by Vanessa Chin

Amid the excitement at the Thanksgiving pep rally, the newly formed Brookline Warriors Step Club took to the stage. Alternating between stomps and claps, the single-file line of four made its way to the center of the Schluntz Gymnasium to perform for the first time as a group in a big school event.

“We were really nervous and sweating, but after we did it, we felt accomplished that we did it in front of the whole school,” member freshman MyAsia Lopez said. “It was a big weight off our chests, but at the same time we felt really proud of ourselves. We had basically no help in it, and we had to make it in three weeks. Everything we were doing was working up to the pep rally.”

After the step team dissolved in the fall of 2013, freshmen Yama Estime, Salam Kasu, Lopez and Amara Obiara brought it back to the high school this year. The team’s adviser is Associate Dean Malanee Alexander and both Estime and Obiara are the captains.

Lopez said she had previous experience step-dancing and wanted to continue it at the high school.

“I’ve been dancing since I was two at the Roxbury Center-Performing Arts,” Lopez said. “In 6th grade, me, Yama and another girl actually had a step performance in school. After that, we stopped doing step, but once we got to the high school, we picked it up again.”

For Estime, step appealed to her because of its unique style.

“Basically, step-dancing is when you use your hands and whole entire body and make beats with it,” Estime said. “You try to be able to move around and come up with different sections with different beats. What I like about step is, in music you make beats with objects and instruments, but you can really use your body and make the same beats.”

When the freshmen entered the high school, they noticed the absence of a school step team and decided to assemble in time for the November pep rally performance, Obiara said.

“Before I came to the high school, people were talking about how there is always a step team, so when there wasn’t, I wanted to start one,” Obiara said.

Senior Sherly Estime, older sister of Yama Estime and a member of the team before it discontinued, helped the new team with choreography. According to Sherly Estime, the old step team had strong upperclassmen membership, so when the bulk of the team graduated, many of the remaining members joined other dance clubs at the high school.

“A few years ago, the step team was a big thing at the high school,” Sherly Estime said. “There were around 20 kids in it, and the team performed at different events.”

According to Lopez the team hopes to expand this year, and is currently working to find new members.

“This year, we just wanted to combine a bunch of people together to try and see if a team would work,” Lopez said. “Some people started dropping out, so it was hard, but we pulled it together. We’ll go around and ask people to join. We’re planning to put fliers up and hoping to expand the team, so more people join, boys and girls.”

Kasu, the fourth member of the step team, was introduced to step for the first time this year.

“I had no experience with stepping,” Kasu said. “The other members are really good teachers because I picked it up so slowly. I’m still learning a lot.”

Although step-dancing is difficult and takes a lot of practice, both Estime and Lopez encourage people to try it.

“People say they can’t do step because it’s so hard, but if you put your mind to it, then you’ll get it,” Estime said.

“Everyone can learn how to step,” Lopez said. “It may take some time. It’s definitely a struggle, but you’re able to do it.”

Vanessa Chin can be contacted at [email protected].