Founder and Executive Director of Step Afrika!, Brian Williams is a graduate of Howard University and native of Houston, TX. After living in Southern Africa, Brian 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. Brian has performed, lectured and taught in Europe, South & Central America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. He is a founder of the historic Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe, and the Company now ranks as one of the top ten African-American dance companies in the world today.
Step Afrika! is the largest African-American arts organization in Washington, DC and one of America’s most celebrated and unique dance companies. Brian has been cited as a “Nation Builder” by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and “Minority Business Leader” by the Washington Business Journal. His work is prominently showcased at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and Brian is featured in Soulstepping, the first book to document the history of stepping, and several documentaries discussing the art form. Brian is a recipient of numerous awards including the Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts and the Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance.
In 2018, Brian received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Visionary Leadership from the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities.