CityStep Harvard’S 41st anniversary show:
Out of the Box!

Congratulations to CityStep Harvard for a fantastic show on Friday, March 28th, 2025 in Cambridge, MA. It featured scores of Cambridge kids and their CityStep Harvard teachers. The theme, “Out of the Box,” encouraged children’s individuality, creativity and fearless expression. Read the full playbill.

At 41, ‘CityStep’ still pairs Cambridge kids with Harvard dancers

Program has since expanded nationally to other colleges, including Yale, Columbia, Penn, and UChicago

By Auzzy Byrdsell Globe Correspondent,
Updated March 28, 2025, 11:03 p.m.

CAMBRIDGE - About 50 public school students joined students from Harvard University to perform a medley of dance and music Friday night on the campus.

The performance was led by CityStep, a dance program for elementary and middle school-aged students founded 41 years ago on Harvard’s campus.

CityStep is an after-school program that pairs kids with college students in a year-long dance curriculum that culminates each spring with a performance.

The initiative has been a haven for household names like Casey Affleck and Natalie Portman.

On Friday evening, students from Graham and Parks School, Fletcher Maynard Academy, King Open School took part in a 90-minute production titled “Out of the Box,” held in the Lowell Lecture Hall.

CityStep parent Peter Kirby’s daughter, Miyuki, who has Down’ syndrome, has danced in the program for three years.

“Being able to move and express herself to music has been great for her development,” he said. “The idea of giving kids that outlet for artistic and physical movement is important.”

“You’re setting that long term goal and giving them something to think about and aim at,” he said. “You really want to show them the direction 10 or five years earlier.”

Since its inception, the program has expanded to University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Columbia University and University of Chicago.

Founder Sabrina Peck has stayed involved with CityStep as its executive director and described this year’s show as “unconformity.”

“We want to encourage children to be thinking to understand they can be who they are, and be themselves,” she said. “We want them to know they can take risks and be creative.”

This year’s production was titled “Out of the Box,” to encourage young dancers to bring aspects of their personal lives and into their dancing.

They incorporated ballet influences, rock moves, abstract lighting and live music. A drumming performance used old paint buckets. Students used clown clothes, boxes and other props in their displays.

The show’s message was for students to their individual authenticity to combat social media consumption, anxiety and depression, Peck said in a news release.

CityStep leadership is looking to grow the program to newer cities and continue planning a retreat to bring together teachers from across the country to New York for a two day training.

Producers announced the students will be taken to an Alvin Ailey performance in April to culminate this round of the CityStep cycle.

Visit the Boston Globe

Last year’s SHOW: BOARDGAME BOOGIE

CityStep Harvard’S 40th anniversary show!
Friday, April 5th, 2024
Lowell Lecture Hall, 17 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA
Featuring scores of Cambridge kids and their CityStep Harvard teachers

CityStep Harvard: in Cambridge since 1984
20 College-student teachers | 3 city schools | 60 kids
CityStep Harvard is the flagship CityStep company. Learn about CityStep’s history