The curtains closed. Antonya Jeffrey breathed deeply, taking in one of the most fulfilling moments of her life. It was the end of her first performance with her step team, Black Reign.

“From that moment, I immediately felt a connection to my teammates that became long-lasting,” said Jeffrey, public relations chair of Black Reign and junior communication and rhetorical studies major.

For Jeffrey, stepping is a form of expression that luxuriates in the physicality of movement. It helps her communicate by harmoniously combining the vigor of the steps with the fluidity of the sound produced. It’s her passion, and it has allowed her to produce the perfect equilibrium between her classes and practice schedule.

The team’s most recent video, “The Power of Stepping,” which was produced by Syracuse University, received more than 1,405 views on YouTube in its first week. The team’s routines are exuberant modern dance pieces set to beats, produced essentially by foot and handwork.

The routine featured in the YouTube video will be performed again on March 29 at the Goldstein Auditorium in celebration of the group’s seventh anniversary. The routine showcases the neat, almost obsessive orderliness and control of step dancing, which clashes with the groups’ delight in physical profligacy.

The urge to step led some students to form Black Reign in the spring of 2005, Jeffrey explained, adding it was the only non-greek step team on campus. Active greek step teams include Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta and Omega Psi Phi, according to the OrgSync website.

Stepping is unique to African-American dance, which originated by combining military close-order and exhibition drills and African foot dances. Stage routines and movements of popular rhythm and blues groups such as The Temptations and The Four Tops also heavily influenced the dance style, according to “Soulstepping: African American Step Shows,” written by Elizabeth Fine.

“The founding principles of the team are fellowship, discipline, unity and precision,” said Ivy Rene’e, junior public health major and vice president of the team.

The team holds two major rounds of auditions: one in the spring and one in the fall, Rene’e said, adding that the team gains maximum momentum in the fall with incoming freshmen. The audition is broken down into three categories. Each participant is taught a routine in each of the categories, and is asked to perform as a group or solo, Rene’e said.

“The last round is the final dance, which ultimately decides the fate of the participant,” Rene’e said.

Rene’e said she developed some of her tightest bonds with members of the group. One of these close friends was Ashley Holland, a junior child and family studies major.

The first time she performed, Holland was an excited but nervous freshman. It was at the homecoming showcase, and she was about to perform before hundreds of people, sparking in her a curiosity and thrill for what was to happen next.

“The moment I started, the butterflies vanished. Performing is something I take pride in and that I’m great at,” Holland said.

To be able to produce it, it is important that one experiences it, explained Holland, saying the Black Reign team meets at least four times a week to practice their craft.

Another aspect of Black Reign that sets it apart from other campus step teams is that it is the only co-ed step team on campus. For Holland, her love for her team, which she describes as her own family, has grown during her time at SU, and has developed into support and love for one another.

“Black Reign has grown over the years and is finally making strides in their goal, which is to create awareness on campus and educate people on the art of stepping,” Holland said.

She said it is the ideal fit for students who are passionate about stepping or possess interest or skill in the art of dance, and that the most important thing in this process is commitment. She also said that it is an art, which requires time, patience and work to develop.

Published on February 28, 2013 at 12:44 am

Contact Eashaa: edparekh@syr.edu