Step Afrika! Residency To Be Held At MPAC In Partnership With Donald Driver
Jan. 12, 2023 by Stephi Wild
Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) is presenting a 3-day residency with Step Afrika!, an award-winning African American dance company dedicated to the art of stepping, in partnership with MPAC Cultural Ambassador Donald Driver from January 18-20.
The multi-day engagement will feature artists from Step Afrika! leading community workshops, a Roll Call showcase with the Divine 9 Greek organizations within the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) of Milwaukee, a student matinee performance for over 2,000 youth, and a public performance.
Founded in 1994, Step Afrika! is the first professional Dance Company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. The Company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities with traditional West and Southern African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience.
Step Afrika! Residency schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, January 18
6:00-7:00pm – Step Afrika! Adult Intermediate Dance Workshop with Donald Driver, members of the Milwaukee chapters of the Divine 9, and community members. Pre-registration required.
Location: Bradley Pavilion
7:30-8:30pm – Divine 9 Roll Call Showcase emceed by Donald Driver. HYFIN will DJ the Showcase; Step Afrika! Director of Arts Education & Community Programs Artis J. Olds and NPHC of Milwaukee President Berthena Brister will provide remarks. Participating Divine 9 organizations include:
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
- Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
- Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
The Roll Call Showcase is free and open to the public. Learn more at https://fb.me/e/3cIOJ3XQs.
Location: Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall
Thursday, January 19
4:30-5:30pm – Step Afrika! Youth Dance Workshop with Donald Driver and high school students from Milwaukee area schools. Pre-registration required.
Location: Bradley Pavilion
7:30pm – Step Afrika! Public Performance, introduced by Donald Driver. A post-show Q&A with Step Afrika! artists moderated by Donald Driver will follow the performance. Tickets available at www.marcuscenter.org or by calling 414-273-7206.
Location: Uihlein Hall
Friday, January 20
10:00-11:00am – Step Afrika! Student Matinee Performance for 2,000 Milwaukee area youth. SOLD OUT!
Location: Uihlein Hall
All events will take place at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.
Tickets for the public performance of Step Afrika! are on sale now and start at just $29.50. To purchase tickets, visit www.MarcusCenter.org, call 414-273-7206, or visit the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 North Water Street, Downtown Milwaukee. Groups of 10 or more can secure their seats by calling 414-273-7207.
To register for participation in the dance workshops, contact Leah Townsend, MPAC Community Engagement & Programming Specialist, at ltownsend@marcuscenter.org.
Step Afrika! is part of the 2022/23 MPAC Presents: Dance Series. Build Your Own package options are still on sale and provide the ultimate in savings and flexibility. All upcoming show dates and information are available at MarcusCenter.org. The 2022/23 MPAC Presents Series is supported by Bader Philanthropies, Inc., Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, Fields Auto Group, the Herzfeld Foundation, The Ambassador Hotel, Sazama’s Fine Catering, and THINKLimo.
This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Wisconsin Arts Board.