Washington’s beloved dance company Step Afrika! is closing out its world premiere with a celebration of sound, movement, and hope. The Fruits of Our Labor runs through November 1 on the Fichandler Stage at Arena Stage, and it is the kind of show that leaves you clapping along and smiling all the way home.
Created to mark America’s 250th anniversary, this original production blends the company’s signature stepping — feet stomping, hands clapping, bodies drumming — with percussion, song, poetry, and striking visual imagery. Words from historic voices like Phillis Wheatley and Frederick Douglass weave through the performance, connecting the past with a nation still in the making.
Directed and choreographed in collaboration with Jakari Sherman, Conrad R. Kelly II, and Vusi Mdoyi, the 80-minute, intermission-free show asks a beautiful question: what have we inherited, and what are we still becoming? Audiences are swept up in the energy as the performers turn the theater itself into a giant instrument.
Arena Stage’s partnership with Step Afrika! has given the capital some of its most unforgettable nights on stage, and this world premiere is no exception. Tickets start at $47, with discounts for students, military, educators, and first responders. Don’t miss this joyful, heart-pounding farewell to a truly special run.
Photo: Teresa Castracane for Arena Stage
