Foreign when I step it’s a shout out to my ancestors the people that came before me um it’s an African-American dance Foreman from this group of people that have existed in America and me coming from that group it’s like every time I I step into the floor I don’t know it’s
Like I’m waking them up and telling them that I’m living through you and through your experiences and through your stories and I’m not letting all of that be forgotten [Applause] how Brussels gives so just a brief history of the history and culture of stepping it started in the early 1900s by African-American
College students at the time there was a lot of social and political unrest so stepping honestly was just a form of like speaking up expressing yourself as well as feeling connected with people around you there were organizations called fraternities and sororities and within these organizations they would do
Tons of stuff they would do community service they would do activities that uplift one another and they will come together and step African-Americans were not allowed to go to the universities or predominantly white universities so they created their own and on these campuses they created their own communities they created their
Own families they shared in knowledge and uplifting one another so fraternities and sororities were not just about stepping and dancing and making moves but it was about empowerment and confidence and feeling connected and creating a community that accepts you as you are and allows you to express yourself however you would like
To express [Applause] stepping started on these these campuses of the universities and now you can see it in movies and films church and stuff and actually Beyonce just recently stepped in her major Coachella performance as well [Applause] I stepped because of the way it feels I feel confident I feel empowered I feel
Like I can express myself and make so much noise to make people hear me so it’s just something that feels right to do that comes from my identity and who I am [Laughter] Unity you and i t y That’s a Unity doing it why here we go [Applause] tapping I must have super powers [Applause] Let’s go [Applause] What’s wrong About two plus one is three okay you better watch old lady girls young ladies watching me All right [Applause] let’s go [Applause]
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