CHOREOGRAPHED BY PELHAM WARNER JR.

Yebo (pronounced “yeah-boh”) is an isiZulu word meaning "yes" or "I agree.” This work combines the energy of Amapiano and Afro-Beat music with the latest dance movements and styles pouring out of the African continent.

CHOREOGRAPHED BY PELHAM WARNER JR.

This dynamic “step” work honors three decades of Step Afrika!’s creativity. Passing 30 features intricate choreography by some of the company’s most influential artists who have merged stepping with contemporary body percussion, spoken word, drumlines, and so much more. It’s a tribute to Step Afrika!’s ever-evolving commitment to present the art form of stepping like no one else in the world.

ORIGINALLY CHOREOGRAPHED BY JACKIE SEMELA

Since 1994, Step Afrika! has studied Zulu traditional dance through its partnership with the legendary Soweto Dance Theatre in the Republic of South Africa. In August 2024, Step Afrika! returned to Johannesburg for a month of exchange, rehearsal, remembrance, and celebration. This performance of Zulu features new solos and choreography developed during that residency – an explosion of rhythm and movement.

Traditionally, stepping is performed by groups, big and small. In this Solo, Step Afrika! investigates the form at its most intimate level.

CHOREOGRAPHED BY CONRAD R. KELLY II

The word percussion stems from the Latin percussio, meaning “to beat” or “to strike.” In this work, the artists of Step Afrika! strike their bodies and transform the stage into a percussive platform – while also playing one of the world’s oldest instruments. STRIKE is an exploration of rhythm, sound, and power, and it reminds us of the body’s outstanding capacity to speak, to command, and to resonate – without a single word.

STRIKE is commissioned in part by Strathmore and the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities. The work premiered in June 2025 at Strathmore.