What is Stepping Dance ?

History : Stepping is a form of dance distinct to both participants and audience. Stepping uses the entire body, including feet, legs, arms, hands and voice, to produce sounds and various beat routines. Stepping is generally done in a very serious formation with two or more people in the troop, and dancers generally complete complex complementary rhythms in their routines. Stepping has a long and rich history, and is very popular among cultures that trace their lineage back to Africa throughout the the world.

Early Roots

Khaleelah Jones, September 2008: Welly Gumboot Dance in South Africa

Stepping began by drawing on a combination of military drill exercises, African foot dances that used the entire body as an element of expression and articulation, and popular dance moves and routines from the early 1960s.

Significant Sources of Inspiration

Particular sources of inspiration can be found in the Welly "Gumboot" Dance, a popular dance for South Africans, who perform routines heavy in whole body articulation in Wellington Boots, called "gumboots" in South Africa. R&B dance sensations the Temptations have also been cited as a source for stepping, as their routines in the 1970s were heavily whole-body ordeals, making rhythms with all parts of their bodies on stage.

Moving into Modern Times

In the late '80s and '90s, African American fraternities and sororities starting using stepping as a way to build brother or sisterhood. Stepping is very intensely about listening, teamwork and skill building, and became popular among Greek organizations that stressed these traits in its members (Johnson 2007). Stepping became very popular as these Greek organizations began competing with one another in local and national competitions open to spectators who were amazed by the order and rhythm of step.

Popularizing Step in the Late '90s

Since the beginning of step competitions, step has become more popular. Now, step can be seen not only live but on movies, TV shows and in other popular media. Many movies have been made centered around step, such as "Drumline" (2002) and "Stomp the Yard" (2007), and the television show "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" featured an episode with a step team.

Moving Into the 21st Century

Major television station BET has begun airing step competitions. Step has also become an accepted form of dance, as dancers on "America's Next Dance Crew" and "So You Think You Can Dance" compete using step routines.