Congratulations to the KILLA KAPPA UPSILON Stepteam for placing OVERALL first place in the recent U of A Homecoming Stepshow as they proved ONCE AGAIN that they are the Best Steppers on the Yard!!! The KILLA KAPPA UPSILON CHAPTER would like to congratulate all the Greeks at the University of Arkansas who participated in the Homecoming stepshow, especially since there were plenty of HATERS in the crowd (you know who you are) trying so hard to distract certain organizations from performing. But they didn't get the last laugh as they were looking sick in the face when the winners of the stepshow were announced. Our apologies on their behalf to the other Greeks.

We ESPECIALLY like to congratulate the So Sweet ladies of Zeta Phi Beta from the Xi Eta chapter for placing first out of the sorority divison, and the Smooth Bruhs of the Lamba Eta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma for placing first out of the fraternity divison, as the BLU & WHITE FAMILY made a CLEAN SWEEP of the U of A Homecoming Stepshow places.

Not to boast (oh, who are we kidding; we ARE boasting) but this makes the sixth time out of the past nine years that the Kappa Upsilon Chapter has placed FIRST at the NPHC University of Arkansas Homecoming Stephow, and the TENTH time we've placed FIRST in any stepshow since 1996. The shows include:

1. 1996 U of A Homecoming Stepshow
2. 1997 U of A Homecoming Stepshow
3. 1998 Arkansas State Homecoming Stepshow (6 competing acts!)
4. 1999 Southwest Missouri State Stompfest (7 competing acts!)
5. 1999 U of A Homecoming Stepshow
6. 2000 U of A Homecoming Stepshow
7. 2001 Henderson State BLU & WHITE Stepshow (7 competing acts!)
8. 2001 U of A Homecoming Stepshow (9 competing acts!)
9. 2004 Henderson State BLU & WHITE Stepshow
10. 2004 U of A Homecoming Stepshow (6 competing acts!)

A little hard work deserves SOME recognition.

CONGRATS BRUHS...KEEP THE TITLE RUNNING!

The History of Stepping

This piece of history on stepping was taken from many interviews and various other greek brothers. Special thanks to the brothers of Mu Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma for their knowledge and pictures.



THE GENESIS
It began with singing. Brothers would gather in the quad and sing. They eventually graduated to dancing and from there stepping. You can go to some yards down south and they call it a "Sing" instead of a "Step-show". The white fraternities started the singing part, but the black fraternities took it to another level. Much like we did with basketball and football. I don't think that any one fraternity can lay claim to stepping, more than likely it evolved. One thing I do know was that the Sigmas and the Omegas were the first to do it. Sororities didn't start stepping until several years after the fraternities.
SOURCE: Brother Terrence A.B. Lewis "BadStep" - Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity



THE EVOLUTION

Stepping began with groups of guys singing acappella, and when groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops were popular in the 50's and 60's brothers started mimicking their steps. This was how stepping evolved. This is why it is called "Stepping" now. Brothers would try to come up with the best steps while they were singing to please the ladies. If you got the ladies you got more recruits. Much like it is today. Others say that stepping replaced the doo woop sounds and cardigan sweaters of the 50's. At around the same time as the "Black Power" Movements and Africa centered movements of the 60's, stepping started to flourish with the incorporation of some traditional African ritual dancing and the incorporation of other elements like cheer leading, tap, gymnastics, etc. Over the years stepping has become very intricate and demanding incorporating props, high levels of gymnastics and other elements found in team sports. Please note that some people want to give the credit to the South African Boot Dance, but it would be unfair to ignore everything that stepping was in the beginning and it is now. Stepping is an original art form that was influence by many elements from our past.
SOURCE: Various Brothers



SIGMA STEPPING

Phi Beta Sigma stepping evolved even more with the contributions of Bro. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. He introduced certain steps from his traditional African culture which used dance as a celebration of "coming of age". The coming of age ceremonies, or rites of passage, are when a young man comes into manhood. This is intimately tied to the pledge process which is itself Masonic & Afro-centric in origin and method. The cane was used by Bro. Nkrumah in his stepping ritual. Stepping is supposed to be done as a celebration of "crossing", or "going over", or "coming into manhood". From this brothers began to create and build. Over the years Sigmas have been known for numerous unique and identifiable steps.

These steps are:

"The Sigma "Nut-Cracker"
"The Passage" a.k.a. "The African Step"
"Precision"
"The Badstep"
"Jungle Walk"
"Hands and Feet"
"The Cotton Club"
"Time Step"
"Roxanne"
"Wood"
"Up Jumped the Devil"
"The Blindfold Step" (with or without cane)

AND IF YOU DONT KNOW, NOW YOUUUUUUUU KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!






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