Black Fraternities and Sororities Step to Celebrate Their Culture
Stepping is really a rhythmic performance art used by greek divine nationwide. It combines intricate footwork, foot stomps, hand movements, vocals, and handclaps. Stepping can be an expression of unity. "When you come together in synchronized motions, you're becoming one," says Aurelius Butler, Treasurer of Alpha Phi Alpha, Mu chapter. "For us, stepping signifies brotherhood. We can't tell a brother he couldn't step. If he's a bad stepper, he's just going to have to try harder." Stepping started out from the chants and dances that slaves did to remind themselves of the homelands. You can find stepping wherever you discover African America Greek-lettered fraternities.
Stepping is definitely an age-old tradition among black fraternities and sororities. It calls for intricate footwork, specialized hand movements, songs and chants. What is it really about Stepping these college students find so compelling? This is what they're saying: "Dancing has long been a means of expression in African culture," Reginald Price, a fourth-year business management and marketing student, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, said. "Over who's has evolved into stepping." "A step can be achieved at any given time," Price said. "A designated step master views step shows off their chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and adds his own style and flair." "To me stepping is really a way to show what your fraternity represents through both words and gratifaction," said Marcus Bryant, a fourth-year electrical engineering student and member of Phi Beta Sigma. "Our steps have been passed down each year through the generations of Sigmas," Bryant said. "You're creating beauty and dance from nothing but both you and your (sisters), and that's a special thing," says Ashanti Huey, fourth-year pr student and member of Sigma Gamma Rho. "On the other hand, it means long nights without sleep, sweating in great amounts and slimming down from the workout." Davida Isaac, a third-year early childhood education student and part of Zeta Phi Beta sorority says, "When we step, we're very sharp and crisp with your movements. It sounds like one beat and appearance like one movement." Mastering and performing this dance form is a traditional part of the initiation process in many African American sororities and fraternities, but stepping has recently become a popular activity for youngsters and teens. Stepping now occurs all over the place. College dorms at HBCUs have teams, predominantly White fraternities and sororities may step during Greek Week. High school and youth groups step, and some church youth groups. Furthermore, stepping is very popular with other culturally-based fraternal organizations--Latin, Asian, and multicultural. Whatever their ideas from the performance art, Stepping, all step team members agree that the dance unifies them and reminds them of these African roots. Due to its reliance on rhythm, it is extremely fascinating to view groups of teenage boys and women relocating to a single beat in unison, a reminder of the time when all African Americans shared exactly the same pain and heartbreak of days once they were slaves.