“In the beginning God had a groove, and out of that groove came the groove of all grooves.”
Spoken by Reverend CJ (Carl Robinson Jr.) in a new dance by choreographer Renee Harris, these lines refer to the opening of a classic house song.do you feelMr. Fingers (Larry Heard): “First there was Jack, and Jack had the groove.”
And if any dance artist can rock a church, it’s hip-hop master Harris, who has become one of the most rigorous and exciting choreographers of his generation.
In “Lifted: A Gospel House Musical,” Harris celebrates the Philadelphia company’s 30th anniversary, Renee Harris Pure Movement — Delving into spirituality through Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. It’s a look at redemption in which Harris’ imagination and mind are displayed side by side.
“lifted” to make their debut in New York, Joyce Theater Tuesdays include a moving gospel choir (Alonzo Chadwick & Friends). Propulsive music layered in narrated moments (by composers Rafael Xavier and Darin Ross). His Four Braves, Richard Evans, Jr., Joshua Polk, Andrew Ramsey, and Marcus Tucker, depicting a dancer from Harris’s company, a gangster called the Forty Thieves, and a church usher and gangster The Hood Lockers, a veteran crew member.
lots of things going on. Told in six sections, “Lifted” opens in a church where we are introduced to Joshua (Joshua Calbres), an unhappy orphan who lives with his aunt and uncle. An argument ensues between them, which can be understood through images rather than words. Arms up, pleading eyes, and for Joshua, especially painful anger as he covers his face with his hands.
Churchgoers fill the space, walking and stuttering to a halt in slow motion as the videotape is rewound as an argument between Joshua and his relatives plays. Ultimately, the ensemble bursts into a cascading passage of fast footwork, spilling and sliding across the stage in thrilling feats of ease and acceleration. Here are his two sides to Harris’ rhythmic magic. Both are perfect.
However, “Lifted’s” storytelling can feel erratic at times, problems amplified by a spotty microphone system that muffles dialogue, and some are ironically funny. part will land firmly.Still, music and dance that is It’s a sight to behold, and Harris’ poetic insight into the inner and outer worlds of his characters is always vivid. His decades-long work in hip-hop and street not only brings a vibrant clarity to rhythm and the dancing body, but also brings a sense of theater, form and emotion to his virtuosity. There are other ways to give.
It’s most evident in the poignant scene sung by Robinson.i need you nowBy Smokey Norfle. This is more than technical proficiency. Calbres infuses his emotions into his physical state. He squeezes himself out and ends up looking more like a spirit than a human.
But Joshua still struggles. He gets caught in a group of pickpockets led by Big Poppa (Rodney Mason). Big Poppa is tough, but somehow he’s still a little boy. sports. “They make me feel like a king,” he says before ominously adding. God? “
He orders Joshua to rob the church, but Joshua is unable to go through with it and instead relies on the church to heal his pain.
Harris develops his take on gospel house while elevating club culture into higher spiritual realms. A club, like a church, is a place of communal worship, just as the song “Can You Feel It” says that house music is for everyone.
With “Lifted,” it’s important to understand the weight of that collective groove. For Harris, what is movement? It is intelligence, agility, rhythm, and the body’s ability to engage in a permanent ritual of movement. Dancers gather like a choir. Near the end, as Joshua twists his body and points her fingers in the air to stop spinning, the narration says: dance. dance. And I choose to be free. “
“Lifted” seems to be over. But after the cast bows (deftly in and out of choreography to do so), there’s an even more sinister moment. Performers gather on a dark stage as snippets of somber news reports flicker on stained-glass windows. Suddenly, Big Poppa appears. Extinguish your breath as if you were extinguishing a candle on a cake.
“Lazarus,‘ Harris’ 2018 Famous Production at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In some ways, “Lifted” and “Lazarus” feel like companion pieces. Both see what the world is instead of ending happily ever after. You can dance to your heart’s content, but you can’t escape reality.
Unlocked: Gospel House Musical
through Sunday at the Joyce Theater. joyce.org.
