Lancer Spotlight 2/26/24: Girls’ STEP team performs at Black History Month event

by Cara Morgan, Reporter

February 26, 2024

Three members of the Girls’ STEP Team and Co-Adviser Patricia Kolias pose in front of Winchester Hall where they performed for the Etched in History celebration of the signing of Civil Rights Act. (Courtesy of Patricia Kolias)

On February 5, Linganore High School’s (LHS) Girls’ STEP Team (LGS) performed at the Black History Month Celebration: Etched in History. This event consisted of performances from a number of groups and organizations to kick off Black History Month in Frederick County.

The Linganore Girls STEP team had the distinction of being the only student group asked to participate in the celebration this year.

Stepping is a style of dance that involves percussive and energetic movements. At LHS, a group of girls were interested in creating a STEP team and contacted instructional assistant Adrienne Lee and English teacher Patricia Kolias to suggest their idea. From then on, they began performing at pep rallies, football games and other performances outside of school.

Members of the Girls’ STEP Team sit before their performance at the Etched History Month Event. (Courtesy of Patricia Kolias)

McKinley Howard, one of the Linganore STEP team captains, explained how being on this team takes a lot of hard work and consistency. As a captain, she has to work on choreography and chants for their routines.

“We have to make sure everything is organized, everything looks cool, and at the end of the day it’s all about precision,” Howard said.

This was the STEP team’s first time performing at the Etched in History night, hosted by Frederick County African-American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society (AARCH) and Black Advancement Inc at Winchester Hall in Frederick.

Jessica Fitzwater, Frederick county executive, had seen highlights from the LHS multicultural night in December where the STEP team performed and asked someone on her staff to reach out to LHS to see if the team would want to perform at the Etched in History night.

LHS Principal Dr. Michael Dillman treated the Girls’ STEP Team to dinner at Brewer’s Alley before their performance. (Courtesy of Patricia Kolias)

LHS Principal Dr. Michael Dillman attended the event and explained how well the STEP team performed at Winchester Hall.

“I thought they did great,” Dillman said. “Their confidence has definitely improved, as well as the complexity of their choreography.”

Howard wants to show that LGS can accomplish big things, even though they are a newer team. Each member of the team has individual talents that are brought out when performing, and that was the goal of creating the team at Linganore.

“The performance was intended to show the empowerment of all colored people and how we really can get together and have accomplished big things,” Howard said. “We’re all here to show that we’re here to stay.”

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