Step Afrika! To Wow Audiences At The Parker

Step Afrika! is comprised of 17 full-time dancers—all college graduates—many who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and are members of Historically Black Greek Fraternities and Sororities. Founded in 1994, as an exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg, Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping and is the largest African American-led arts organization in Washington, DC, and Washington, DC’s only cultural ambassador. As part of the world’s first interactive stepping exhibit, thousands experience Step Afrika! at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture each day as part of the museum’s Explore More! interactive gallery. In addition, Step Afrika! engages 50,000 college students across the nation, teaches teamwork and discipline to 100 kids as part of the Summer Steps with Step Afrika! summer camp, and expands culture-based arts education for more than 20,000 Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia school students each year.

The company engages tens of thousands each year through a 50-city tour of American colleges and theaters and performs globally as an official U.S. Cultural Ambassador. In 2023, Step Afrika! was inducted into the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame, the first dance company to earn this honor.

Step Afrika! Founder C. Brian Williams was named a 2022 National Heritage Fellow and is featured in Roots of American Culture: A Cross-Country Visit with Living Treasures of the Folk and Traditional Arts (2022). Step Afrika!’s most recent international tours have promoted cultural dialogue and exchange in Jordan (2018), Ghana (2018). Croatia (2019), Ukraine (2019), Zambia (2019), Angola (2019), South Africa (2019), Dubai (2020), Poland (2022), Slovenia (2022), Bolivia (2022), and Kuwait (2023).

There will be a free community workshop with members of Step Afirka! company on Tuesday, January 28th at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center, 1409 Northwest 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311. For information about this workshop and details on registration, please email Gustavo Padrino at: gpadrino@browardcenter.org.

Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of The Broward Center and The Parker. Buy tickets online at: www.ParkerPlayhouse.com - And at: www.Ticketmaster.com - By phone at: (954) 462-0222. And in person at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office.

The Parker is located in Holiday Park at 707 Northeast Eighth Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304. The Parker is an affiliated venue of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, which provides programming and management of the facility.

The Broward Center 2024/2025 Season is supported by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation. AutoNation, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Spirit and Nicklaus Children’s Health System.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
One of America’s premier performing arts venues, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents more than 850 performances each year to more than 600,000 patrons, displaying a wide range of exciting cultural programming and events. Guest experiences at the Broward Center include the all-inclusive Spirit Club Level, the Nicklaus Children’s Health System Intermezzo Lounge, special events in the Huizenga Pavilion, waterfront dining at Marti’s New River Bistro and innovative classes and workshops for all ages at the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center. With one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, the Broward Center serves more than 100,000 students annually. The Broward Center also manages The Parker, an iconic Fort Lauderdale venue, the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the main campus of Nova Southeastern University, and the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in Miami-Dade County, The Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop and secure the future of the Broward Center. The Broward Center is located at 201 Southwest Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. For more information, visit: www.BrowardCenter.org.

The Parker
The Parker is Fort Lauderdale’s iconic, heritage theater presenting concerts, comedy, dance, family fare and more. Beautifully renovated in 2021, The Parker offers audiences enhanced entertainment and hospitality experiences. The neo-classical Lillian S. Wells Hall features outstanding acoustics, unobstructed sightlines, wide rows and continental seating. The grand S. Donald Sussman Lobby, Bernie Peck’s Bar, the intimate Haller Club, and the private members’ lounge, The Place To Be, provide ample opportunities for audiences to enjoy culture, cocktails and conversation with every visit to the theater. For more information, visit: www.ParkerPlayhouse.com