African American History Month stepped to a different beat Friday night as Black Greek Association members honored their organization and culture at the second-annual Step Show Competition.
After four months of planning and rehearsals, the African American Task Force-sponsored event drew more than 300 people to the Power Center.
African American Task Force member Jameel Montgomery, an LSA sophomore, said she credits the BGA for the event's success.
"We started planning in November," Montgomery said. "(The African American Task Force) served as financial and advisory support for them, but the BGA really got together and made the show a success."
At the event, members of fraternities and sororities dressed in similar outfits and stomped their feet in rhythmic patterns that imitated songs and musical beats. Performers also chanted their sorority and fraternity names while stomping.
After performing in the show, LSA senior Naimah Muhammed, a member of Alpha Gamma Psi sorority, said the step show was a display of unity and cultural diversity.
"African American men and women are doing positive things at the U of M," Muhammed said. "It's a source of pride for us."
The competition included more than 10 BGA fraternity and sorority members competing for two $500 prizes.
The winners were Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Beta Sigma fraternity.
During the show, some female members of The Caribbean Peoples' Association contributed some of their own culture to the event.
Glenn Eden, director of the African American Task Force, said the step show was the perfect addition to African American Heritage Month celebrations because it showed another dimension of black culture.
"We wanted to focus on cultural, artistic, political and unity aspects (during this month)," said Eden, who also advises BGA. "With this event, we fulfilled the unity goal of our program as well as the cultural and artistic (goals)."
While the show meant pride to some participants, it meant recognition on campus for Kappa Alpha Psi members.
LSA senior Emerson Merkerson, whose Ohio State Kappa Alpha Psi brothers performed in the show, said it was a chance for his fraternity to announce its reinstatement on campus after the Ann Arbor chapter's semester suspension.
"I felt as though it showed that we are still present and active on the campus," Merkerson said. "It felt good to finally be acknowledged."
LSA first-year student Leslie Gueno said she thought the show was a "nice" addition to the month even though she was disappointed that it did not start at its scheduled time.
"I thought it wasn't organized well," Gueno said. "But I also thought it was a good presentation of culture (as well as) an entertaining show."
The step show also included a performance from amateur hip-hop group Deadly Serious, a group comprised of University students.
LSA first-year student Malika Pryor said the step show brought many diverse elements of the African American community together.
"There was a lot of high entertainment," Pryor said. "Each ... fraternity and sorority had their own individual styles, but they had a unifying force that it brought it all together."
JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily
The Black Greek Association sponsored the annual Step Show on Friday, when black fraternity and sorority members performed unique dancing routines that combined rhythmic stomping, spoken words and singing.