Roaring chants echo through the doors of the IC building. Rhythms of stomping and clapping fill the quad with energy and attract anyone passing by. 

This is the Creek Step team. 

Creek’s Step Team uses their bodies as instruments to produce rhythmic beats in their performances. They attend school assemblies and sports games to perform step routines followed by dance routines, some of which often feature choreography that imitate moves used in sports games, like dribbling in basketball.

This Creek community presents the school with the positivity each member brings. It welcomes everyone and makes sure they are safe in the club. “It was really fun to have this little community [at] Creek. I met so many new people and enjoyed going to practices. I’m very proud of the group, as we worked everyday to practice for upcoming events, and everyone was very excited to perform,” freshman Liam Welsh said. 

Step implements a no-cut policy that works to include everyone. “We welcome everyone, and everyone is [accepted]. Everyone can perform [as long as] they are comfortable,” sophomore team captain Venus Tallie said. 

Step requires emotion towards the choreography as all their emotions are expressed through their stomps and claps. Their choreography is inspired by the internet, as it provides them with a wide variety of routines to alter into their own style. “The ‘dribble’ [choreography] at the basketball game got very popular. It was cool how a lot of [other] step teams were doing it,” Briggs said.

Step is a traditional African dance which originated from early African American communities. It gained popularity in the mid-20th century when African American college students re-introduced this to society, which caused an unrest in society as many people disagreed with this dance. This style of dance is commonly practiced by other groups such as Latino and Asian American societies. Stepping has become a common activity in some American highschools as seen at Creek. “[Step is] a cultured dance with footwork, beats, percussion and movement,” sophomore team captain Alani McQueen said. 

Normally, the team’s practicing hours include two hours after school on Monday, and Thursday.  When upcoming performances are near, their practice hours increase to up to five hours every other day.

The coaches and members work in close collaboration which permits them to learn from each other. During their practice time, the new choreography can get complex to self-teach, so they often rely on each other to master the choreography together. 

“[The team and coaches] were really helpful in making sure that there was a way for us to be able to go through everything, and help out others,” freshman step team member Violet Mensah said. McQueen often steps in to help her teammates learn the steps to their choreography. She acknowledges their struggles and works together with her teammates to overcome those obstacles. 

Step had an opportunity to perform at the Ethnic Fest on Thursday, March 2. They included a new dance routine for the event. Before their performance they utilize their spare time to motivate themselves through dancing. It spread a sense of positivity throughout their minds for the event. 

The Step team had performed at a Power Week PEP assembly on Friday, Feb. 17. Staff who attended the PEP assembly appreciated how different and energetic they are. 

“I really enjoyed it, I think they are very fun and [have] high energy. I love seeing the diversity of those kids out there. I thought they did a good job,” science teacher Christine Garcia said. 

Staff also admired how the step team forms their dance routines. Spanish teacher and boys’ soccer coach Wilmer Barrera appreciates the team’s work and efforts. “I love it, I think it’s a very unique talent to have, their [coordination] of the dance is really good,” Barrera said.