Is stepping apart of African American History?
 

Can someone answer the following questions?

Is stepping a form of communicaiton?How

How is stepping apart of African American history?

Who started stepping?

Please e-mail me directly at tabtrue@yahoo.com

Hi, I noticed that you posted earlier in the month regarding your daughter's project.

I'm sure you'll do whatever is possible to help her, but why are you doing your daughter's research for her?

Don't know if you'll get much help in this forum because many of us have never even been to a step show, and I know that many members have never even heard of the term until GC.

I think it's going to be tough for you to actually find the exact origin of stepping, but like my friend Senusret I said, GOOD LUCK.

I have been to lots of step shows. :)

I did a google search and found an article from Juilliard.
http://www.juilliard.edu/update/jour...ticles183.html

There are some interesting parallels and similarities among stepping, Irish step dancing, and tap dancing. The first time I went to see people practice step dancing I thought that it was going to be Irish step dancing like Riverdance. Imagine my surprise when I saw Kappa Alpha Psi and their canes. They were really impressive. :D

If you go to SEARCH and type in: step shows
You will get more threads than you can shake a stick at:

Step Shows State of Step Shows

*insert smart remark here* :rolleyes:

Do you mean is it A PART of Af-Am history?

Because due to your hideous, 2nd grade, ridiculous spelling and grammar skills, what you actually seem to be asking is if it is "apart" from Af-Am history.

THERE IS A CONCEPT OF THE SPACE BAR ALL YOU STUPID FRIGGING IDIOTIC JACKASSES OUT THERE!!! PLEASE LEARN TO USE IT!!! THAT IS WHY WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS!!! I CALL FOR IMMEDIATE BANNING OF ANYONE ELSE WHO MAKES THIS RIDICULOUS ERROR!

wow, I feel better.

Stepping
 

For the person who repied "Why is she doing her daughters research." If you really would like to know, "I'm assisting my daughter in her research, not doing her research." And if you've read the posting; I asked for someone who could help to reply not someone to "Answer a question with a question."

Let me not forget the person who replied with the profanity regarding spelling. That was really not necessary and if you don't have an answer don't reply to this posting.

I greatly appreciate if someone can assist me in my journey to locating information on the history of "stepping." Please feel free to post your response on the question only, not your personal opinions.

I really hate it when people come on to GC expecting a friggin' handout. :rolleyes:

The art of stepping started
When Uncle Fester farted
They all became retarded
The Addams Family

Sheila roxors my soxors.

Re: Stepping
 

You're a jackass.

Reading is fun!
 

Soulstepping has been happening at college frats and sororities for decades. The popularity of musicals like Stomp, loosely based on the rhythms of soulstepping have begun to mainstream this dance/music/art form.

In her recently published book Soulstepping: African American Step Shows, Virginia Tech Professor Elizabeth Fine has produced the first book to document the history of stepping. According to Fine, "Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, and drama."

Fine was introduced to stepping in 1983 when an African American student in her class on verbal art invited her to attend a block show on campus. "What makes stepping so stimulating is the range of movement patterns and verbal genres it encompasses," Fine writes in the introduction to the book.

Stepping originated as one way for African American fraternities and sororities to develop an identity. It became a way for them to poke fun jovially at rival social organizations..

In Soulstepping, Fine looks at the history of stepping and its place as a ritual dance of identity and African heritage. She also looks at new participants, new venues for the dance, and the cultural politics of African American step shows.

"Soulstepping explores the process of creating and negotiating identity through stepping, probing the intersections of verbal and nonverbal performances as well as issues of cultural politics and the effects of commodification," Fine said.

"It is my hope that Soulstepping will be significant to the fields of dance, folklore, black studies, performance studies, communication, and to all those who are drawn to the beauty and power of African American stepping."

Virginia Tech professor and poet Nikki Giovanni said of Fine's book, "…All groups have dance steps that the group performs together for the pure joy of celebrating life. Soulstepping brings out that joy, that exhilaration, that love of life. This celebration is long overdue."

Soulstepping: African American Step Shows is published by the University of Illinois Press.

Google is your best friend.

as well as yahoo.