ABOUT DIGITAL PROGRAMS
The Gallo Center has adopted the use of digital programs meant to be viewed on cell phones or other computer devices. This change has important public health, environmental and economic benefits: reducing close contacts between patrons and ushers, cutting our use of paper, and eliminating substantial printing costs. View the program only before shows begin or during intermissions. Please be considerate of other patrons and artists on stage by not viewing it during performances. Patrons who do not observe this courtesy and create distractions may be asked to leave. Thank you!
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
The Gallo Center for the Arts is a non-profit performing arts center with a deep commitment to enriching the people and communities of California’s vast San Joaquin Valley. From the scintillating performances of its wonderful resident companies, to the great variety of world-class entertainment presented by the Center each season, to robust arts education programs for the region’s youth, this is where the magic happens.
From the beginning, the Center’s mission has been clearly defined: to provide an inspirational civic gathering place where regional, national, and international cultural activities illuminate, educate, and entertain. Since revenue from ticket sales and facility rentals only covers a portion of the costs associated with fulfilling this mission, the Center is dependent on the generous annual financial support from donors and program sponsors within our community.
LEARN MORE AT GALLOARTS.ORG/SUPPORTUS.
ABOUT THE CENTER
HOW TO BUY TICKETS
In Person: 1000 I Street, downtown Modesto
Online: 24/7/365 at GalloArts.org
By Phone: (209) 338-2100
TICKET OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday: Noon – 6 pm Closed Sundays
Ticket Office opens two hours prior to all events
EMAIL LIST
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GENERAL INFORMATION
The mission of the Gallo Center for the Arts is to enrich the quality of life in the San Joaquin Valley by providing an inspirational civic gathering place where regional, national and international cultural activities illuminate, educate and entertain. The Gallo Center for the Arts celebrates the diversity of the San Joaquin Valley by offering an array of affordable cultural opportunities designed to appeal, and be accessible, to all.
The Center opened in September, 2007 and consists of the 440-seat Foster Family Theater, the 1,248-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, the Marie Damrell Gallo Grand Lobby and a plaza serving both theaters, and the Modesto Rotary Music Garden.
As a regional non-profit performing arts center, the Gallo Center for the Arts presents internationally recognized touring artists in all disciplines, and also is home to four resident companies: Central West Ballet, Modesto Performing Arts, Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Opera Modesto. The Gallo Center for the Arts is a unique public/private partnership. Construction was funded jointly by the County of Stanislaus, which owns the facility, and contributions from more than 4,000 individuals and businesses given to a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which today operates the Center.
PATRON EVENT INFORMATION
• Emergency exits are indicated by green exit signs located above each exit. For your safety, please check for the location of the exit nearest to your seat.
• The Gallo Center for the Arts is accessible to disabled patrons. Wheelchair seating is available in both theaters. Portable wireless listening devices are available at the Coat Check room at no charge. Please inform the Ticket Office of any special needs when ordering tickets.
• Food and beverages are not allowed in the theaters. (with the exception of bottled water and beverages served in theater cups.)
• Smoking is prohibited inside the building and within 20 feet of all entrances.
• Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the Gallo Center for the Arts’ house managers.
• The use of recording equipment and the taking of photographs in Gallo Center for the Arts theaters is strictly forbidden. The Gallo Center for the Arts reserves the right to confiscate any such equipment and/or require offending customers to exit the premises.
• As a courtesy to artists and to your fellow patrons,
please turn off or silence any mobile device on your person. No texting, please!
• Restrooms are located on all three levels of the Center.
• Lost items will be held in the Coat Check room on the main level until the end of the performance. Thereafter, please contact Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
• All patrons MUST have a ticket to enter a performance regardless of age.
• Out of courtesy to other patrons, the Gallo Center for the Arts requests that no infants or toddlers attend any performance.
Groups qualify for discounts up to 15% on ticket prices to the many exciting performances offered by the Gallo Center for the Arts and its resident companies.
Secure your group reservation today for just 10% down of your total price!
EMPLOYEE PARTIES/REWARDS CHURCH OUTINGS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
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Our group sales manager, Jesica Sanchez, is at your service. Call her at (209) 338-5064, or send an email to jsanchez@galloarts.org.
Presented by
SHOW DESCRIPTION
The Company’s self-titled work Step Afrika! introduces audiences to stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens. Step Afrika! incorporates percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.
TRIBUTE CHOREOGRAPHED BY JAKARI SHERMAN
Tribute pays homage to the African American step show. The work combines the distinct stepping styles from different fraternities and sororities and blends them to showcase the incredible variety of stepping. Tribute includes all the exciting elements of the step show--the use of props, ripples and floor work, creative formations, and audience participation.
NDLAMU CHOREOGRAPHED BY JACKIE SEMELA
Ndlamu is a traditional dance of the Zulu people and for more than 25 years, Step Afrika! has studied the dance form through the Company’s long-standing partnership with the Soweto Dance Theater. Step Afrika! makes this Ndlamu uniquely its own featuring solos created by each dancer as well as the addition of contemporary movement.
ISICATHULO CHOREOGRAPHED BY
JACKIE SEMELA
Isicathulo or “the gumboot dance” is a tradition created by South African workers who labored in the oppressive mining industry of then-apartheid South Africa. Isolated from their families for long periods, the miners transformed their rubber boots into percussive instruments to not only entertain but to share secret messages with each other. Isicathulo has become one of the most popular dance forms in South Africa and has striking similarities to the African-American tradition of stepping.
SOLO
Traditionally, stepping is performed by groups, big and small. In this Solo, Step Afrika! investigates the form at its most intimate level.
CHICAGO CHOREOGRAPHED
BY
JAKARI SHERMAN
Chicago finds the rhythm in everyday situations. It is a percussive symphony using body percussion and up to 5 complex polyrhythms performed simultaneously in order to narrate a percussive dance “story.” Inspired by a summer spent in the Windy City, this ground-breaking work transforms the 100+ year old, folkloric tradition of stepping into contemporary performance art.
SPECIAL NOTE: Audience participation has been a part of the step tradition since its inception in the 1900s. Members of the audience are invited to clap, stomp, cheer and participate in call and response with the Artists.
THE STORY OF STEP AFRIKA!
Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the US.
Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.
Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. The Company reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theaters and performs globally as Washington, DC’s one and only Cultural Ambassador.
Step Afrika! has earned Mayor’s Arts Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Innovation in the Arts, Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, and was inducted into the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Hall of Fame, the first Dance Company to earn this honor. Step Afrika! headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception and performed
at the first ever Juneteenth Celebration at the White House. The Company is featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive exhibit.
ADMINISTRATIVE, CREATIVE TEAM
C. Brian Williams, Founder & Executive Producer
Lamar Lovelace, Executive Director
Mfoniso Akpan, Artistic Director
Conrad R. Kelly II, Assistant Artistic Director
Margo Cunningham, Senior Marketing Manager
Pascha Barnwell, Company Manager
Chrystal ‘Chrys’ Vaughan, Manager, Events and Special Projects
Melissa Brown, Production Manager
COMPANY
Conrad Kelly II
Kenneth L. Alexander
Nya Christian
Ariel Dykes
Keomi Givens Jr.
Kamala Hargrove
Terrence Johnson
Isaiah O’Connor
Ericka Still
Pelham Warner Jr.
Robert Warnsley
C. Brian Williams
STEP AFRIKA! THEATER SHOW BIOS
CREATIVE TEAM
C. BRIAN WILLIAMS (Founder and Executive Producer)
C. Brian Williams is a native of Houston, Texas, and a graduate of Howard University. Brian first learned to step as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. – Beta Chapter, in the Spring of 1989. While living in Southern Africa, he began to research the percussive dance tradition of stepping, exploring the many sides of this exciting, yet under-recognized American art form, and founded Step Afrika! in 1994. Williams has performed, lectured, and taught in Europe, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and throughout the United States. Through Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s newest cultural exports and inspired the designation of Step Afrika! as Washington, DC’s official “Cultural Ambassador.”
In 2022, the National Endowment of the Arts designated Williams as a National Heritage Fellow, the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts. He is the recipient of numerous Artist Fellowships; the World Alive! Distinguished Artist Award by Arts Emerson; the Mayor’s Arts Award for Visionary Leadership from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Distinguished Arts Award from the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts; and the Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance. He is also featured in Soulstepping, the first book to document the history of stepping. He also earned the Mayor’s Art Award for Innovation in the Arts and has led the company to multiple Metro DC Dance Awards for “Outstanding New Work,” “Excellence in Stage Design/Multimedia,” and “Outstanding Group Performance.” Williams has been cited as a “civic/community visionary” by NV Magazine, a “nation builder” by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and a “minority business leader” by the Washington Business Journal. His work is featured prominently at the Smithsonian Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture in Washington, DC.
LAMAR LOVELACE (Executive Director)
As Executive Director for Step Afrika!, Lamar Lovelace is responsible for the organization’s strategy and operations, leading its staff, programs, and the execution of its mission. Working closely with Step Afrika!’s board of directors, he spearheads fundraising, marketing, operations, and long-range planning for the organization. He brings deep expertise from academia and has managed the organization’s humanities-based partnerships.
In July 2017, Lamar joined Step Afrika! as Deputy Executive Director, where he oversaw the dance company’s communications and marketing strategy, fundraising efforts, and financial operations. Previously, Lamar spent 8 years at Columbia University as Assistant Director in the Office of Community Outreach and Education and Director of Public Programs and Events. At the New York City-based campus, he managed community-based partnerships and special events and produced large-scale, humanities-based programming opportunities to engage students, faculty, and staff.
At Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lamar was Director of Cultural Affairs and Student Engagement, where he created arts-based social justice programs and exhibitions. He holds Master’s degrees in Arts Management and Oral History from Carnegie Mellon and Columbia, respectively, and a BA in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Lovelace is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
MFONISO AKPAN (Artistic Director)
Mfoniso Akpan has trained extensively in tap, ballet, jazz, modern, African dance, and step. While attending the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she majored in biochemistry and cultivated her stepping skills as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mfon began her training at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Apollo Theater, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Lincoln Center. Mfon toured with the off-Broadway show Hoofin’ 2 Hittin, where she was a featured stepper and dancer.
MARIANNE MEADOWS (Lighting Designer/Production Manager)
Marianne Meadows is a member of United Scenic Artists local 829 with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, MFA from the University of Washington with additional training at Lester Polakovs’ Studio and Forum of Stage Design, NYC.
COMPANY BIOS
CONRAD R. KELLY II is a native of Fort Lauderdale, FL who studied Criminal Justice at Florida A&M University. Following his time with A&M’s Marching 100 and The Strikers, Conrad became a soloist for The Rolle Project in Las Vegas and a dance instructor with Studio 305, where he regularly taught classes in hip-hop, contemporary, and jazz. Conrad has won numerous awards as a choreographer and dancer, and is namely a two-time recipient of the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities’ prestigious Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program. A long-standing member of the Company, Conrad serves as Step Afrika!’s Assistant Artistic Director and most recently choreographed The Movement, an epic tribute to Black Lives Matter and the domino effect of activism experienced in 2020. This Conrad’s seventh season with the Company.
KENNETH L. ALEXANDER is a native of Savannah, GA with a BFA in Interior Design from Valdosta State University. First introduced to stepping through the Sigma Beta Club, Kenneth went on to become a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. He has taught and performed in and around Tampa Bay, FL, and most recently had the honor of performing at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. This is Kenneth’s first season with the Company.
NYA CHRISTIAN is a native of Cleveland, OH with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Sociology and Dance Arts from Howard University. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, she has served as the Alpha Chapter Parliamentarian, Step Mistress, and Stroll Captain. Nya has choreographed works for Taste of Howard, the White House Initiative on HBCU Step performance, Howard University’s 2022 Homecoming Step Show performance, DC-based Black history month performances, and the 2023 North Atlantic Regional Step Show’s winning number. She has also represented
the Howard University National Panhellenic Council and her Sorority on Good Morning America for “The story of 9 historically Black fraternities and sororities” segment during Black History Month. This is Nya’s first season with the Company.
ARIEL DYKES is a native of Gainesville, FL with an Associate of Arts Degree in Musical Theatre from Santa Fe College and a BFA in Dance from the University of Florida. Ariel was introduced to stepping and strolling as a member of the Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she choreographed step routines for the chapter and UF’s National Panhellenic Council. She has trained in traditional and post-modern dance, jazz, voice, and acting, and has worked with such artists as Ailey Dancers’ Nathaniel Hunt and Samantha Barriento, Tony Award winner Scott Coulter, and Galen Hooks. This is Ariel’s second season with the Company.
KEOMI GIVENS JR. is a native of Miami FL where he trained with Ricardo Dume, Traci Young-Byron, Jakari Sherman, Conrad Kelly II, Tanisha Cidel, Maribel Trujillo, and Robert Battle. He has studied at the New World School of the Arts and The Mahogany Dance Theatre, where he served as a Rehearsal Director and choreographer. Keomi has danced with Gravity Dance Troupe and Young Contemporary Dance Theatre (YCDT) and has previously toured nationally with Step Afrika! as a guest artist. In addition to his exceptional work as a dancer, Keomi has choreographed for the legendary 100 Of Florida A&M University, RickyDanco, and Booker T Washington Lady Twisters. This is Keomi’s first season with the Company as a full-time artist.
KAMALA HARGROVE is a native of the Bronx, NY, with a BA in Mathematics, Theater, and Dance from Trinity College. Kamala studied with the Alvin Ailey School and Dance Theater of Harlem, has appeared in various music videos and live performances. She has performed with artists including Estelle, Mr. Vegas, Wizkid, and French Montana. Kamala has also worked as a Teaching Artist in New York City, teaching elementary, middle, and high school students. This is Kamala’s second season with the Company.
TERRENCE JOHNSON is a native of Broward County, FL with a BA in General Studies from the University of Central Florida. Terrence has previously stepped with the ADIMU: Men of Excellence Step Team, and served as a co-founder, president, and performer with the Hazard Step Team. He is also a 2015 inductee of the UCF Chapter of Progressive Black Men, Inc. This is Terrence’s first season with the company as a full-time artist.
ISAIAH O’CONNOR is a native of Miami, FL with a BS in Biology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. A student of hip-hop, modern, and urban soul, Isaiah has previously stepped with the Strikers Dance Troupe under the direction of Shepiro Hardemon. This is Isaiah’s second season with the Company.
ERICKA STILL is a native of St. Petersburg, FL with a BA in Health Science, Pre-Occupational Therapy, and Rehabilitation Management from Florida A&M University. Ericka previously stepped with AKAdemy Exquisite Gems and studied under the direction of Paulette W. Johnson and Shepiro Hardemon as a member and Co-Assistant Artistic Director of Mahogany Dance Theatre. This is Ericka’s second season with the Company.
PELHAM WARNER JR. is a native of The Bronx, NY and has a BA from Dutchess Community College. Pelham is a member of The Order of the Feather Fraternity where he served as the team’s Step Master and captain for five years, and has previously danced with The Players Club Steppers. Pelham has worked as a dance instructor in the greater New York City area, and recently performed in the a capella musical The Movement by Kathy D. Harrison at The National Black Theater Festival. This is Pelham’s fifth year with the Company.
Headshots of the Company and Staff by Keith Major.
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CENTER CIRCLES
As
As of November 15,
The
Katy & Ken Menges
Yogurt Mill
Downtown Modesto Partnership
CORPORATE PATRONS
As of November 15, 2024
The Mayol Family & Team PSC
Daniel Del Real – Del Real Group
The Graspointner Family
The Pirrone Family
Stanislaus Food Products
Gianelli | Friedman | Jeffries
Sodhi Law Group
Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green Insurance Agency
Wille Electric Supply Company, Inc.
Mistlin Honda
Arts Education
As of November 15, 2024
$25,000+ Alfred Matthews
California Arts Council
Education Foundation of Stanislaus County
U.S. Bank
$10,000+ Make Dreams Real Foundation
Modesto Subaru
Porges Family Foundation Fund
Silva Injury Law, Inc.
$5,000+
Kaiser Permanente
Ella Webb & Shelley Dameron
$2,500+
Beard Land & Investment Co.
Enterprise Mobility Foundation
Jeff Gaudio & Karen Freeborn
Jason, Beki, & Stephen Rush
$1,000+
Carl A and Margaret A Johnson
Family Foundation
Modesto Rotary Club Foundation
Modesto Sunrise Rotary
The Save Mart Companies CARES Foundation
$500+
USS Balthasar
Cortney Hurst
Anonymous (1)
$150+
Debra Brady & Stephen Veglia
Grace Lutheran Church
Jerry & Diane Hougland
Alice Renfroe
John & Mary Ann Sanders
FOUNDATION GIVING
Bob and Marie Gallo Foundation
California Arts Council
Costa Family Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Stanislaus Community Foundation
The Ernest Gallo Foundation
The Julio R. Gallo Foundation
Porges Family Foundation Fund
Raymus Foundation
U.S. Bank Foundation
Creative West
PERPETUAL MEMORIAL GIFTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR Thomas K. Beard
Randall Stanley Behr
Carl Boyett
Robert J. Cardoza
Gallo Center for the a r t s
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Christina Gomez, ChairoftheBoard
Marie D. Gallo, PresidentEmerita† June Rogers, Director Emerita
Alex Mari, M.D., ImmediatePastChair
Ginger Johnson, ChairElect
Mel Bradley Fallon Ferris
Sarah Grover
Chad Hilligus
Michael Krausnick
Jay Krishnaswamy
Michelle Lewis
Katy Menges
Todd Aaronson
Angelica Anguiano
Victor Barraza
John C. Bellizzi
Jennifer Coehlo
Kathryn Davis
Daniel Del Real
Paul Michael Eger
Robert Fantazia
Stacey Filippi
Robert Fores Julian Gallo
Irene Angelo†
Lilly Banisadre
Carl Boyett†
Joan Cardoza
Sheila Carroll
Suzanne Casazza
Paul Draper
Ron Emerzian
Ann Endsley
Kenni Friedman
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.
Duncan Reno
Tina Rocha Brant Scott
Michael Joe Silva
Stephanie Gallo Tyler
Ann M. Veneman
Geoff Wong
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ryan Roth Gallo
Virginia Madueno
Roberto Martinez
Ivey Mayol
Yolanda Meraz
Sharilyn Nelson
Linda Hischier Ronald Hoffmann
Jose Ibarra
Jaime Jimenez
Brian Kline Kevin Luttenegger
Ogle, Ph.D.
Johann Ramirez
Rose Marie Reavill Jeffrey Reed
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
Louis Friedman
Dianne Gagos
Barry Highiet† Randy Jalli
Roy Levin, M.D.
Alexandra Loew
Bill Mattos
Tony Mistlin† Kate Nyegaard
Ruthann Olsen
Jeanne Perry
John C. Pfeffer, M.D.
Norm Porges
Chris Reed James Reed
Ellen Ritchey Delsie Schrimp
Catherine Rhee
Christine Roberts
Rosalee Rush
John Schneider
Kate Trompetter
Philip Trompetter, Ph.D.
Aaron Valencia
Colleen F. Van Egmond
Doug Vilas
Sue Zwahlen
Fred A. Silva
Ray Simon
Delmar R. Tonge, M.D.†
Tom Van Groningen, Ph.D.
Carol Whiteside†
Jeremiah Williams
Alice Yip
†In Memoriam