Stepping may look like a cross between a military drill and a street fight, but it's neither. Stepping is featured in a new movie, "Stomp the Yard," which comes out later this week. Black fraternities and sororities were born of necessity on the campuses of historically black colleges roughly a hundred years ago.

"African-American Greek letter organizations, unlike many other mainstream fraternities and sororities, were founded because at the time African Americans couldn't join the other fraternities and sororities," said Packer. "They couldn't join the white fraternities and they weren't accepted in mainstream America as part of the general society brotherhood so they formed these organizations to create a brotherhood amongst themselves, a sisterhood amongst themselves, and also reach out and give back to those less fortunate than them."

Some of the moves in stepping are said to come from the Welly dance, a traditional stomp that South African laborers would perform in rubber Wellington work boots.

The old Welly dance has been adapted, modified and stylized into stepping. Nearly all step routines share some basic elements that set it apart from dance — for instance, dancers follow the beat of a drum, but steppers are the drum.  more >>