Step Afrika! has brought a new production to Southwest D.C. that explores rhythm, resilience and what the company describes as the unfinished story of the American experience. The world premiere of Fruits of Our Labor is playing now at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW, and runs through November 1.
The show marks a milestone for Step Afrika!, arriving during a five-year artistic partnership between the company and Arena Stage, according to BroadwayWorld. That partnership began in 2021, and Fruits of Our Labor was created specifically as a response to America's 250th anniversary in 2026. As WJLA reports, the production is directed and choreographed by Jakari Sherman and features dancer Nya Christian, a Howard University graduate.
A Theater Rebuilt for the Show
To stage the world premiere inside Arena Stage's theater-in-the-round, set designers had to physically alter the room. Fichandler Stage, which typically surrounds performers on four sides, had one of its four seating sections converted into a wide, steep flight of stairs for the dancers, per the same account from DC Theater Arts. The performers move on the stairs and floor.
Sherman brings a research background to that staging: he holds a Master of Arts in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick, according to the Center for Ballet and the Arts, and previously established the NBA's first permanent step ensemble. He is Step Afrika!'s Artistic Director and leads this production.
Blending African American Stepping With South African Traditions
The choreography fuses traditional African American stepping with South African percussive styles, including Isipantsula and miner-originated gumboot dancing, developed in collaboration with South African choreographer Vusi Mdoyi, per the same account from The Soraya. That international dialogue reflects Step Afrika!'s founding mission: the company, established in December 1994 by Howard University alumnus C. Brian Williams, is recognized as the world's first professional dance company dedicated to stepping, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, which named Williams an NEA National Heritage Fellow in 2022 for his contributions to American folk traditions.
Rather than a straightforward patriotic salute, Fruits of Our Labor embeds historical American texts and speeches directly into its percussive choreography. The production draws on Frederick Douglass's 1852 Fourth of July speech, poetry by Phillis Wheatley, and references to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, weaving national celebration against historical critique, according to DC Theater Arts.
From Howard University Stepping to the World Stage
Christian's path to the production traces back to Howard University's campus, where stepping in Historically Black Greek-Letter Organizations has flourished since the early 20th century. She earned a degree in Political Science with minors in Sociology and Dance Arts from Howard in May 2023 and was involved with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, according to CanvasRebel Magazine. She joined Step Afrika! later that year.
That pipeline reflects the company's broader workforce model. Step Afrika! has a roster of 17 full-time artists who receive benefits, according to the company's reporting cited by New Haven Independent's Arts Paper.
Local Access
Arena Stage also featured an HBCU Night and Southwest Nights. Fruits of Our Labor arrives on the heels of other America 250-themed programming in the neighborhood, including DC JazzFest's Wharf takeover, which also touched Arena Stage over Labor Day weekend.
