The Step Afrika! company’s collaborative work “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence” began in 2011 as a way to explore the roots of the uniquely African American art form of stepping. 

The complex polyrhythms of stepping embody West African movement and music traditions, and the art form’s development in America is deeply intertwined with the history of Black Greek organizations. Director Jakari Sherman, a choreographer and ethnochoreologist who studies dance in its cultural context, drew on his experience as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to forge connections between stepping’s African roots, the Great Migration and Jacob Lawrence’s iconic paintings.

  

“The Migration” incorporates all 60 panels of Lawrence’s Migration Series as both scenic backdrop and historical framework. The collaboration weaves together stepping, contemporary and West African dance, live music (from traditional drumming to original compositions), and Kenann Quander’s vibrant costumes into an immersive experience that honors the Great Migration’s cultural legacy.

The 17-member professional company (all college graduates, many of whom attended HBCUs and are members of Black Greek fraternities and sororities) performs at the Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. What makes this stop on the tour unique is that the company will be performing with The Legendary Ingramettes, the powerhouse inspirational gospel group from Richmond. The group and Step Afrika! were both part of the 2022 cohort of NEA National Heritage Fellows.

“The Migration,” said Sherman, “will teleport you to another space and time.”

The performance traces a journey from West African shores through the rural American South, with the second act following Black Americans’ northward movement from the antebellum South to the cultural flowering of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. Sherman sees parallels between this historical migration and contemporary conversations about immigration

“The Migration invites us to examine our own family histories,” he says. “I want audiences to leave asking: How did we get to where we are today, regardless of where we came from? These questions should inspire them to learn more.”

Step Afrika! presents “The Migration” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Carpenter Theatre. A pre-show artist talk begins at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $20 to $60 for adults, and $10 for youth and non-University of Richmond students. University of Richmond students may attend free with valid student ID.