Step Afrika!
Step Afrika!, founded in 1994, is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the African American tradition of stepping, headquartered in Washington DC with approximately 24 employees. It serves general audiences through international touring in 60+ countries and K-12 schools in the DC/MD/VA region through arts education programs, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Step Afrika! does
Step Afrika!, founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams and headquartered at 1333 H Street NE in Washington DC, is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, a percussive African American art form developed within historically Black fraternities and sororities in which the body becomes an instrument producing complex polyrhythms through footsteps, claps, stomps, and spoken word. The company integrates stepping with live music, storytelling, and visual technology to expand the aesthetic possibilities of the form, maintaining a signature repertoire that includes The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence (premiered 2011, Off-Broadway run in 2016-2018), Drumfolk, Step Xplosion, Symphony in Step, The Evolution Tour, and The Movement. The organization employs approximately 24 people and operates as an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization with no parent company or outside equity ownership.
The company operates two primary business lines. The first is a professional touring performance division serving as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador through the State Department's Arts Envoy program, having performed in all 50 US states and more than 60 countries including South Africa, Senegal, Lesotho, Eswatini, Egypt, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Samoa, with venue partnerships at Strathmore, Arena Stage, Howard Theatre, Joyce Theater, the Smithsonian NMAAHC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The second is a K-12 arts education division delivering assemblies, workshops, multi-week residencies, and a summer camp (Summer Steps with Step Afrika! at $350/student) across PreK-12 grade levels, primarily in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining earned income (ticket sales from live performances, summer camp tuition, fee-based school programs), contributed income (individual and corporate donations, foundation grants), and event-based fundraising (the annual VIP Gala with tiered sponsorships from Bank of America, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Amazon, Coca-Cola, CareFirst, and AbbVie). The company supplements these streams with virtual programming distributed via YouTube, Facebook, and its website, and benefits from operating support grants including from the National Endowment for the Arts and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed as the organization is a private nonprofit.
Step Afrika! firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Step Afrika!
- Legal name
- Step Afrika!
- Website
- https://stepafrika.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Step Afrika!, founded in 1994, is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the African American tradition of stepping, headquartered in Washington DC with approximately 24 employees. It serves general audiences through international touring in 60+ countries and K-12 schools in the DC/MD/VA region through arts education programs, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Step Afrika! industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Dance Company
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Cultural & Folk Dance Performances (MPAGADAD), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)
Keywords
Where Step Afrika! is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Step Afrika! business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Performance Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales to live performances including international tours, theater shows, and special events.
- Annual Gala: VIP Gala events serve as major fundraising initiatives with tiered sponsorship opportunities (Executive Producer, Producer, Director, Headliner, Performer levels) and ticket sales.
- Summer Steps Camp: Week-long summer camp for students entering grades 4-12, with tuition of $350 per student plus $50 registration fee.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Step Afrika! relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support operations and programs.
- Arts Education Programs: Schools book assemblies, workshops, and residencies for students from PreK through 12th grade, focusing on cultural literacy, teamwork, and academic achievement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Steps Camp Tuition: $350 per student |
| Other | Multi-year contract | In-School Programs: Quote-based pricing |
| Other | Annual | Corporate Sponsorship Tiers for Annual Gala |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Step Afrika! product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, producing live percussive dance performances that integrate stepping with live music, storytelling, and technology. It sells ticketed performances, international touring engagements, K-12 arts education programs (assemblies, workshops, residencies), and a summer camp, generating earned revenue alongside donations and sponsorships.
Product overview
Step Afrika! is a dance and arts education organization offering a unified portfolio centered on the art form of stepping. The core consists of professional dance productions including 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence,' 'Drumfolk,' 'Step Xplosion,' 'Symphony in Step,' 'Green Is The New Black,' 'Step Fest at Kingman Island,' and 'The Evolution Tour.' Supporting these are educational programs: in-school assemblies ('Stepping with Step Afrika!,' 'Step Afrika! Reads & Step Into Math'), residencies ('Step Up to College'), workshops ('Step by Step,' 'Step Afrika! Masterclass,' 'Step Afrika! Performance Training'), and the summer camp 'Summer Steps with Step Afrika!.' Digital offerings include 'Virtual Programming' with productions like 'No Justice, No Peace,' 'The Movement,' 'Four Women,' 'Stono,' 'Trane,' and the 'Magical Musical Holiday Step Show.' The company also operates an international touring program as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador. The organization is structured as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Washington, DC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence Step Afrika!'s signature production based on Jacob Lawrence's The Migration Series, depicting the story of African Americans moving from the South to the North in the early 1900s through pulsating rhythms, percussive footwork, and original choreography.
- Drumfolk
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached audiences in all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Step Afrika!
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Step Afrika! technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Step Afrika! partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- The Metropolitan Museum of ArtflagshipStep Afrika! to appear in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 'Musical Bodies' exhibition from June 7, 2026 to September 27, 2026, showcasing the art form of stepping at one of the world's premier cultural institutions.
- U.S. Embassy SenegalcorePartnership with U.S. Embassy Senegal to bring the African American tradition of stepping to Senegal through dynamic workshops, collaborative performance at Théâtre National Daniel Sorano, and cultural exchanges with local students and artists.
- U.S. Embassy EswatinicoreEngagements with U.S. Embassy Eswatini representatives, workshops with the Eswatini National Dance Association, educational programs with local schools, and free public performances.
- U.S. Department of State's Arts Envoy ProgramcoreStep Afrika! partnered with the Arts Envoy program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for worldwide celebrations including '19 Days Celebrating Juneteenth with Step Afrika!' as a 4-part video series.
- StrathmorecoreAnnual partnership with Strathmore for Step Xplosion, a celebration of stepping featuring step teams from around the region. Strathmore provides lead commissioning support for the annual production.
- New England Foundation for the ArtscoreLead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports Drumfolk through the NEFA National Dance Project, enabling the touring production.
- The Phillips Collection and Museum of Modern ArtcoreStep Afrika!'s signature work 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence' is based on Jacob Lawrence's The Migration Series, with images provided by The Phillips Collection (Washington DC) and MoMA (New York).
- The White HouseflagshipStep Afrika! performed at The White House South Lawn for the President's Juneteenth Celebration, joining Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady for this historic event.
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and CulturecoreStep Afrika! performed at the NMAAHC for Vice President Kamala Harris and is featured in the museum's 'Explore More!' exhibit, an interactive educational space dedicated to African American history and culture.
- George Mason University College of Visual and Performing ArtsminorVirtual Artist-in-Residence partnership during 2020-2021 season, creating opportunities for artistic exchanges with the greater community through the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center.
- Center for the Performing Arts at Pennsylvania State UniversityminorCommissioning support for 'No Justice, No Peace,' a new work inspired by those who marched in response to police brutality and racial injustice.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Step Afrika! competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- STOMP: A long-running percussive dance/theater production using everyday objects as instruments to create rhythm. Comparable in the use of body-as-percussion and rhythm-driven performance, but operates as a commercial theatrical production rather than a nonprofit cultural-ambassador organization.
- Complexions Contemporary Ballet: A contemporary dance company known for genre-blending choreography and international touring. Less of a pure African American heritage focus than Step Afrika!, but comparable in producing narrative-driven dance works with educational/community programming.
- National Dance Institute: A nonprofit dance-education organization founded by Jacques d'Amboise that brings dance instruction to schools and communities. Comparable in arts-education mission and direct-to-school distribution model.
Direct peers
- Dallas Black Dance Theatre: One of the leading African American contemporary dance companies in the US, with a six-week education outreach program and national/international touring. Closely comparable in mission and operating model to Step Afrika!.
- Young Audiences Arts for Learning: The largest arts-in-education organization in the US, providing in-school performing arts programs nationwide. Directly comparable to Step Afrika!'s K-12 in-school and residency model, with similar school-district booking and assembly/workshop offerings.
- Dayton Contemporary Dance Company: A pioneering African American contemporary dance company with a strong education/outreach arm and global touring history. Comparable in mission, nonprofit structure, and community-oriented programming to Step Afrika!.
- Dance Theatre of Harlem: A leading Black classical and contemporary ballet company with an extensive touring and education program. Comparable to Step Afrika! as a mission-driven African American dance company running both professional productions and arts-education outreach.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The preeminent African American modern dance company in the US, producing and touring narrative works internationally with an associated school (Ailey Extension) and K-12 outreach programs. Closely comparable to Step Afrika! in mission, nonprofit structure, touring model, and educational programming, though broader in genre (modern/contemporary vs. stepping).
- Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company): Philadelphia-based African American dance company with a national and international touring presence and strong educational/outreach programming. Direct peer in company size, mission, and nonprofit performing-arts-plus-education model.
Others
- National Association of Schools of Dance (and member institutions): The accreditor for collegiate dance programs. Not a direct competitor but ecosystem-relevant: HBCU step teams and university dance programs are key feeder pipelines for Step Afrika!'s talent and audience base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Step Afrika! social profiles
Digital presenceStep Afrika! financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Step Afrika! leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Step Afrika! funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Step Afrika! M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Step Afrika!
What does Step Afrika! do?
Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, producing live percussive dance performances that integrate stepping with live music, storytelling, and technology. It sells ticketed performances, international touring engagements, K-12 arts education programs (assemblies, workshops, residencies), and a summer camp, generating earned revenue alongside donations and sponsorships.
Is Step Afrika! a public or private company?
Step Afrika! is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Step Afrika! founded?
Step Afrika! was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Step Afrika! based?
Step Afrika! is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Step Afrika! make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Performance Revenue is the primary driver. The others are annual Gala, summer Steps Camp, donations and Charitable Contributions and arts Education Programs.
Who are Step Afrika!'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are STOMP, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and National Dance Institute. Direct peers are Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Young Audiences Arts for Learning, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company). National Association of Schools of Dance (and member institutions) is listed as an others.
Does Step Afrika! have an API?
No public API is recorded for Step Afrika!.
What industry is Step Afrika! in?
Step Afrika!'s product category is Performing Arts / Dance Company. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAC, Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7900.