Performance Review · Tap
Savion Glover's STePz: A Five-Star Night of Rhythm and Rejuvenation
Three Dance Mogul Magazine writers from three generations watched Savion Glover and his hoofers climb the stairs of tap history at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts.
By Kevin Porter, Dorine Francis and Anthony Harris | Originally published November 6, 2013 | Updated October 2026
The Performance at a Glance
Show: STePz, created by Savion Glover
Date reviewed: November 2, 2013
Venue: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn, New York
Featuring: Savion Glover, Marshall Davis Jr. and "3 Controversial Women" (3cw)
Concept: A tap concert honoring every hoofer who danced on stairs and risers, from Bill "Bojangles" Robinson to the Nicholas Brothers
DMM rating: ★★★★★
About STePz
STePz premiered at New York's Joyce Theater in the summer of 2013, opening with John Coltrane's "Miles Mode" and treating the dancers' feet as a full percussion section. That fall Glover brought it to Brooklyn. In an exclusive interview with Dance Mogul Magazine days before the performance, he described it as a dance concert built around a tribute to the tap dancers who made stairs and risers their instruments — "our way of reminding people of Bojangles and The Nicholas Brothers" — scored to music that had shaped him, from Coltrane, Stevie Wonder and Prince to Shostakovich.
What follows is DMM's original review, published November 6, 2013.
The Review
Dance Mogul Magazine had the opportunity of having three representatives view STepZ on Nov.2, 2013. The interesting part about that is each individual is from a different generation and has their own account and perspective with dance. While witnessing the performance today, you couldn’t help but think about the life and struggles of those that danced to free their souls. It is obvious that Savion and his hoofing partners are continuing to deliver the spirit of the dance.
As we sat and watched Mr. Glover and his amazing cast of hoofers, one thing became clear. “Mr. Glover is the personification of rhythm and rejuvenation!” This unique cast of hoofers, featuring Marshall Davis Jr., and “3 Controversial Women,” 3cw, STepZ commanded the audience’s attention from beginning to end.
“Expecting just to see some cool tap moves, STepZ surpassed my level of expectation. With a blend of complex movements and traditional treads, every step taken was full of soul and spirit. Savion and his team wowed audience members leading many to dance in their seats. Whether the number called for a solo, trio or quintet, STepZ was absolutely amazing!! As a young woman highly appreciative of the arts, it was very refreshing to see Savion’s team consist of three lovely and talented women who matched him step for step. More specifically, these women consisted of three different shapes and sizes. It was a pleasure to watch them move with such grace and execution. Not to mention their keen style. Hats off to STepZ, a show that is bound to be deemed as a highlight in Glover’s career.”
— Dorine Francis
With a seamless blend of traditional and impressive improvisational rhythms, Savion clearly serves by inspiring artistic self-expression. Now the future of tap is brighter than ever! Additionally impressive was how well all the hoofers worked together from smooth soft moves on the stage to the complicated “stair-stepping,” jumps and tapping up and down the staircases. Incredibly entertaining.
Finally, Mr. Glover’s tribute to Mr. Bojangles was an honorable number which lets us know he respects the history, present, and future of tap dance. I believe his former mentor, Mr. Gregory Hines and Mr. Bojangles himself would truly be proud.
“As I watched Savion’s STepZ tribute to Bill Bojangles Robinson, I could not help but sit back and remember my childhood. When I was a child I would watch Shirley Temple with my grandmother and I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the taps, the spins and the personality of it all. So to see Savion embody the spirit of Bojangles was not only a sight to see but an experience to feel. It is very important to know where the dance has been, in order to appreciate and comprehend how far the dance has come and where it is going.” Special thanks to the Brooklyn Center of Performing Arts for a historical night.
— Anthony Harris
Savion continues to demonstrate the spirit of dance in its sacred form. We should all say, “Taps On” to Savion Glover for his great STepZ!
DANCE MOGUL MAGAZINE GIVES THIS SHOW 5 STARS ★★★★★
Then and Now: Why This Night Still Matters
Read today, this review captures something larger than one concert. Three writers of different ages each found a different doorway into the same performance — one through technique and the women who matched Glover "step for step," one through the future of tap, one through childhood memories of Bojangles on a grandmother's television. That is how dance knowledge travels: each generation recognizing itself in the work and passing the recognition along.
The STePz tribute also reflected Glover's own lineage. He learned directly from the last great generation of jazz hoofers, including Gregory Hines and Jimmy Slyde, and he told DMM that same fall that "without them, there would be no me." In 2016 he returned to Broadway as choreographer of Shuffle Along, and in 2019 he directed The Tap Dance Kid — the show that launched him as a child — at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in his hometown of Newark.
For the full story of his life, mentors and influence, read our Legacy feature: Savion Glover: The Hoofer Who Turned Tap Back Into Music.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is STePz by Savion Glover?
A 2013 tap concert by Savion Glover that paid tribute to dancers who performed on stairs and risers, including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers. It premiered at the Joyce Theater and was performed at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on November 2, 2013.
Who performed in STePz in Brooklyn?
Savion Glover, Marshall Davis Jr. and "3 Controversial Women" (3cw).
How did Dance Mogul Magazine rate STePz?
Five stars.
Continue Your Journey
• Savion Glover — The full Legacy feature
• Savion Glover on STePz — Our 2013 exclusive interview
• Bill "Bojangles" Robinson — The stair-dance legend STePz honored
• Gregory Hines — Glover's mentor and the leader of the tap revival
• The Legacy — DMM's library of the dancers who built the culture
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