For decades, the sounds of stomping feet and clapping hands in rhythmic artistry have been the signature essence of multicultural fraternities and sororities around the country. Here at Iowa State, that is no exception. The Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority Step-Out will be keeping with that tradition, through a performance Friday at 10:46 p.m. in the free speech zone in front of the Parks Library. 

The Step-Out will include eight out of the 14 active members of the Gamma Chapter, and will last approximately 15 minutes. The performance will consist of an introduction, chants and at the core of it all: stepping and strolling.

The concept of stepping and strolling is somewhat difficult to grasp until you see it for yourself.

“Ultimately, stepping and strolling is really something you have to experience. I can try to explain it to you all day long, but you will not really understand it until you see it with your own eyes,” said Adrienne Fight, a sophomore in industrial engineering.

She is not on the team this semester, but has participated in the chapter’s step team in past semesters since she joined the sorority in 2008. 

Stepping, a popular performance tradition within black, greek and multicultural organizations, is a dance-like art form that involves the precise rhythmic choreography of stomping, clapping, chanting and singing, all in one.  

“You have to get a whole group of people to move as one,” Fight said. “This is probably what I like most about the concept of stepping. It is a display of unity, and it looks so sharp.” 

Some say stepping was created in its current form during initiation rituals of black fraternities in the 1940s. Others attribute stepping to ancestral dances from Africa brought over by slaves, which over time was infused with characteristics from American and European influences.

“Stepping is unique because of the history behind it,” Fight said. “Our own personal step is unique because it is a Sigma Lambda Gamma step. Out of all the organizations that are known for stepping, each one has a style that goes along with the steps they do. The more you watch stepping, the more you recognize the differences between them. Every organization puts their own flair on their steps, and the one we will be performing is no exception to this.”

Strolling, on the other hand, is a synchronized dance that began initially in the early 1920s, when African-American collegiate organizations incorporated it into the greek system.

Strolling has grown tremendously among the National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations and other multicultural greek organizations. Each stroll is done to a song or compilation of remixed songs. Each organization or greek chapter has moves unique to their own group that others cannot copy, except when two or more of those organizations are dancing together.

Teams throughout the history of strolling traditionally used hip-hop, reggae, R&B and sometimes rock beats, with the occasional reggaeton, meringue and salsa. Black and multicultural greeks usually stroll at parties and sometimes for shows and events. 

It is important to know that breaking the line — cutting or walking through the group while they are strolling — is extremely disrespectful.

Strolling has become a channel for style and self-expression among some fraternities and sororities and provides the brothers and sisters with an outlet to represent their organization’s values, character and personality.

“Strolling and stepping is very special to the few organizations that do it because it is our way of showing the public our styles and our sisterhood or brotherhood,” said Stephanie Kobeluch, junior in landscape architecture and Multicultural Greek Council president. Kobeluch has been a member of the Gamma Chapter’s step team for the past two years and was the step master for the team last spring. 

Although the Step-Out will be done partially for entertainment purposes, it is also an important event because it is where their two new pledge members will be presented. Besides the formations, stunts, and complexity, this is something that Zaneta Jones, Sigma Lambda Gamma chapter president and step master, is most excited about.

“It is unique to us because we are integrating our probate into our step show instead of having two different events, like we normally do,” Jones said.

This is exciting for new members, too.

“Introducing our new members in this way is not only exciting for the audience, but is exhilarating for our new members,” Kobeluch said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get a step in sync with all the performers, so when you do that, you just feel powerful and almost like you can achieve anything.” 

During Greek Week’s Lip Sync competition, each of the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities or fraternities actually got a chance to strut their stuff and do some strolling for the audience.

These sororities and fraternities are very supportive of one another and they usually attend each other’s probates and will most likely be at Sigma Lambda Gamma’s Step-Out performance as well. 

Sigma Lambda Gamma is a 20 year-old sorority and the Gamma Chapter has been around consistently since 2000. Their history with putting on step shows has been about every two years, with their last one being in 2008.

This year, the team had even planned on going to the Drake Relays to compete in their step and stroll competition as well as getting involved in other competitions, including one where the grand prize was $10,000. Although they weren’t able to participate in that event, they will be giving their all for this one performance and both welcoming and encouraging spectators. 

“I am looking forward to seeing my sisters present what they have been working so hard on for a whole semester,” Fight said. “It takes a lot of hard work and practice to put a step together. Every movement, clap and sound has to be uniform and crisp.”

Everyone from the chapter is excited to showcase their talent and creativity, and after putting in two months of late night practices they are more than ready. 

“My favorite part is the idea that we are stepping and strolling to showcase our pride for our organization,” Kobeluch said.

“We get really pumped about what we are doing with the crowd cheering, and that just makes us even more excited to be a part of this particular organization.”

Jones was in complete agreement. “We just love to show the university as well as the greek community what we can do, and this is the perfect way to do it,” she said.