History of African Step Dancing
When African tribal dance was prohibited in certain areas of the United States, African-American slaves responded with step dancing, a series of rhythms created with hands, feet and chants or spoken word. The rhythms and chants typically have a call-and-answer structure and dancers move in and out of different formations while dancing. Step dancing continues to rise in popularity in the U.S. and remains a significant part of African-American heritage.
Other People Are Reading
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Roots in Tribal Dance and Slavery
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Sources vary widely on the beginnings of step dancing. Several state that slaves utilized step dancing to preserve their cultural heritage and to relay important news to one another (information about the underground railroad, for example). Step dancing also seems to have been influenced by traditional African tribal dances. A later style of step dancing developed in South Africa known as the "Welly dance," which native South Africans used to perform in rubber boots or "Wellingtons."
Fraternity Roots
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According to Elizabeth C. Fine in her book, "African Step Shows," "while movement and communication patterns from African cultures are clearly evident in stepping, college students forged it out of their rich African-American performance heritage of dance, speech and song." Fine states that the earliest reference to step dancing by fraternities dates back to 1925. However, Will Packer, producer of the movie "Stomp the Yard," states that step dancing was first adopted by a fraternity in 1906 at Cornell, when a group of African-American students were denied admission into a white fraternity. They found common ground in step dancing or "stepping."
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Stepping as Initiation
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From the 1960s on, historically African-American fraternities have used step dancing as a rite of passage or initiation into their organizations. Each fraternity has specific steps and rhythms and competitions are commonly held at colleges.
The Sound and Style
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After World War II, a militaristic marching rhythm wove itself into stepping and popular music trends such as Motown artists and hip-hop also influenced the art's sound. Popular moves include "the James Brown," "Stomp the Yard" and "the Tok." A common stepping move is known as "the Train," where a dancer alternates placing all his weight on one foot, then the other, straightening the opposite arm out to the side and looking at his fingertips.
The 1990s and early 2000s
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Howard University's Alpha Pi Alpha performed at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1992. As of 2010, other organizations and groups have begun to adopt stepping, such as churches, cheerleading groups and dance and drill teams. Movies throughout the 1990s and 2000s, such as "School Daze," "Mac and Me," "Drumline" and "Stomp the Yard" have featured step dancing.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dance steps image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
