Step Afrika!
Drumfolk
Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the art form of stepping, ranks as one of the top-ten African-American dance ensembles in the United States. Drumfolk, a new production, will be filled with intricate rhythms and sounds made through a combination of stomping, claps, body percussion, and spoken word.
Stepping is used to describe the African experience in America, starting with the Stono Rebellion of 1739 and the subsequent passing of the Negro Act of 1740, which forbid slaves from being allowed to learn to read and write, assemble in groups, raise crops, and use drums. Stepping was born out of a desire to communicate when the tools of communication were removed.
The performance comes to Penn State on the cusp of Black History Month.
sponsors
Susan and Lewis Steinberg
support provided by
McQuaide Blasko Endowment
The presentation of Step Afrika! was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
We provide teaching materials referencing subject area connections that follow the Pennsylvania Curriculum Frameworks and Standards found in the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Learning Standards for Early Childhood, the Next Generation Science State Standards, and the Common Core State Standards. Contact Medora Ebersole at 814‑863‑6752 or mde13@psu.edu to receive these resources.