Squads ready to step it up for show

Zakiya Black has always liked to dance. And she's always enjoyed performing. So when the College junior decided to join a sorority, stepping seemed, well, the next logical step. And tomorrow night, spectators can catch a glimpse of the three-year stepping veteran -- along with representatives from the nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities -- in a step performance that organizers hope will pack Irvine Auditorium. As part of Penn Relays, the BiCultural InterGreek Council will sponsor its annual block party, step show and after-party this weekend. While the festivities are a tradition on campus, this year's venue is a bit different. The show and parties will all take place within the same vicinity -- a change from years past. The step show will be in Irvine, but the block party will transform Wynn Commons and the after-party will rock Houston Hall. "It's been an ongoing tradition and we're very excited about its location and venue this year," Program Coordinator for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Larry Moses said. "We're looking for everyone to come out and have a great time and see a great show," he added. Groups have dedicated long hours in preparation for this year's show. Alpha Kappa Alphas have been practicing for roughly a month, increasing the frequency and intensity of their practices within the last two weeks. And the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity have been preparing their routine since January, usually practicing four to five times a week for two to four hours. "It's going to be a surprise, but we have a few new routines," College sophomore and Alpha Phi Alpha brother R. Taj Trazier said. And "a couple of things dedicated to the female audience." Black promises that her sorority's routine will be new and innovative as well. "There's a theme, we have props," she said. "It's going to be exciting." Stepping's historical significance, with its roots in the traditional dances of the African culture, has made the art form even more meaningful to current steppers. And such a history has transcended across the Atlantic to the historically black Greek organizations here. "It became a part of our history, a part of our tradition to step," Black explained. But Moses emphasized that such a tradition should not isolate the event from a diverse audience. "This is not just an event for Greeks," Moses stressed. "This is an event for the entire Penn campus." And Black echoed those sentiments, noting her disappointment that step audiences in the past have been very homogeneous. "The crowd is typically African American and Latino, but I wish the crowd was more diverse," said Black, the BIG-C's corresponding secretary and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority president. "I think a lot of people would really enjoy it if they came," she added. Step shows are notorious for their high energy and crowd involvement. "With stepping, the crowd tends to get really hyped," Black said. "When the crowd is responding, it gives you that adrenaline rush that you need to make it through the show," she added. Irvine's set-up will allow the steppers to be closer to their audience, creating an intimate setting that makes each step that much more important and each move that much more precise. It's "easier to spot a mistake," Frazier said. And while the new locale will make this year's show more intense for the steppers, performers hope it will also get the crowd more hyped up. "I love hearing the crowd's exclamations.... I love the feeling after we do something just amazing," Frazier said. Winners of the step tournament will receive a monetary prize donated to the chapter's charity of choice. Organizers hope that the combination of good entertainment, good company and a good cause will encourage people to experience the events. "We urge everyone to come out," Moses said. "If you've never seen a step show before, it's quite an event."

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