BIG-C 'steps' it up during Greek Week

Slapping, stomping and shuffling, with swaying hips and encouraging shouts, members of five fraternities and sororities displayed their moves at the "Steppin' it up with the BIG-C" show last night.

Sponsored by the Bicultural Inter-Greek Council, the lively event was in honor of Penn's annual Greek Week celebration.

Greek Week -- which began on Monday -- honors Greek life on campus and exposes students both in and outside of the system to Greek members and the group's role on campus.

"I think ["Steppin' it up with the BIG-C"] is one of the best events in Greek Week," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Program Coordinator Larry Moses said. "An event like this is where people can see the sisterhood and brotherhood and Panhellenic love."

The show, which featured Greek chapters both from Penn's campus and around the Philadelphia area, was a performance in which BIG-C and chapter representatives performed and explained the history and art of the dance form known as stepping.

"Stepping is deeply rooted in all of our cultures, and it's a way to honor our ancestors through music," BIG-C President Chris Padilla explained.

Moses explained that the origins of the dance form can be traced back to slavery in the United States.

Throughout history, stepping has been a means of deep emotional expression.

In the performance, Greek students showcased a more modern type of stepping known as strolling or "party walking."

Each BIG-C fraternity or sorority has its own distinct strolling moves. The unique choreography is frequently performed at parties and social gatherings as both a dance form and a tool through which students may identify themselves as members of certain Greek chapters.

Stepping also continues to be a way through which students may connect with others within the Greek system.

"It's a rich part of our tradition and history," Moses said, explaining that the art form also serves to foster "a true sense of sisterhood and brotherhood."

Stepping is not strictly a social dance, however. Nationwide, there are stepping competitions in which groups of students perform difficult and complex footwork in front of thousands of spectators.

One of the most well-known of these competitions is held each April in Irvine Auditorium on the weekend of the Penn Relays.

The event sells out nearly each year with little to no advertising by sponsors. Through word-of-mouth and an infamous reputation in the stepping community, the event consistently attracts stepping fans and participants nationwide.

Crystal McGee, president of the Gamma Epsilon Philadelphia City Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., cited her performance at the BIG-C event as just one of many in her long history of stepping.

Among her list of accomplishments was winning the Penn Relays stepping competition in both 2000 and 2001 along with fellow performers from AKA.

With an average of two hours of practice time per day, which drastically increases in the weeks before a competition, the Drexel University senior explained that the dance form is not only a "good form of exercise" but a way "to show your love for the Greek system and bond with your sisters and brothers."

Though not a competition, last night's step show allowed others within the Penn community to view how significant the dance form is for members of BIG-C chapters.

"We wanted to give everyone a glimpse into our histories and culture," Padilla explained. He added that the event also allowed students to "get to know [the BIG-C] a little bit better."

Moses echoed Padilla's sentiment, but heavily emphasized that stepping is merely one aspect and activity in which these Greek members participate.

Moses explained that each of the BIG-C's fraternities and sororities are founded on community service and academic excellence.

Moses still noted that the event was extremely worthwhile for the students who attended, the BIG-C and the Greek system as a whole.

"I don't think I have ever been as proud of the Greek system as I have been tonight," he said.

Greek Week concludes on Sunday with the third-annual Rena Rowen Ribbon Run, sponsored by the Panhellenic Council.

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