority on the art form of stepping. Under Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top-ten African American dance companies in the U.S.

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 the distinct stepping styles from different fraternities and sororities and blends

them to showcase the incredible variety of stepping. Tribute includes all the exciting elements of

the step show—the use of props, ripples, and floor work, creative formations, and audience

participation.

Tribute, choreographed by Jakari Sherman, pays homage to the African American step show. The

work combines the distinct stepping styles from different fraternities and sororities and blends

them to showcase the incredible variety of stepping. Tribute includes all the exciting elements of

the step show—the use of props, ripples, and floor work, creative formations, and audience

participation.

Ndlamu, choreographed by Jackie Semela, is a traditional dance of the Zulu people and 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, the miners transformed their rubber boots into

percussive instruments to not only entertain but to share secret messages with each other.

Isicathulo has become one of the most popular dance forms in South Africa and has striking

similarities to the African-American tradition of stepping.

Chicago, choreographed by Jakari Sherman, finds the rhythm in everyday situations. It is a

percussive symphony using body percussion and up to five complex polyrhythms performed

simultaneously in order to narrate a percussive dance “story.” Inspired by a summer spent in the

Windy City, this groundbreaking work transforms the 100+ year old, folkloric tradition of stepping into contemporary performance art.

"‘Chicago’ assembles a joyous spectrum of folks who made their way North to better jobs, housing, education, and opportunities. The dancers bring to life a train conductor, a flapper, a Negro League baseball player, a Jazz Age couple dressed to the nines in top hat and gown pulled straight from one of Lawrence’s panels, all transmitting that energy of optimism. Migrating north would change everything—almost." --Metro Weekly

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the world’s leading authority on the art form

of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural

exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top 10 African

American Dance Companies in the U.S. Step Afrika! 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.

Step Afrika!

Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway Street, Detroit

Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8 p.m.

Tickets: Ticketmaster, in person at the Detroit Opera box office, and at DetroitOperaHouse.org

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