Courtesy of StepAfrika!.
Sure, they say Christmas is in the air, but at the Step Afrika! Magical Musical Holiday Step show currently playing at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, it’s on the floor and in your feet too. The DC dance troupe’s joyful stomps, skips and slaps make for a singular brand of family holiday fun — and one that won’t be forgotten soon.
This is a show that will delight kids and adults. Think a funky Nutcracker, joyful elves, a taste of competitive and sassy go go, sound bites from old school rap, and even Frosty the Snowman. Ok, add in a groovy DJ spinning old school rap, Motown and Tchaikovsky’s March of the Toy Soldiers. The kids even get a lesson in step that the troop teaches as kindergartners and tweens perform a dance that simulates a snow fight. The theatre is transformed into a winter wonderland with snowflakes, shimmering lights and even a snowblower above the stage.
The show runs through next Monday. Tickets range from $38 to $15.
With their athletic and balletic synchronized dance, StepAfrika! is a fixture of Washington, yet it’s mission is to bring step dancing to the world. The twenty-year-old group is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Their mission is to promote an appreciation for stepping and its use as an educational, motivational and healthy tool for young people. We’re lucky they stop regularly at the Atlas while they execute their mission through arts education activities, international cultural exchange programs and performances world wide.