INTERVIEW: C. Brian Williams steps his way to success with Step Afrika!
As the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, Step Afrika! is the definition of a trailblazer. C. Brian Williams, founder and executive director, first learned to step as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1989. Since those early days, he has cemented his place at the top of the stepping art form.
The dance, according to the Step Afrika! website, uses the body as an instrument to create rhythms and sounds. Audience members can expect footsteps, claps and spoken word to be part of any performance. The origins of the dance can be found in the traditions of Africa-based communities, and it is heavily influenced by South Africa’s Gumboot, a style originally conceived by South African miners. The dance took off at historically African-American fraternities and sororities in the early part of the 20th century.
In pop culture, there’s also the movies Stomp the Yard and Drumline, among others.
The new interpretation of this art from will be on display at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College. Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Williams about stepping, his own history with the dance form and what audience members can expect at a Step Afrika! performance. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When did you first learn the art of stepping?
I first learned how to step while a student at Howard University in the late ’80s. In those days, the only way to learn how to step was by pledging a historically-African American fraternity or sorority, and I crossed the burning sands into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.-Beta Chapter in the spring of 1989. Stepping played a small, but fun, role in fraternity life with brotherhood, community service and scholarship being the primary focus.
How challenging is this art form compared to other dances?
Surprisingly very difficult. Imagine having to [perform] both the dance and the music at the same time. You must not only be visually compelling, but musically competent. As the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, the artists of Step Afrika! can sometimes make stepping look easy. They rehearse daily to perfect and enhance the art form.
For the company, how important is connecting stepping to education?
Step Afrika! serves over 50,000 students every year, and the company is a huge advocate for education of all kinds, especially college. I like to say that behind every great stepper should be an even greater student. It’s absolutely impossible to separate stepping from its origins on college campuses, hence a focus on academic achievement will always be important to Step Afrika!
What can audience members expect at the public performance of Step Afrika!?
To have fun and make a lot of noise! From the moment Step Afrika! hits the stage, the artists will encourage the audience to make music and just enjoy the show. The more energy an audience gives to the performers, the more the dancers can give back. Our performance is truly an exchange, and the “fourth wall” is non-existent.
What’s on the horizon for the company beyond Brooklyn?
2016 was such an incredible year for Step Afrika! We performed at the White House for then-President Barack Obama, toured throughout Europe and the Middle East, and created an exhibit for the stunning National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. This year, we have even bigger things on the horizon for the company, but it’s top secret. 😉 Follow us on social media or www.stepafrika.org if you really want the details!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Step Afrika! will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College. Click here for more information and tickets.
