(GALLOWAY, NJ) -- The first professional company in the world dedicated to the dance tradition of "stepping" will sweep the mainstage at Stockton University's Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 7:30pm.

For 30 years, Step Afrika! has blended percussive dance styles popularized by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances and various contemporary dance and art forms. Performances integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation for a cohesive and compelling artistic experience.

Tickets are $40 for the general public, $38 for senior citizens (65+) and military-affiliated individuals, $35 for Stockton alumni, $30 for Stockton faculty/staff, $18 for children under 12 and $12 for Stockton students. Tickets are available for purchase online or at the Stockton Performing Arts Center box office from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Thursday and 90 minutes before showtime. Call 609-652-9000.

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the world’s leading authority on the artform of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the US.

Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. The Company reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theaters and performs globally as Washington, DC’s one and only Cultural Ambassador.

Step Afrika! has earned Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Innovation in the Arts, Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, and was inducted into the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame, the first Dance Company to earn this honor. Step Afrika! headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception and performed at the first ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House. The Company is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive exhibit.

Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the nation. Our more than 9,000 students can choose to live and learn on the 1,600-acre wooded main campus in the Pinelands National Reserve in South Jersey and at our coastal residential campus just steps from the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The university offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs.