Dancers to step to Relays beat

Nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities will "step up" to the challenge Saturday night at the Bi-cultural InterGreek Council's annual step show. According to BIG-C President and Sigma Lambda Upsilon sister Marcela Poveda, more than 1,500 students and community residents are expected to converge on the Class of 1923 Ice Rink for the event. Poveda, a College junior, said about 2,000 people showed up last year, but organizers had to turn 500 away due to limited rink capacity. "The last three years, it's been really huge, and we're hoping for the same this year," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Program Coordinator Larry Moses said. The step show is a long and revered tradition in the National Panhellenic Council, the national umbrella group for historically African-American fraternities and sororities. "[A step show] is a series of synchronized dance steps that traditionally have been connected with African-American Greek-letter organizations," Moses said. "It's one way of celebrating who we are." And Poveda said that the step show is a "good way to reflect on the roots of the African-American step tradition." This year, all nine National Panhellenic Council organizations are sending step teams to the competition. Three of the organizations -- the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Zeta Phi Beta sororities -- have chapters at Penn. The other fraternities and sororities will come from Albright College, the University of Delaware and Westchester, Drexel and Pennsylvania State universities. Each fraternity and sorority has its own trademark "step," a combination of synchronized dancing, stomping, clapping and showmanship. For example, one fraternity always uses canes in its act. Although Penn Alpha Phi Alpha President Richard Adzei isn't stepping on Saturday, he participated last year. "It's great to represent your organization, especially stepping at your home school," the College senior said. "It's not just fun -- it's fun and it's serious." Following the performances, a panel of judges will select the best fraternity and sorority, looking especially for synchronicity among the steppers. The winners will receive a monetary prize. Last year, Penn's Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority won the competition. Before the step show, there will be a carnival in Hamilton Village featuring musical acts, a local drill team and a procession down Locust Walk. The carnival -- although not heavily advertised -- is also a long-standing Penn Relays tradition. "We don't even publicize it too much because it's so much word of mouth," Moses said. This year, Black Entertainment Television will cosponsor the carnival in order to promote the launch of its new website, BET.com.