Molodi

Antwan Davis, a multi-percussionist, co-founded the Las Vegas based performance arts company, Molodi. Antwan has performed with the Las Vegas and North American production of Stomp, and toured nationally with Step Afrika. He is actively performing and teaching workshops and residencies in the U.S and internationally. 

​“My passion is people, I love connecting, inspiring, sharing and creating with people.” 

-Antwan Davis

Molodi is a performance ensemble that takes body percussion to the extreme. Molodi blends collegiate stepping, tap, gumboots, beatbox, poetry, hip hop dance and guerrilla-style theatre with robust personalities to create high-energy, soul-stirring, rhythmic experiences. Molodi is more than a performance troupe, it is a community of energetic leaders, educators, and seasoned entertainers.

Stepping is a cultural polyrhythmic dance form created by the African American fraternal system in the early 1900’s. It has evolved and reflected the culture of African American life in the United States over the last 100 years. This percussive and visual dance has rituals, a rich history and deep rooted lineage. It derives from the Juba dance and West African dance, it shares a close relationship to the south african gumboot dance. It’s the cultural dance form of the African American Greek Fraternity organization found on college campuses.

Stepping is the foundation of Molodi. This piece also incorporates elements of Lindy Hop and the Shim Sham and vocal percussion fused with stepping. This piece is filmed in front of the new Franklin Elementary School murals in Oakland, which honors the voices of community activists and their students. 

For more information about Stepping:

www.stepafrika.com

Juba Dance (where stepping comes from) 

History of Stepping 

Book: Soulstepping: African American Step Show by Elizabeth Calvert Fine