Sahuaro’s Step Team debuted at the first pep assembly of the school year, performing a unique percussive dance art form in which the participants’ entire body is used as an instrument through a mixture of footsteps and hand claps.
Initiated by Black Student Union, Dazmyne Gambrell, the president of BSU, choreographed the step performance. It was a short performance but very impactful to watch and made the crowd go wild. The routine’s energy and intensity of the team’s debut this year were incredible. Years prior, BSU’s performances were very good, but this year, it kicked up a notch.
The Step Team was formed in 2022 by then seniors, Neo Watson and Yasmine Louraine Bouraima. In 2022, Neo formed a step team with the boys and Louraine with the girls. This year is awesome because we have the first co-ed step team in Sahuaro’s history. Mrs. Good, who also teaches African American Lit, supervises the Step Team and sponsors BSU. She said, “I believe in the importance of all students having a safe space to learn about and celebrate their culture.” The history of the United States is full of racial discrimination, and we need to make a conscious effort to address the harm that has been done, especially in spaces like schools, where Black students and culture have not been welcomed. The step team is more than just dancing, it is a way to bring kids together who aren’t just black students.
The performances were very inspiring to see and students worked together to Dazmyne’s lead choreography
routine. She is a great leader and an amazing teacher, and everyone involved gave it their all. The president is chosen by the students from a pool of previously involved students. That means, as long as you have been a member of BSU for one year in an active, planning capacity, you are eligible to run for President the following year.
Dazymyne the current president said, “I had such a great time teaching some of the members of BSU how to step, and it’s a part of our history which is something that I’ve always been fascinated by.”
She devised the step routine by using some of the moves she learned in her church team and by finding some online. Dazzy had to figure out how to put everything together and make it look and sound smooth. Overall this was an amazing experience to watch and the next performance will be even better.
