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Step Show in photos

The audience at SUU’s seventh annual Step Show participated and cheered on the dance crews, who traveled from schools in Las Vegas to be at the event Friday night.

The Step Show was co-sponsored by the Black Student Union and SUUSA, and the dance crews were from high schools and middle schools in Las Vegas.

Black Student Union President Jensine Jamison explained the origins of the exaggerated movements and stomping that characterize Step dance.

“Stepping is derived from our cultural roots and ancestors in Africa, with a modern flair,” she said.

The step show is a African-American cultural performance that doesn’t usually happen in Utah, said Lynne Brown, the Black Student Union adviser.

“It’s also a great way to send Black History Month out with a bang,” Brown said, “It’s also a great recruiting tool for SUU.”

The union received $2,000 from SUUSA for the event, and paid for most of the transportation, food, and hotels for the dance crews. They coordinated the Admissions Welcome Center’s multicultural overnight event so the dancers could be more exposed to the college experience of SUU.

“We’d like to see a lot more ethnicity on campus,” Jamison said.

She said organizing this event helped her learn how to adapt and be prepared for unexpected change.

Three groups dropped out of the event in the three weeks before the show, but the loss was compensated for, Jamison said.

About 500 people came to the event, and many went to the dance afterwards.

The show started a half hour later than advertised, so DJ Dexx played music to pump up the audience while they waited.

The show started with a moment of silence for veterans, lead by the Master of Ceremonies Michael ‘Bombay’ Garrett, and The Black National Anthem sang by Black Student Union members Jamiah Tillis, Jakiah Tillis and Juanita Toombs.

The show was full of messages of African-American empowerment messages from lyrics of the rap and hip hop songs performers danced to, or the words of The Black National Anthem, “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us … Facing the rising sun of our new day begun.”

The dancers said they were passionate about their dancing.

“We do it because we are born to do it” said Hypnotix Dance Troupe member Javan Scott. “By dancing we give back the love we get.”

The Multicultural Club and Delta Psi Omega also performed in the step show. It was the first time for most of the dancers to perform in the step show, Multicultural Club President Shaka Richardson said.

The SUU Step Show was founded by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity six years ago.

Kappa Alpha Psi was formed to raise the sights of black collegians and stimulate them to accomplishments higher than they might have imagined, according the the Kappa Alpha Psi website.

SUU Alumni who have previously performed in the Step Show continue to attend.

“It is a reunion for them,” Brown said.

Sarah Webber performed with Multicultural Club members in the step show.