A Bridgeport step team is honoring gun violence victims through dance.

For their upcoming tournament, the award-winning New Creation Step Team plan to dedicate their performances to residents who have lost their lives to violent crimes.

The nonprofit is run by 27-year-old Karie Jackson and her mother, Marie Davis.

After Jackson lost a loved one in a fatal shooting, she told News 12 she wanted to work with kids and be a positive influence.

"That is the most important thing of what we do with these kids," she said. "We need more stuff in our community to keep them away from that violence and allow them to become a product of their environment in a positive light."

Charlie de los Santos, 17, says he loves the program for how it promotes mature and responsible thinking.

"Before I joined the team, I was in a dark place mentally and emotionally,” he said. “It definitely boosted my self-confidence performing and traveling with them."

Jackson says she is proud to be a positive influence on the lives of her students.

“You see your work and you see the outcome of it. It makes me feel really, really good,” she said.