Book the First to Document History of Stepping

Newswise — 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.

"Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, and drama," according to the book jacket. "Developed by African American fraternities and sororities, it is now practiced throughout the world." In fact, Fine says in the book, the dance form is constantly evolving as churches, schools, community organizations, and other ethnic groups adapt it to their purposes.

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 wrote in the introduction to the book. "The combination of speaking, chanting, and singing, along with stomping, clapping, gymnastics, and choreographed movements, creates a reflexive, malleable, and highly expressive art form. Very old patterns deriving from slave culture and Africa mix with modern influences such as break dancing, drill teams, and rap to whirl the spectator through an electrifying mixture of African American culture."

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

Stepping is controversial in some realms, as some people believe it detracts from the "social and charitable contributions" of the fraternities and sororities, Fine said. Others object to the use of stepping by non-African American groups as a diluting of their cultural heritage, particularly when it becomes a fund-raising event for a non-African American group.

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."

Michael V. W. Gordon, professor of music emeritus at Indiana University School of Music, said Fine's "research is thorough and true to the African American spirit she discovered more completely as she traveled through history to bring to light this remarkable phenomenon, one that would otherwise exist only for those fortunate enough to have been present late at night perhaps at an African American fraternity or sorority event on a American college or university campus."

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.