VANCOUVER – The professional performance group Step Afrika! brings their act to WSU Vancouver at 6 p.m. April 16 in the Firstenburg Student Commons.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are limited and must be reserved by calling the WSU Vancouver Office of Student Involvement at 360/546-9527.
![](http://wsutoday.wsu.edu/Content/Documents/1step3-31-08-l.jpg)
Limit two tickets per person. For more information and to download a free parking pass, see http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/stepafrika.
Step Afrika! celebrates stepping, an art form born at African American fraternities and based in African traditions.
As the first professional company dedicated to stepping, Step Afrika!’s intricate kicks, stomps and rhythms mixed with spoken word pound the floor and fill the air. A promotional video is available at http://youtube.com/watch?v=FRecTnZ9vac.
Stepping is a unique dance tradition created by African American college students. In stepping, the body is used as an instrument to create intricate rhythms and sounds through a combination of footsteps, claps and spoken word.
![](http://wsutoday.wsu.edu/Content/Documents/step3-31-08-l.jpg)
The tradition grew out of the song and dance rituals practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities in the early 1900s. Stepping comes from a long and rich tradition in African-based communities that use movement, words and sounds to communicate allegiance to a group.
Learn more about Step Afrika! at http://www.stepafrika.org.