Stepping can take a variety of forms and involve a variety of dancers and groups. Drill teams will often perform stepping at school events, sporting events and pep rallies. Cheerleaders can incorporate stepping into their routines as well. Groups are prevalent in stepping as opposed to solo acts, as the unison quality of the stepping adds to its impact. Steppers can also be found performing on the streets for the general public. Freestyle steppers on streets can often form groups and battle with one another.
Stepping has both ancient and modern influences. Although stepping can be traced through the centuries to African culture and then to the slave culture, it also is impacted by modern music and performing arts. More recently, African-American colleges in the mid-1900s began to revive the dance form. Stepping typically incorporates both hip hop moves and hip hop beats into the performances. Some b-boy acrobatic elements into the performances, adding to the level of performance.
Stepping is mainly characterized by the percussion elements. The dancers typically perform without music because they create their own by stomping, clapping and slapping their thighs, feet and chests to create sound. Large groups of steppers often form intricate formations while stepping, giving the stepping a marching, tightly organized quality. Perfect unison is highly valued in stepping, as when multiple dancers are stomping and clamping in perfect unison, the sound created has even greater impact.
Stepping teams will usually wear costumes to establish unity and enhance the uniform quality of the dance. The costumes also help them differentiate the dancers of one step troupe from another. The costumes often incorporate bright colors and can be as simple or as elaborate as the group desires. Matching, bright-colored costumes will also enhance the visual of the formations the groups will create.