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Intimate Apparel on WETA
May 12, 2008
African Continuum Theatre Company's Intimate Apparel is featured on WETA's Around Town

Potomac Stages calls Intimate Apparel a Top PIck
May 1, 2008
African Continuum Theatre Company's Intimate Apparel is named a "Top Pick" by Potomac Stages

Art speaks!

He is supposed to be selling soft drink products or cheese doodles.

Brian Williams, the founder and director of one of DC's most widely-recognized arts organizations, is a cum laude graduate of Howard University with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. Yet instead of joining his fellow school of business grads on the fast track to corporate success, the 1991 scholar categorically rejected his practical business training, moved to then-apartheid South Africa and started...a dance company?

"My mother, an educator and founder of the Imani School in Houston,one of the largest private African American schools in the country, almost threw up." Williams said. "And my father a criminal attorney with 30 years of trial experience, said absolutely nothing."

Dance, you see, was not the proper career choice. "In my family, the arts were something you enjoyed immensely...but at arms length." Williams says with a smile. "A couple of shows here, some piano lessons there, but you would never consider pursuing it full-time.. There was med school, business school and law school to consider."

Williams never even started the applications. Instead, immediately upon graduation, he left the country and his marketing job interviews behind for a fellowship in South Africa only to return with the idea for his now full-time job: Step Afrika.

It was in South Africa where he began to make the connection between contemporary stepping and traditional South African gumboot dancing. Both forms use the body as a percussive instrument and employ the traditional African element of call and response. The American tradition of stepping grew out of the song and dance rituals practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities in the early 1900s. That style took on an almost militaristic precision after soldiers returned to colleges and universities after World War I. The dance form remained relatively unchanged through the 1980s.

"When I started Step Afrika, stepping was largely relegated to black fraternities and sororities." Williams explains.Not any more.

Stepping has hit the mainstream with a hit feature length film (Stomp the Yard whose DVD will feature Williams and his company) and appearances on the Grammy Awards.Latino fraternities now have step competitions. Elements of hip hop and spoken word are now incorporated into the step vocabulary.

Brian along with Step Afrika! has been a major influence on the spread of stepping. They have performed and conducted workshops, sharing the tradition with audiences from Alaska to Alabama, Idaho to Illinois. The company has also traveled worldwide with critically acclaimed tours in Brazil, England and several countries in Africa.

Not only is Step Afrika! spreading the love and appreciation for stepping around the world they are also elevating the perception of the style in the minds of the dance community.

"People used to laugh when I told them my idea for Step Afrika. In fact, sometimes they still do. They said 'Stepping in a professional theater?? Good luck!" he laughs. But now, after three successful sold-out runs at the KennedyCenter, and tours all over the world, no one is laughing.Washington Post Dance Critic Sarah Kauffman gave the company the ultimate praise when she said in a November 16, 2006 review that the company "took stepping into rarefied territory, where dance is not just physically or rhythmically impressive -- it feels essential."

Step Afrika! is the first and only professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. "There are hundreds of thousands of steppers who practice the form through out the USA. But we are the first to transform this traditional dance into a professional style." Williams says proudly. "And we love coming home to our roots here in DC, where it all started."

Step Afrika! will be performing at the Atlas Performing Arts Center June 11-June 15th. The opening night will feature a reception.Tickets to he Opening Night reception as well as the remaining performances can purchased online at www.atlasarts.org or by calling 202.399.7993

More information on Step Afrika! can be found at www.stepafrika.org