Dance troupe Step Afrika! to perform at Northwest Feb. 18

The world’s only professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping is coming to Northwest Missouri State University.

Step Afrika! will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, in the Mary Linn Auditorium at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. The show is part of the Encore performance series and is co-sponsored by the Office of Campus Activities and the Student Activities Council.

The performance ties into February’s African-American History Month celebration at Northwest and chronicles the journey of “stomp and stroll,” a dance rooted in African culture.

“It’s very high energy,” Director of Campus Activities Angel McAdams Prescott said. “It’s loud, it’s exciting and our students really wanted to bring this show to the campus. Some of them saw a preview of this show when we attended a national conference, and they were amazed by it. It’s a different look at dance, and it gives our audience another cultural perspective.”

The performance is part of Step Afrika!’s annual 50-city tour of colleges and theaters during which the Washington, D.C., group promotes teamwork, academics and multiculturalism through stepping. The 12-member company has performed in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Stepping is a rhythmic dance with a 100-year history. It began when historically black fraternities and sororities added a modern beat to the ancient African tradition of telling a story through percussive dancing, clapping and spoken word. The dance form has found recent popularity through talent-based reality TV shows and dance-themed movies.

Tickets are free for Northwest students, who pay a student activities fee as part of their tuition. Tickets for the public start at $13 for children and $23 for adults. They may be purchased at the Student Services Center, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on the first floor of the Administration Building, or online at www.nwmissouri.edu/campusactivities/encore.htm.

For more information about Step Afrika!, visit www.stepafrika.org.

The 2012-2013 Encore performance series is themed “Discover the Arts.” Remaining shows feature The Parker Quartet with Shai Wosner March 11 and Missouri Poet Laureate Dr. Bill Trowbridge with musician Bob Walkenhorst April. 11.