Step Afrika, a collaborative project joining young dancers from the United States and the South Africa-based Soweto Dance Theatre, will perform Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in Wheelwright Auditorium on the Coastal Carolina University campus. The event is free and open to the public.

A percussive dance ensemble based in Washington, D.C., Step Afrika specializes in "stepping," a distinctive dance style made popular by African-American fraternities and sororities. The dance, a high-energy brand of precision stepping, has its origins in the historical dance traditions of Africa.

Using the dance as a foundation, the Soweto Dance Theatre organized the Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg and invited American students to join African students in a series of workshops and discussions on cultural development and community service. The formation of the Step Afrika dance ensemble is one of the results of the festival. In addition to touring, the company conducts workshops and clinics for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and for schools and community groups around the country.

For more information, contact Coastal's Office of Student Activities, sponsor of the program, at 349-2301.