Step Afrika!

UNC Asheville's 2007-08 Cultural and Special Events season kicks off with a bang – make that a well-timed thump. The acclaimed dance troupe Step Afrika! will get the season started at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, in UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium. Billed as the first professional company in the world dedicated to stepping, Step Afrika! brings high-energy moves to audiences around the world. Their repertoire ranges from stepping to tap to traditional African dances including Zulu and gumboot, while also incorporating clogging, hip-hop, house and freestyle dancing in their shows.

This Washington-based company has met with critical acclaim. A Washington Post review said, "The performers – equally adept at complex stepping, dancing, and most vital, acting – drove the crowd to whoops and hollers."

General admission tickets are $15 and go on sale August 27. To reserve tickets by phone, call UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union Box Office at 828/232-5000. For information about purchasing group tickets, call 828/251-6991.

Other events in the 2007-08 performing arts season include performances by the Regina Carter Quintet, Aquila Theatre Company, the Langston Hughes Project, Aviv String Quartet and modern dancers Eiko & Koma.

For more information about the Step Afrika! performance or UNC Asheville's Cultural and Special Events season, call 828/251-6991 or click on www.unca.edu/culturalarts/.