REVIEW: Rennie Harris and his choreographic brilliance come to life at the New Victory
Photo: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater offers Nuttin’ but a Word at the New Victory Theater. Photo courtesy of Brian Mengini / Provided by Rubenstein with permission.
NEW YORK — For only a few more days audience members can catch Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater at the New Victory Theater in Midtown Manhattan. For 60 blessed minutes, this hard-working company of dancers, under the choreographic leadership of Harris, offers hip-hop brilliance that is equal measures ebullient and reflective. Harris and the performers honor the traditions of the art form while also forging new ground for what this innovative choreography could accomplish in the future.
The show is titled Nuttin’ but a Word, which is based on a comeback used to dismiss criticism, according to press notes. The idea is to take the negativity of a critic and turn it on its head, finding the inner-courage and inner-drive to overcome and carry on. Although the dancers on the New Victory stage don’t speak, they embody this phrasing with their stylistic moves and rhythmic coalescing with the infectious music.
The small troupe of dancers have individual chances to take over the spotlight, and then Harris pairs them off or forms groups that are ever-changing and ever-evolving as the piece continues. Performers enter and exit the stage with effortless ease, joining and leaving narratives that are being built and modified as they take centerstage. There is clear choreography within the movements, but the spirit is somewhat improvisational, as if the dancers are feeling the music, feeling the energy from the young crowd, and changing their bodies to the moods of the theater. Perhaps that the hallmark of a solid dance routine: an act that is fully orchestrated, but feels of the moment and invented on the spot.
The dancers in Puremovement offer their entire bodies to this complicated choreography — swaying their heads to the music, kicking out their legs to the beats, dipping and swaying in concert with their fellow performers. Watching the group work is particularly satisfying because the dancers find a certain cohesiveness that keeps their movements in step with one another, but then again, when the audience’s eye trains on a single dancer, individuality is also evident. The unison is there, but the specificity is not lost. It would seem that Harris has directed his dancers to become an interconnected group, but also they should not forget who they are and what unique gifts they bring to the one-hour presentation.
The company members wear simple black attire, with sneakers on their feet. They don’t make a grand entrance at the top of the show; instead, the movement simply begins, born of the collective energy of the group. For the next 60 minutes, there is hardly a chance to catch one’s breath because the dancers work their way through the sequences with no intermission and only subtle lighting changes. Their apparent rest from the strenuous exercising is when they get a temporary pause offstage, but the dance never stops, with a fellow performer picking up the baton and keeping the rhythm and beats going, going, going.
The New Victory Theater caters to a mostly younger theatergoing crowd, and Harris’ creations are perfect for them to enjoy. The performance is energized fun that is spectacular to behold; there’s no formal plot to follow or specific characters that need carving out. This is a celebration of the art form of hip-hop music and movement, which can work wonders on audiences of all ages.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater continues through Sunday, Feb. 23, at the New Victory Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
