On Sunday evening, February 16, Step Afrika! brought the nation’s best step teams together for its highly anticipated Step Afrika! Step Show at the Warner Theatre in downtown Washington, DC. Founded by C. Brian Williams in 1994, Step Afrika! is one of the nation’s top ten African American dance companies and is the leading global authority on the art of stepping and its importance.
The event presented foot-stomping performances by steppers representing the Divine Nine (Black Greek-letter organizations) and step teams from different parts of the U.S. It was hosted by actress, comedian, and social media influencer Lala Milan, who gave the audience laughs, high energy, and good vibes overall. Alongside Milan was Jeeda The DJ, who kept attendees hyped with a playlist filled with crowd-pleasing songs for the night. The show kicked off with a Divine Nine dance battle, which gave a shout-out to fraternities and sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Alpha Phi Alpha, and Iota Phi Theta.
After each organization showed off their dance moves, the night continued with themed step performances by step classic step teams that included:
- The nationally recognized Mighty Light Team from Tallahassee, Florida, which is the official step team of Omega Lamplighters Inc. and consists of high school boys whose fundamental beliefs are Leadership, Academics, Maturity, and Perseverance.
- The recently founded Controlled Chaos Step Team from Baltimore, whose performances highlighting purpose, pride, and power continue to lead them to the top in the stepping world.
- The ETA Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. from Greensboro, North Carolina, who showcase their pride in their fraternity’s values and the art of stepping in Black Greek-letter organizations through their performances.
- The award-winning QuaDrew Step Team from Washington, DC, founded in 2013, a combination of Howard University’s Quad and Drew Hall Step Teams.
- Tha S.W.A.G.G. Boiz (Steppers Working to Achieve Greater Greatness) from Houston, Texas, which consists of middle and high school boys and was crowned Grand Champions at the Dallas Step Show.
- The Federal City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., also from Washington, DC, made up of 20-to-50-year-old women whose performances honor Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s stepping tradition, celebrate Black History, and teach the audience about important figures and events.
- Taken By Surprise from Lakeland, Florida, an all-female step team with 11 national championships and the longest-running team of its kind in the area with a focus on building character through competition.
- The DMV’s premier all-male step team, Dem Raider Boyz Step Squad from Greenbelt, Maryland, which was founded in 2001 and has 10 undefeated seasons and 4 National Championship titles while maintaining a 3.9 team GPA.
The excitement wasn’t confined to the stage. Audience members were invited to bust out some dance moves in between performances, with Lala Milan and DJ Jeeda keeping the energy high. On top of that, prizes were given to two lucky audience members to see Step Afrika!’s final performances celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary in June. The night concluded with a final show-stopping performance by the artists of Step Afrika!
Running Time: Approximately two hours, with no intermission.
Step Afrika! Step Show, the grand finale of the three-day Step Afrika! Step Classic, played February 16, 2025, presented by Step Africa! performing at The Warner Theatre – 513 13th Street, in Washington, DC. Tickets to the conclusion of Step Afrika!’s 30th-anniversary celebration at Strathmore on June 27 and 28, 2025 — featuring special guests in music and dance — are available online.
