Blue Heart Step performance at the 2026 MLK parade. Courtesy of the Organization.
The Blue Heart Foundation
African American Stepping
The Blue Heart Step & Cultural Arts Academy is a structured cultural performance arts program serving young men ages 12–18 in San Diego County. Our work is rooted in African diasporic movement traditions and the living legacy of HBCU stepping culture. Stepping is a percussive movement tradition built through rhythm, clapping, stomping, voice, call-and-response, and collective expression. It carries traditions of discipline, storytelling, unity, and pride.
Living Cultures
2026
Blue Heart Step & Cultural Arts Academy
ACTA funds will support Blue Heart’s Step & Cultural Arts Academy through lead teaching artist manager fees, youth performance attire, music and rehearsal supplies, and outreach materials for community performances. These resources will help young men learn, practice, and publicly share stepping as a culturally rooted African American performance tradition.
