Branches Book

BRANCHES

fraternal group. As time moved on, stepping was no longer only a ritual practice by African American fraternities and sororities in the early 1900s. Today, stepping has expanded to other places such as high schools, churches, cheerleading, drill teams, and other community organizations around the country. It has also spread to the Latino, Asian American, and Greek organizations. 5 Similar to hip-hop music, stepping stemmed from the African American community finding ways to encourage themselves to keep pushing through their struggles. With all the hard work they had to do, stepping was their only source of entertainment and happiness. It gave them a voice when they weren’t allowed to sing or speak to one another. I personally find it intriguing to see how they used their resources, but what I valued the most is the aspect of inclusivity. This particular dance style shouldn’t only be used in the black communities, but in all communities. As the years have past, stepping has brought in more inclusion with different races and ethnic groups all over the country. I believe that that is why I am so passionate about this dance style. For most people, it’s all about the clapping, stomping, and chanting, but for me it goes a lot deeper. It’s not about what’s going on, it’s about who is doing it. Those stomps, claps, and chants all come together as one. It always starts and stops at the same time. That’s called team work. Step dancing forms the greatest teams of all. Being a part of something like that would bring me so much joy. That is why step-dancing will always be something that I will continue to look forward to in my future. Works Cited 1. Wikipedia Contributors, "Stepping (African American)," Wikipedia, accessed December 15, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepping_(African-American) . 2. "History of the Art of Stepping," Art of Stepping, last modified 2006, accessed December 15, 2016, http://www.artofstepping.com/about-a-o-s/history-of-art-of- stepping/ . 3. Taproot foundation, "What Is Stepping?," Step Afrika, accessed December 15, 2016, http://www.stepafrika.org/company/what-is- stepping/.

5 "History of the Art of Stepping," Art of Stepping, last modified 2006, accessed December 15, 2016, http://www.artofstepping.com/about-a-o- s/history-of-art-of-stepping/.

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