National Pan-Hellenic Council chapters will be performing the annual Homecoming Step Show Oct. 18, showcasing their synchronized stepping and dancing routines.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council includes nine African American sororities and fraternities called the “Divine 9” (D9), who will be performing alongside other student organizations like Zou Shake, Freestyle Your Expression and Dancing Divas, a local dance studio for young girls.
D9 chapters that are expected to perform are Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Inc., Omega Psi Phi Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Inc.
The Step Show is a way for the NPHC chapters to showcase some of their history and stepping abilities, said Cody Sallee, the coordinator for the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life. Sallee advises the NPHC and has attended and helped coordinate Step Shows the past two years.
Stepping is a singular style of dancing adopted across the country by African American fraternities and sororities that involves stomping, clapping and jumping. The dance organization Zou Shake incorporates its own style with shaking.
“We now have eight of the nine Divine 9 NPHC organizations on campus,” Sallee said. “Last year we only had six at this time and only four competed. This year we will have all eight chapters competing.”
Last year, the show attracted an audience of at least 1,000, and with returning organizations this year, Sallee said he’s hoping to reach Jesse Auditorium’s full capacity.
This year’s theme for the Step Show is horror movies, and each D9 organization has chosen its own movie with different steps, strolls, dances and props with their own little twist, said India Reed, the president of the Epsilon Psi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority Inc.
Her chapter chose “Us,” a 2019 film directed by Jordan Peele. Other chapters will be incorporating other horror movies including “Saw” (2004), “Child’s Play” (1988), “It” (2017), “Purge” (2013) and “Bird Box” (2018).
Jayden Sudduth is the polemarch or president of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Inc. and a participant in this year’s show. Both Reed and Sudduth emphasize the significance of the step show to black culture at Mizzou.
“For Mizzou culture … this is a predominantly white institution and [the Step Show] shows that we have a thriving NPHC and that we want to show the campus our side of Greek culture, the Divine 9 Greek culture,” Sudduth said. “It is a real, important piece of black, Greek culture all over the world.”
The doors to the Step Show open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. in Jesse Auditorium. Tickets are available online at the University Concert Series website and the MU Box Office.
