Based out of Philadelphia, the hip-hop dance group Rennie Harris Puremovement features energized choreography and movement that confronts the modern view of the traditional African-American dance forms.
The group will bring its unique blend of hip-hop and contemporary dance to Mississippi State University as it takes the Lee Hall auditorium stage today at 7:30 p.m.
Business administration graduate student Jason Caswell who serves on the committee that selects acts for the Lyceum Series, said Rennie Harris Puremovement was selected for their unique dance style.
“We wanted a dance group to perform at a Lyceum Series and they were a good choice,” Caswell said. “They are sort of a new generation dance group. This will be their first performance at the university.”
Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris is the founder, artistic director and choreographer of the dance company. The group’s Web site said it was established in 1992 with the goal of a commitment to preserve and spread hip-hop culture through workshops, classes, demonstrations and dancing.
Assistant artistic director Duane Holland said the performance is both educational and entertaining.
“For our performance we look forward to educating the audience about hip-hop and the culture. We want to show how and why it’s important through movement in a concert setting,” Holland said.
The group consists of eight dancers who have experience from dancing for Boyz II Men and Will Smith to the Philadelphia 76ers Dance Team.
“Rennie handpicks people. He lets them decide their place in the company, or make their own [place] by coming to rehearsals, [showing] their skill and listening,” Holland said.
The music used in performances is mostly hip-hop. However, Holland said the group uses music from many genres such as legendary funk group Parliament Funkadelic and jazz musician Victor Duple.
The company’s mission is to show there is more to hip-hop music in culture than is shown in music videos.
The group’s choreography brings together regional dances such as the “chicken noodle soup” in New York and the “toe-wop” in St. Louis, as well as nationally known dances. The performances teach dance culture theory and how to control one’s body.
“I get my inspiration from Rennie and Chuck Davis,” Holland said. “I like choreography that educates about social issues and everyday life through dance-choreography that uses the essence of art, rather than the surface stuff.”
What makes the company unique is the use of hip-hop as its foundation, a first in the dance arena. There is no other company that centers on hip-hop dance movement.
This is an achievement in itself for the company because it wants to establish hip-hop dance as true dance discipline just like jazz, modern and ballet.
The group has traveled domestically to New York and to other universities around the United States and internationally in Germany, France and Japan.
According to the group’s Web site, hip-hop music and culture is usually depicted as aggressive and unruly in nature. RHP broadens the limitations around this culture, challenging and seeking to bring a new and positive definition of hip-hop.
“Our audiences tend to vary most of the time. There is some profanity in our performances, so kids 13 and younger may need to be talked to, but 14, 15 and up will definitely learn something,” Holland said.
The group’s Web site said hip-hop is one of the most popular ways of self-expression that extends beyond racial, religious and economic margins in today’s society. RHP restores nobility to its history, investigates its ideologies and expands its assistance to the surrounding community, according to the site.
“I’m excited for them to come. They sound cool,” junior political science major, Daniel Gingerich said.
Expect to see at the performance storytelling through upside-down head spins, skidding shoulder stands, break dancing, b-boy, house dancing, stepping and other styles born from the urban and inner city.
“I think it will be great performance. I can’t wait,” junior political science major Shanice McKinley said.
“I think it will be a great performance,” she said.
This performance will end the Lyceum Series for the semester.
The Puppini Sisters will be the first Lyceum Series performance of the spring semester. They will perform Feb. 5.