Show at Aronoff Center to mix traditional African dance with contemporary art

GO GO GO GO GO. I BET YOU WANT TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THAT. IT’S ONE NIGHT ONLY MIXING TRADITIONAL AFRICAN DANCE STYLES AND RHYTHM WITH CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS. STEP AFRICA TAKES THE STAGE AT THE ARONOFF CENTER NEXT WEEK. IT’S AN EXCITING, ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE. AND JOINING US ON THE COUCH RIGHT NOW TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT IS RYAN DUPREE AND VAN ACKERMAN WITH THE CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, GUYS. THANK YOU. IT’S GREAT TO BE HERE. YEAH, THAT WAS SO EXCITING TO SEE. AND I’M EXCITED FOR WHAT’S TO COME AT THE ARONOFF. SO FIRST TELL US ABOUT STEP AFRICA AND WHAT AUDIENCES CAN EXPECT. WELL STEP AFRICA IS CELEBRATING THEIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY. THEY ARE THE CULTURAL AMBASSADOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C. THEY’VE TOURED TO 60 COUNTRIES. AND THEY’RE THEY’RE THE WORLD’S LEADING AUTHORITY ON THE ART OF STEP OF STEP DANCING, OF STEPPING. SO WHEN YOU COME TO THE ARONOFF TO SEE THEM, YOU’LL SEE A WONDERFUL EVENING OF DANCE. AS YOU MENTIONED, IT’S ALSO INCLUDES SOME TRADITIONAL AFRICAN DANCE, CONTEMPORARY DANCE. BUT MORE THAN DANCE, IT’S ALSO THERE’S MUSIC, THERE’S STORYTELLING, THERE’S A LOT OF HUMOR, AND THERE’S EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. SO YOU MAY END UP ON YOUR FEET DOING SOME DANCING YOURSELF. IT’S HARD NOT TO. YEAH. AND THE ART FORM OF STEPPING HAS A VERY RICH HISTORY, BUT IT ALSO IS STILL READILY USED RIGHT NOW ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND IN DIFFERENT PLACES LIKE THAT. FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR. TALK ABOUT JUST THE ART FORM OF STEPPING. YEAH, THE ART FORM OF STEPPING. AS YOU MENTIONED, REALLY ORIGINATED IN AFRICA, BUT WAS ADOPTED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE EARLY 1900S BY THE GREEK. I’M SORRY, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN GREEK SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES, AND HAS BECOME JUST A PHENOMENAL ART FORM, A WAY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION THROUGHOUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS. AND MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN STEP AFRICA ARE A PART OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES. NICE. OKAY, SO THIS ISN’T JUST ENTERTAINMENT. IT’S ALSO EDUCATIONAL. TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. SO WE WILL HAVE AN EDUCATION SHOW ON THE 11TH. WE’RE HAVING, I THINK, A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND CHILDREN THAT ARE GOING TO BE AT THE ARONOFF CENTER ABLE TO WATCH THIS PERFORMANCE AND HERE AT CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ALL TYPES OF ART FORMS, AND THIS IS ONE THAT WE’RE REALLY HAPPY TO BRING TO THEM. AND EACH ONE OF OUR STUDENTS TEACHERS ARE GOING TO GET A BOOK DRUM BEAT IN OUR FEET THAT THEY’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE AWAY WITH THEM. YEAH, OKAY. THAT IS SO COOL. SO THEY’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT WITH THEM? YES. TAKE HOME NOW AND TALK ABOUT THIS. PUT THIS. THIS HAS BEEN PUT ON WITH THE HELP OF ARTSWAVE. HOW ARE YOU ALL PARTNERING WITH THEM? YEAH, WE’RE PARTNERING WITH ARTSWAVE. IT’S PART OF THEIR FLOW SERIES. IT’S A SERIES THEY PUT TOGETHER EVERY YEAR BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN PRESENTING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, WHETHER IT’S THEATER OR DANCE. AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY CREATE A SERIES AROUND THAT TO CREATE AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS APPRECIATION FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTS IN OUR CITY. AND YOU TEASED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT WITH THAT? WELL, I BET IT INVOLVES A LITTLE BIT OF DANCING. THEY MAY BE TEACHING THE AUDIENCE HOW TO DANCE. WHO KNOWS? THEY MAY BE PULLING SOMEBODY UP FROM THE AUDIENCE TO JOIN THEM ON STAGE. YOU HAVE TO COME TO FIND OUT YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO GET THERE. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET THERE, HOW DO PEOPLE GET TICKETS? YOU GET TICKETS AT OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS CINCINNATI BEARCATS DOT ORG. CALL US AT 513621 ARTS. THAT’S (513) 621-2787. OR COME ON DOWN TO THE BOX OFFICE AT THE ARONOFF CENTER, RIGHT. VAN RYAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. OKAY. WELL, STEP AFRICA IS SHOWING, AS I SAID, ONE NIGHT ONLY. NEXT TUESDAY AT THE ARONOFF CENTER AT 730. TICKETS START AT 20 BUCKS. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN BUY THEM ONLINE AT CINCINNATI ARTS.ORG. OR BY CALLING THE NUMBER THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. 513621 ARTS. AND AGAIN, RYAN DUPREE VAN ACKERMAN WITH T

For one night only, a show at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center will mix traditional African dance styles and rhythm with contemporary art forms.Step Afrika takes the state at the Aronoff Center on Tuesday, March 11. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.On Tuesday, WLWT was joined by Ryan Dupree and Van Ackerman with the Cincinnati Arts Association, who talked more about the show.See the full interview in the video player at the top of the story.For more information on the show and to buy tickets, click here.

CINCINNATI —

For one night only, a show at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center will mix traditional African dance styles and rhythm with contemporary art forms.

Step Afrika takes the state at the Aronoff Center on Tuesday, March 11. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, WLWT was joined by Ryan Dupree and Van Ackerman with the Cincinnati Arts Association, who talked more about the show.

See the full interview in the video player at the top of the story.

For more information on the show and to buy tickets, click here.

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