Students from the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. celebrating their win at the 2024 NPHC Step Show in Mershon Auditorium Saturday, Nov. 16. Credit: Astrid Coste
The National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show took place Saturday at Mershon Auditorium, showcasing the routines, costumes and siblinghood of Ohio State’s historically Black Greek life organizations.
Stepping is a type of performance dance that gives individuals freedom to incorporate rhythm, movement, precision and history into their routine, said Eddie Labid, assistant director of council leadership in Ohio State’s Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life. By taking inspiration from traditional African dance, groups can add stomping, clapping and different dance movements to tell a story, Labid said.
Eight out of the university’s nine historically Black sororities and fraternities participated in the show, which serves as an annual competition that highlights groups’ talents and abilities in stepping.
“It’s a chance for them to really come together as a community, especially the Black community, to have some visibility on campus and celebrate their organizations,” Labid said. “It gives a friendly competition between the organizations and [showcases] their talents and performances.”
Labid said acts typically range from seven to 10 minutes in length and include different themes, costumes, music and backdrops that tell a story. Every group gets judged on its creativity, choreography, conciseness, technique and the overall effect the performance had on the show.
Winning groups claim a cash prize at the end of the show, but that is not the only reward participants can earn, Labid said.
“Stepping is a very unique tradition within the [National Pan-Hellenic Council], and so alumni will come back to support and watch, and a lot of people look forward to it,” Labid said. “So yes, there is a cash prize, but a lot of it is really taking pride and having bragging rights for their organization.”
The 2024 show was hosted by Juice Finesse — a radio host at Power Columbus — and DJ’d by DJ Zae, who started by giving each organization some time to “stroll” by performing a quick 30- to 45-second dance throughout the auditorium’s aisles, even allowing attendees to join in on routines.
The performances began with Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity around 7:45 p.m. Four members took to the stage dressed in boxing uniforms, with their theme being the “Kappa Chapter Club Fighting.”
They were followed by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which riffed on the iconic 1986 film “Top Gun” with a performance titled “Top Girls.” Dressed in costumes reminiscent of the flick, members were bathed in pink and green lights as a reference to their sorority’s designated colors.
Throughout the dancers’ performance, “mission control” directed them to exhibit certain skills for the routine, such as technique, formation and unity. Kendhyl Wilder, an Alpha Kappa Alpha member and director of special events and programming for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, or NPHC, participated in her organization’s routine in addition to helping coordinate the event.
“Getting to watch the other organizations, being able to perform with my sisters and getting to be behind the scenes watching the step show come to life has been a wonderful experience,” Wilder, also a third-year in public management, leadership and policy, said in an email. “I am so proud to be performing in this year’s Step Show!”
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity took the stage promptly after, with a performance themed around another classic film: “The Godfather.”
Three members used roses as props, also using canes to add percussion to the routine. The performance ended with dancers walking through the audience to a slow, passionate song and handing out roses to women in the crowd.
The 2023 Step Show champions, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, followed. Dancers began with a “Terminator”-inspired performance, paying homage to the 1984 movie with plenty of percussion and a storyline focused on a “Delta takeover.”
Due to technical difficulties, the sound system failed mid-performance, yet participating members held all of their positions for roughly five minutes — with one dancer even holding a squat and the sorority’s iconic triangle hand symbol — until they were excused from the stage while the issue was fixed.
After a brief intermission, Omega Psi Phi fraternity had its chance to shine with a performance following the story of a Baptist church choir, named “Q — Voices of Praise.” The members’ performance tricks, commentary and choir singing engaged the audience.
Afterward, Delta Sigma Theta sorority members came back for a second, complete iteration of their previously halted routine. The crowd gave them cheers and applause upon their return.
Zeta Phi Beta sorority took the stage next with a halftime-themed show, which included marching band music and percussion incorporated into a complicated routine, garnering applause, cheers and support from the audience. Members also wore costumes showcasing the sorority’s historic white and blue colors.
Doing a complete 180-degree turn from Zeta Phi Beta’s show, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity took the stage with a “Dragon Ball Z” themed performance, joining together to defeat Frieza, one of the villains in the show.
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority was the last group to perform, adhering to a “Wild ’n Out” theme with its blue and gold hues. During the performance, members shouted out other sororities and invited a member from each participating frat to join them onstage.
When they finished, there was one more act before the judges’ final scores were released: the Jelani Steppers, three young children who showcased their own step routine and aimed to demonstrate the strong community around the tradition of stepping, Labid said.
Wilder said the Step Show is meant to give the university’s historically Black fraternities and sororities the space to showcase their history and tradition through their performances.
“On a campus as diverse as Ohio State, events like the Step Show play a vital role in fostering awareness and appreciation, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of representation,” Wilder said. “It’s also an extremely exciting and entertaining event that brings the Greek community and campus together!”
Notably, Labid said each competing organization had the opportunity to nominate one judge on behalf of their group in an attempt to ensure judging remained unbiased.
Before the results were shared, the NPHC Council appeared onstage to introduce its members — all of whom were active members of the participating sororities and fraternities at the event.
Winners were officially announced at around 10:30 p.m., with judges declaring Phi Beta Sigma’s “Dragon Ball Z” routine as the winner of the fraternity competition and Zeta Phi Beta’s halftime-themed show as the winner of the sorority competition.
Each won $300 toward its specific organization, both coincidentally representing the blue and white of their respective brotherhood and sisterhood.
“I really just think the NPHC community has been here for over 100 years, and they offer so much more than just entertainment,” Labid said. “They are really some of the biggest and brightest leaders on our campus, and getting to see them perform is just an added benefit to what the NPHC offers. This is really a great time to come celebrate the history and tradition of the NPHC.”
