Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, and drama. Developed by African American fraternities and sororities, it is now practiced worldwide. "Soulstepping" is the first book to document the history of stepping, its roots in African and African American culture, and its transformation by churches, schools, and social groups into a powerful tool for instilling group identity and community involvement. Elizabeth C Fine's vibrant portrayal of the cultural politics of stepping covers the spread to new venues and participants, including Latino and Asian American Greek-letter organizations. She draws on interviews with individuals on college campuses and steppers and stepping coaches from high schools, community groups, churches, and dance organizations as she traces the widespread growth of stepping and uncovers the controversies surrounding it.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
ADVANCE PRAISE "Elizabeth Fine takes us on a journey of discovery with Soulstepping, all the way back to its African roots and all the way up to our moment. All groups have dance steps that the group performs together for the pure joy of celebrating life. Soulstepping brings out that joy, that exhilaration, that love of life. This celebration is long overdue." -- Nikki Giovanni, poet "Elizabeth Fine has produced a labor of love. Soulstepping is thorough and true to the African American spirit she discovered more completely as she traveled through history to bring to light this remarkable phenomenon, one that would otherwise exist only for those fortunate enough to have been present late at night perhaps at an African American fraternity or sorority event on an American college or university campus." -- Michael V. W. Gordon, Professor of Music Emeritus at Indiana University School of Music and First Executive Director of the National Pan-Hellenic Council REVIEWS "The history, culture, politics, and art of this African-American performance artform is examined in-depth; with black-and-white photographs embellish this impressively, scholarly, highly recommended contribution to Black American cultural studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists."--Bookwatch
Book Description
Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, and drama. Elizabeth C. Fine's stunningly elaborate and vibrant portrayal of the cultural politics of stepping draws on interviews with individuals on college campuses and steppers and stepping coaches from high schools, community groups, churches, and dance organizations. Soulstepping is the first book to document the history of stepping, its roots in African and African American culture, and its transformation by churches, schools, and social groups into a powerful tool for instilling group identity and community involvement.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is one of a kind.,
By
This review is from: Soulstepping: AFRICAN AMERICAN STEP SHOWS (Hardcover)
I enjoyed this book because it took me back in history to the roots of stepping. It connected me to my African and African-American Ancestors. It helped me relive my soul-stepping days as a Delta in Lambda Chapter in Chicago. Stepping is a tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation. Sororities and fraternities are known for their particular steps. Now, non-Greeks are stepping too. It is great to see how stepping has evolved and this book has captured the traditions of stepping. The first copy I bought was for me. The next book will be for my daughter in college so that she can have her own copy. Hats off to the author!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soulstepping: African American Step Shows,
By erayray "ERWhitehead" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Soulstepping: AFRICAN AMERICAN STEP SHOWS (Hardcover)
I wanted to know was this the book I was looking for and it was. Also the product was in excellent condition as described.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Different Perspective,
This review is from: Soulstepping: AFRICAN AMERICAN STEP SHOWS (Hardcover)
Pros: I've been on this constant mission to find out more about Greek stepping after seeing "Stomp the Yard." I'm not quite sure why, considering I went to an HBCU and saw plenty of it, as well as being addicted to shows like "A Different World," but I've found so many books that give me a deeper perspective on the topic and this would be one of them. I enjoyed this book. It talked about the controversy between the African American nonGreek community and African American Greeks; the issue with representing African culture but using Greek letters; whether nonGreeks should be able to step; the light-skinned versus dark-skinned perspective in Spike Lee's "School Daze" movie; a little bit of hazing; the Greeks of the 50s and 60s who completely disagree with the idea that stepping came from African culture; and the dance of juba, which played a great part in the creation of stepping. I thought the book was going to be just about stepping, but I didn't expect so many debates to be covered as well. I enjoyed reading about how Greeks felt about other cultures learning how to step, as well as nonGreeks. That was something I'd always wondered about but never felt the need to ask.
Cons: I wasn't so much interested in reading about church step groups. Not to be disrespectful, but I was looking for the perspective of BGOs, not other cultures or groups. I do understand why the author covered all the territory. Comment: She did such a great job of the research, especially considering her "mamma didn't tell her about A Phi A," and she is a white woman who was not previously introduced to the subject. In the antecdote about the black man asking her why she wasn't studying polka instead of step, she didn't dodge the topic of what readers may wonder but are too nice to mention. Great job!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
People give widely varying answers to the simple question of when and where stepping began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stepping originated, stepping competition, handclap games, probate show, gumboot dancing, gumboot dance, historically black fraternities, pledging rituals, pledge club, telephone interview with author, member number one, stepping style, stroll show, step competition, patting juba, hard stepping, graduate chapter, signature steps, trade step, favorite steps, step club, black fraternity, other fraternities, pledging process, step team Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Howard University, African American, Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Step Afrika, Virginia Tech, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Latino Greek, Que Psi Phi, Greek Picnic, South Africa, Centaur Walk, Hazen Robert Walker, New York, United States, Greek Weekend, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Oak Grove Steppers, Gamma Beta Tau, Johnson Step Competition New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
People give widely varying answers to the simple question of when and where stepping began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stepping originated, stepping competition, handclap games, probate show, gumboot dancing, gumboot dance, historically black fraternities, pledging rituals, pledge club, telephone interview with author, member number one, stepping style, stroll show, step competition, patting juba, hard stepping, graduate chapter, signature steps, trade step, favorite steps, step club, black fraternity, other fraternities, pledging process, step team Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Howard University, African American, Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Step Afrika, Virginia Tech, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Latino Greek, Que Psi Phi, Greek Picnic, South Africa, Centaur Walk, Hazen Robert Walker, New York, United States, Greek Weekend, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Oak Grove Steppers, Gamma Beta Tau, Johnson Step Competition New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 52
books:
See all 52 books this book cites
1
book
cites this book:
- Black Bourgeoisie: The Book That Brought the Shock of Self-Revelation to Middle-Class Blacks in America by E. Franklin Frazier on 7 pages
- African Art in Motion by Robert Farris Thompson on 6 pages
- Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: BLACK FOLK MUSIC TO THE CIVIL WAR (Music in American Life) by Dena J. Epstein on 4 pages
- University of Florida by Tommy L. Thompson on 4 pages
- Ritual Process, The: Structure and Anti-Structure by Victor Turner in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
See all 52 books this book cites
- Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robbins in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
