Montreal Steppers

We are still processing this experience! Extremely stoked to announce that our short documentary film *The Steppers visit South Africa* directed by our beloved collaborator Hugh Durnford-Dionne is this year’s winner of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival’s () BEST DOC SHORT!

We want to thank the jury at the festival, the organizers and most importantly to all our friends and knowledge bearers in South Africa featured in this film. We express our deepest gratitude to each and one of them for their warm welcome, brilliance and generosity. We cannot wait to return to celebrate this win with you!

Yesterday, we had the honour of being the keynote performance for SUNY Plattsburgh’s annual Black Solidarity Day, a day-long teach-in dedicated to social justice. The program featured a range of powerful presentations, workshops, and reflection spaces, among other activities.

Alongside our performance, we were excited to lead a stepping workshop, sharing the history, rhythm, and cultural significance of the artform. The participation and enthusiasm from everyone in attendance made it a truly special experience.

We were especially moved by Mama Criss and Mama Loise, who shared their lived experiences growing up in the Mississippi River Delta under Jim Crow. We were deeply moved and grounded by their stories.

We want to extend our sincere gratitude to our dear friend, Dr. Dexter L. Criss, whose leadership and commitment to the organizing committee were instrumental. We also want to thank the entire organizing team, faculty, and staff for their dedication in making this event possible.

Finally, we want to recognize the students — those who have been central to the organizing efforts on campus, those who have advocated for change, and those who continue to do so. We see you, and we honour your work.

Wanna learn how to step?! Sign up for our upcoming classes. For more about REGISTRATION check out this link https://linktr.ee/montrealsteppers ! 🤜🏾🤛🏾⚡️

See you there!

Ce samedi, on retrouve avec grand bonheur la merveilleuse troupe Montreal Steppers qui nous enseignera les rudiments du step à TEMPÉO, Festival Danse et Musique! Connaissez-vous cette danse percussive?

Save the dates! We have a few things coming up in the next couple of weeks!

🚨 Come learn stepping with us during our open rehearsal on Saturday September 6 at 12:30pm.

🚨 If you’re interested in joining the team, we are holding auditions on Saturday September 13! No specific preparation required.

Send us an e-mail for more information at [email protected]

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Réservez les dates ! Plusieurs événements arrivent dans les prochaines semaines !

🚨 Venez apprendre le stepping avec nous lors de notre cours de step gratuit le samedi 6 septembre à 12h30.

🚨 Si vous êtes intéressé·e à rejoindre l’équipe, nous organisons des auditions le samedi 13 septembre ! Aucune préparation particulière n’est requise.

Écrivez-nous pour plus d’informations à [email protected]

Three weeks ago, we had the privilege of traveling to New Orleans with our collaborator Miranda Potts, Director of Outreach and Education at the Eva Marsden Centre, for a meaningful research trip. Together, we explored the city’s complex histories and connected with incredible people who are keeping these legacies alive.

Huge thanks to Dennis from 2nd Line Tours/ Experience for guiding us through some of NOLA’s most significant sites. One unforgettable stop was the TEP Center —named after Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost, three six-year-old girls who bravely desegregated McDonogh 19 after Brown v. Board of Education. We were deeply honoured to be welcomed by Ms. Leona Tate herself, who gave us a personal tour of the center, which now educates visitors on school desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.

Our deepest gratitude and love to Ms. Vera Warren-Williams and Ms. Jennifer Turner— whom we lovingly call Mama Vera and Mama Jen—of the Community Book Center, a cultural anchor on Bayou Road (New Orleans’ oldest street). CBC has been serving the community for over 40 years, starting in Mama Vera’s parents’ home, and continues to be a hub for Black literature, learning, and gathering. Here we had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Aadyn Encalarde whom you might recognize from Girls Trip and, more recently, Sinners.

And of course, we couldn’t leave without putting our Boots on the Ground! Big love to Ms. Linda Simms and the crew at Let's Mess It Up Soul Line Dancing for teaching us the moves and bringing the joy.

We also visited the Backstreet Cultural Museum in Treme, founded by the late Sylvester Francis. We learned about the art, culture, and power of Mardi Gras Indian suits and second-line traditions. Thank you to Dominique Dilling-Francis (Sylvester’s daughter and BCM Director), Babydoll Ooh Lala for the warm welcome, and to Horace for the incredible exhibition tour.

As the academic year comes to an end, we take the time to reflect and celebrate our most impactful year to date. This would not have been possible without our collaborators. Thank you for working with us to share the impact of stepping!

One of the most exciting projects that we launched this year was our mini steppers program. For 7 weeks we worked with over 100 students from 4 schools who committed to learning the art form of stepping along with elements of its history. We are celebrating them at our Community Showcase.

Purchase tickets using this link: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/montreal-steppers-community-showcase--2025
Please share and promote in your communities! Let's support the children.

Ready to learn how to step? We are hosting our spring sessions and you're invited! Sign up for one, two, or all of them- it's up to you.

Here is the link for register: https://form.jotform.com/250984419312257

The Artist Inspire program through ELAN Quebec's ArtEd Initiatives has fundamentally impacted our ability to share the art form of stepping across the province. Our impact would not be possible without this grant. We are extremely grateful to the institutions who reach out to us for workshops and presentations. What a joy it is to share stepping.

There is still time for schools to take advantage of this grant to book one of the many incredible artists featured in the catalogue.

To the ELAN Quebec's ArtEd Initiatives team, thank you for what you do!!

The deadline to apply for your ArtistsInspire grants is approaching fast! Get your applications in by February 28th, 2025, to have the opportunity to bring an Artist into your school. 📆

Apply now for:
🎨$1500 to bring an Artist into your school
⭐ The option to add on a second One Day Event grant for a total of 3000$
💗 The ability to connect with qualified Artists across all disciplines

MORE INFO: https://artistsinspire.ca/school-grants/
APPLY HERE: https://artistsinspire.ca/school-application/