March 22, 2011

HARRISBURG — Live at Rose Lehrman celebrates the art of African American step dancing with Step Afrika! at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the Harrisburg Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.

Like tap dance without shoes, or a band without instruments, stepping is percussive dance that uses kicks, stomps, claps and chants – all linked to African and modern dance traditions.

Step Afrika! is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping.  The group reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year and has performed on many stages in North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

The company, founded in 1994, is critically-acclaimed for its efforts to promote an understanding of, and appreciation for, stepping. Members use the dance tradition as a tool to demonstrate and teach young people worldwide the universal life skills of teamwork, discipline, and commitment. For older students, classes and lectures delve into the history of stepping and its ties with similar percussive dance traditions in Africa, as well as its place in the long line of African American cultural traditions, including hambone, ring shout and tap dance.

Based in Washington, D.C., the company has been featured on television and radio networks CNN, BET, PBS and NPR as well as in numerous books, documentaries and articles that seek to explore the tradition of stepping. Step Afrika! serves as a cultural ambassador for the United States, performing at events around the world through special invitations from American embassies.

This tour of Step Afrika! is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with the support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from the HACC Alumni Association and The HACC Foundation. The media sponsor for the event is WHTM-TV abc27.

Live at Rose Lehrman will present Step Afrika! at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at HACC’s Rose Lehrman Arts Center. Seating is limited; call ahead for ticket availability. Prices are $32 for adults, $30 for senior citizens and $15 for students. Contact the Live at Rose Lehrman box office at 717-231-ROSE (7673). Tickets are also available online at www.LiveatRoseLehrman.org.