The award-winning step-dance team at Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School in Crown Heights is calling on the community to help them take their talent to the national stage.
Kreative Kontrol, the school’s step team, is fundraising for a trip to the House Party National Step Competition in Charlotte, N.C. where they will represent Brooklyn and compete for the championship title on May 3, according to a press release.
Contributions can be made through the team’s GoFundMe campaign at gofund.me/09fd9b73.
Funds raised through Kreative Kontrol’s GoFundMe campaign will cover expenses for the trip, including transportation, lodging and competition fees. The team has raised over $3,000 to date and is seeking a total of $15,000 in donations.
Kreative Kontrol has cemented itself as a powerhouse in the competitive step-dance space since its founding in 2021. The team, comprised of 31 members from sixth through eighth grades, is decorated with the Brooklyn championship title for three consecutive years. The team also took home the national title in 2023, a title they hope to reclaim this year after finishing third at nationals last year.
The team has had a strong start to 2025, winning the middle school division on Feb. 8 and outscored some high school teams at the “Storm The Stage” competition at Brooklyn Technical High School. Last month, they placed first at the “Go Hard or Go Home” competition in Long Island and won a $500 cash prize.
Step-dancing is a rhythmic, high-energy style of dance rooted in Black American culture, combining synchronized stomping, clapping and vocal chants to create percussive beats. It builds teamwork, confidence and a strong sense of identity.
Kevin McGee, the team's coach and the program projects coordinator, attributed the team's success to discipline.
“Our team embodies discipline, passion, and the power of stepping as an art form," he said. "But more than that, step is about telling a story—our routines convey messages about social justice, politics, and character. We want our performances to inspire people and make them think, and Nationals is an incredible opportunity to showcase that."
Eighth-grader Kaylee Allen, a team captain and three-year member, said stepping is about history and personal growth.
“Step has taught me how to be a leader and how to trust my team," she said. "There’s nothing like the feeling of performing together, moving as one, and knowing all our hard work has paid off. We use step to speak up about issues that matter, and going to nationals would give us an even bigger stage to do that. We just need our community’s support to get there.”
