Montreal Steppers is a performance collective and non-profit organization committed to the art form of step – a black diasporic dance that uses the body as an instrument to create rhythms and beats, through stomps, claps, and chants.
Founded in 2019, the organization has used stepping to influence dialogue around the importance of black art, black lives, and black history in Canada, by way of workshops and performances.
In May 2024, the Montreal Steppers visited South Africa for an artistic exchange, connecting to the roots of Gumboots, Pantsula, and Stepping. It fueled a deeper commitment to honouring the "ancestral inheritance" that paved the way for resistance, power and legacy.
Our short documentary, The Steppers Visit South Africa, directed by Hugh Durnford-Dionne was selected and screened at several film festivals- including the Festival of Recorded Movement (FORM) in Vancouver, the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Cinedans Fest in Amsterdam, the Moving Body Festival in Bulgaria and Multiple Dance Film in Norway.
San Francisco Dance Film Festival Recap
festival of Recorded Movement Recap
THE ROUTE TO CANADA TOUR
The Route to Canada is a live presentation of the art form of step, spoken word and song highlighting the resilience, creativity, influence of our ancestors in the African Diaspora.
Rooted in the African traditions of storytelling and call and response, the showcase focuses on Black Canadian History. A combination of powerful and energetic stomps, claps and a vocal ensemble to illustrate the long journey of Black folks to Canada through Slavery, the Underground Railroad and Migration. It’s a celebration of the journeys, stories and sacrifices of ancestors who have paved the way for us all.