Seye Charles
Executive Director
While attending Rider University, Mr. Charles cultivated his stepping skills as a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. A New Jersey native and former Step Master of Dem Boyz Step Team, Mr. Charles led Dem Boyz to numerous Step Competition Championships, including the First Annual “Stomp the Yard” Super Stomp National Step Competition in 2006, which aired on ESPN 2. America’s top ranked step team, under the leadership of Mr. Charles, was also featured in Sony Pictures 2007 smash block buster hit movie, Stomp the Yard and Paramount Pictures, How She Move, the NFL’s Annual Gridiron Gala featuring the JB Awards, several daytime television shows such as Good Day New York, Live with Regis and Kelly and ESPN’s Cold Pizza.
For Charles, stepping is much more than a crowd-pleasing dance routine. With its roots in African Dance, this increasingly popular art form is his connection to his past, a past rich with beauty, culture, and strength. Using his body as an instrument, Charles has mastered the “Art of Step”, but he is not stopping there. In an effort to give back to the community, this innovative young talent began his own After School Program for teens, where he and other volunteers mentor and instruct stepping to urban youths. In 2007, he was instrumental in organizing the first annual High School Step Team Competition in New Jersey, which paved the way for the New Jersey Step Association. Stepping is a skill that takes both talent and dedication. Mr. Charles exhibits an abundance of both and an enthusiasm that is supreme. This phenomenon known as stepping is ever evolving; Mr. Charles intends to do the same.