Step It Like I Talk It: The Origin of Stepping

Stepping! Defined to some as a way to channel inner aggression, others to demonstrate passion for an organization, and to others a percussive movement which bring joy to viewers and participants alike. Stepping is a form of dance that utilizes the entire body to create art. It’s a collection of rhythms synchronized by an individual or a collective group.
The true origin of stepping is actually a blur. It is a mixture of African dance, military drill, and drew some of its contents from early R&B groups such as The Four Tops. According to Step Afrika, “It draws movements from African foot dances, such as Gumboot, originally conceived by miners in South Africa as an alternative to drumming, which was banned by authorities.”
On Monday, April 2, 2018, Residential Life and Housing hosted “Battle of the Dorms”, a step show produced by the residents of each hall, and the only rule was for each hall to have a running time under ten minutes.
All participants took the stage with confidence, but Camille Shade Hall rocked the stage, literally. The group of ladies wowed the audience with their Beyoncé and Black Panther themed performance.
This brings us to the questions: where did step originate? Who created it?
Arnita Blair, one of the contestants from Shade Hall, is a sophomore Criminal Justice major from Dallas, Texas. When asked her opinion, she responded, “Growing up all the influences I have seen pertaining to stepping have been through Greek fraternities and sororities. I feel like they play a major role in introducing step, especially Divine Nine.”
The National Pan-Hellenic Council member organization governs Greek organizations and those Greeks give tributes to their historical Greek letter organizations by performing at local and national competitions. Stepping has become popular among the Greek organizations to show spirit and pride in their fraternity or sorority. But is this where it started?
Senior Music Performance major Jasmine Baptiste is a New Orleans native, and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority who agrees with Blair about the role Greek life plays in introducing step, but admits, “Stepping did not originate from Greeks. We adopted it and made it our own, but it was here before us.”
It is safe to say that modern day step was developed and perfected by African-American fraternities and sororities. These organizations have been competing viciously since the early 1900s, and their competitions have been televised across the country. Adopting its new name, “Greek Shows”, stepping has appeared on countless motion picture films such as Drumline, School Daze, and Stomp the Yard.
It is fitting to discuss the importance of this art with the slew of probates and Greek shows Southern University is doused with this Spring 2018. Stepping is a worldwide phenomenon now and has spread to many different areas beyond Greek. In the last thirty years stepping has been displayed on stages as big as the 1996 presidential election, where the Greek fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha performed for former President Bill Clinton, to being a regular art form on ABC’s America’s Best Dance Crew.