Overview:
Revive The Culture Step Show, led by Grammy award-winner Dr. William Allen, is a cultural movement designed to celebrate the artistry of stepping while raising critical funds to support youth arts programming across underserved communities. The event, which will take place on February 21, 2026, at the South Oak Cliff auditorium in South Dallas, will feature a star-studded panel of judges, including hip-hop icon Cheryl 'Salt' James. The champions of Revive The Culture will advance to Stomp Wars on April 11, where they'll have the opportunity to perform alongside Grammy Award-winning gospel powerhouse Kirk Franklin.
On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the auditorium at South Oak Cliff will pulse with rhythm, pride and purpose as the Revive The Culture Step Show takes center stage in South Dallas.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t just a competition. It’s a cultural movement.
Led by Grammy award-winner Dr. William Allen, M. Ed., founder and executive director of the Texas Supremacy of Music Arts Conservatory (TSMAC), Revive The Culture is designed to celebrate the artistry of stepping while raising critical funds to support youth arts programming across underserved communities.
And for Dr. Allen, a former band director at South Oak Cliff High School, bringing this event back home is deeply personal.
Bringing HBCU Energy Back to the Community
Step culture has always been a cornerstone of HBCU life. It’s rooted in rhythm, unity and storytelling. Popularized by historically Black fraternities and sororities, stepping is more than synchronized movement. It’s communication. It’s discipline. It’s legacy.
“It never left,” Dr. Allen explains. “It just needed to be revived.”
Through The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory ( TSMAC), a nonprofit arts conservatory focused on urban performing arts and HBCU-style training, Dr. Allen works to ensure students have access to platforms that build confidence, collaboration and self-expression. In an era when arts programs are often the first to face budget cuts, he sees stepping as a tool for holistic youth development. Experiences like these are all about teaching teamwork, leadership and cultural ownership.
Revive The Culture is a direct extension of that mission.
A Star-Studded Panel with Cultural Impact
This year’s event brings celebrity power to the stage including hip-hop icon Cheryl ‘Salt’ James as a guest judge.
As one-half of the legendary duo Salt-N-Pepa, Salt helped revolutionize hip-hop and women’s presence in the music industry. Her involvement signals the magnitude of this moment: connecting generations of Black artistry from the early days of hip-hop to today’s youth performers.
Corporate leaders and community stakeholders will also serve as judges, amplifying awareness around the importance of investing in urban arts education. Real Estate Developer Terrence Maiden and Dyke Shipp, Global KFC Division President with Yum! Brands will also be present on the judge panel.
More Than a Trophy: A Path to the Big Stage
The biggest victory of Revive the Culture is that winning teams won’t just walk away with bragging rights.
Champions of Revive The Culture will advance to Stomp Wars on April 11, where they’ll have the opportunity to perform alongside Grammy Award-winning gospel powerhouse Kirk Franklin.
For many students, that stage represents something more than a perfect performance. It represents validation, visibility and possibility.
A Fundraiser with Purpose
While participation in the step show is completely free for youth teams, a rarity in competitive circuits, the event itself serves as a fundraiser for TSMAC’s yearlong programming.
Proceeds will directly support the organization’s initiatives, including its sixth annual Revive The Culture Power Camp, which hosts hundreds of students in HBCU-style band, dance and cheer instruction. Funds cover instructor stipends, uniforms, meals, security and operational costs.
“No funds go into anyone’s pocket,” Dr. Allen emphasizes. “They go back into the kids.”
That reinvestment model ensures that students, regardless of financial background, have access to high-quality arts training and performance opportunities.
What Dr. Allen Hopes You’ll Feel
When families and community members walk out of the auditorium on February 21, Dr. Allen hopes they leave with three things:
- Energy. A sense of pride in what our youth can accomplish.
- Clarity. Understanding that this organization is building something sustainable.
- Commitment. A desire to donate, volunteer or spread the word.
“Even sharing the flyer is a form of donation,” he says. “Awareness is currency.”
Revive The Culture is about ownership. It’s about feeding resources back into South Dallas schools. It’s about reminding the upcoming generation that their creativity is divine, disciplined and deserving of a stage.
Get Your Tickets & Support the Movement
Revive The Culture Step Show is open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring their family, friends and future steppers.
Discounted tickets are available online through February 20. Ticket prices increase at the door on event day.
To purchase tickets, donate or learn more about volunteering opportunities, visit:
https://www.txsmac.org/event-details/revive-the-culture-stepshow.
Let’s pack the auditorium. Let’s pour back into our youth, Dallas.