Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 14, 2006 ON STEP, OH, ON STEP

While in the cafeteria Thursday, Marion High School Step Team members Lanette Acree, left, Chelbe Ewing, middle, and Shevelle Cavanaugh, right, practice the "Shelby Step" portion of the routine that they will perform at the boys' basketball game Friday evening. (STEVE JAHNKE/THE SOUTHERN)

Teenagers stepping out at Marion High School

BY BECKY MALKOVICH, THE SOUTHERN

MARION - Off step, they are a group of typical teens. They've got down pat the feet-shuffling, shoulder-shrugging, eye-rolling angst so visibly common in the hallways of Anytown High School, USA.

But on step, oh, on step, these teens turn into something else altogether. They are two coordinated rows of explosive rhythms with their hands moving faster than any hummingbird's wings ever could and their feet flying in so many directions 'tis a wonder they remain upright.

But most of all, when on step, the members of the Marion High School Step Team are a living, breathing manifestation of joy - 10 teenagers working together, using their hands and feet, and the occasional chant, to create a noise that can only be described as beautiful.

Coached by MHS teacher Deanna Hudgens and parent-volunteer Carolyn Clark, the team was organized just last June after several students expressed an interest in the dance/rhythm form that has its roots in Africa.

Hudgens said stepping started as tribal dance and later evolved into a means of communication for African-American slaves who were not allowed to express any aspects of their native culture.

Stepping had a resurgence of popularity in the 1960s and '70s when black fraternities and sororities brought the dance form to college campuses.

For sophomore Angelise Hightower, 16, stepping offers a connection to her ancestors. "It's kind of a spiritual-type thing. Step comes from Africa so it's part of my heritage. I do think about where it came from and it feels good to be able to be a part of that tradition," she said.

The Marion team is made up of eight blacks and two whites; eight girls and two boys. Jacob Allen, 16, said he wishes more students would participate. "It's fun," he said. "It may look hard at the beginning, but it gets easier."

Hudgens said the team breaks up the routines into chunks, learning small portions at a time. "They slow it down until they learn it, then they start moving faster," she said.

Clark said team members have only to be dedicated and willing to learn.

"They don't have to be athletes or dancers. Even if they can't do steps, they can get out and try. We'll take anybody," she said.

The team is student-driven. "They come up with their own routines. We're mostly here for support," she said while watching the team during a recent practice. "Hey, guys, I love you, but let's do that one again," she told the students when a group flub sent the routine into group laughter.

Hudgens said the team practices three times a week for a total of almost five hours. "Sometimes I have to run them out of the school at the end of practice because they are having so much fun they don't want to stop. I think this team has given them a sense of belonging that a lot of them didn't have before," she said.

Because they operate on a bare-bones budget, the team's uniforms consist of T-shirts, donated by Bennie's Italian Restaurant, paired with whatever pants the students choose to wear.

"We are planning additional fundraisers, but because we are so new, we didn't want the team to have to get caught up in raising money," Hudgens said. "Right now, it doesn't matter what they are wearing. It's more important for them to focus their time and energy into practice."

The fledgling team has so far performed at pep sessions and basketball games. They will also be on the entertainment menu at Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. program at the Boyton Community Center. The students are excited to be a part of the tribute to the slain civil rights leader.

"Stepping lets me express myself and feel what my ancestors felt. It's almost like I can feel their spirit when I'm out there," said junior Lanette Acree, 16. "And I feel free. That's what stepping is. It's freedom."