Reviews of Lennie Harris' "Legends of Hip-Hop" at On the Boards in Seattle. Regina Hackett in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/96839_hiphopq.shtml

Brangien Davis in the Seattle Times:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vort ex/display?slug=rennie23&date=20021123

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<small>[ 26 March 2005, 01:43 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Time Out New York
Wed May 14 Rennie Harris Joyce Theater 8pm, $38. Philadelphia native Rennie Harris presents Facing Mekka, which focuses on the ritualistic aspects of hip-hop; music is composed and produced by Darrin Ross in collaboration with Grisha Coleman, Philip Hamilton, Gabby Lang, Kenny Muhammad and Lenny Seidman.

Sat May 17 Afrofuturistic The Kitchen 8pm; $20, $25. This multimedia work focusing on racial politics features sound poet Tracie Morris, choreographer David Thomson, composer Graham Haynes, visual artist Michelle Halsell and director Laurie Carlos.
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I've consolidated two topics.

Christine de Leon posted 25 March 2005 05:06 PM
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I am still buzzing from the excitement that one gets from seeing a really good show. Rennie Harris has managed to gather together the living archive of hip hop under one roof . Where last summer's 'Breakin' Convention' at Sadler's Wells celebrated hip hop over 2 days, this show pays homage to the roots of the art form. I am not a big fan of watching hip hop dancers perform in concert venues because I feel that the energy of hip hop is directly related to the street and therefore I much prefer standing on grey pavement watching dancers do their thing or in the clubs, where I can hoot and yell as loud as I like and exchange energies with the dancers. This vibe that tends to get lost in a proscenium theatre, but tonight, with such an enthusiastic audience and such vigorous dancing, it didn’t seem to matter much.

Legends of hip-hop opened with the Mop Top Crew – veterans of the hip-hop scene with two new youthful additions, B-girls Ms. Vee (Valerie Ho) and Tweetie (Lenaya Straker), both fantastic dancers with an edge that make Missy Elliot look like the girl next door. Ms.Vee busted out the moves all night with 6-step downrock, and making it seem all so easy. Tweetie is more of a freestyler than a breaker, but she holds her own when it comes to krumping.

Now you can’t have hip-hop without the music obviously, so of course DJs Evil Tracy (Tracy Thomas) and DJ Razor Ramone (Ramone Gillmore) of London’s Renegade Crew, took to the wheels of steel and brought home point that turntablism is inextricably linked to hip hop. These were mini-dances in themselves, with elbows, hands, noses and backsides brought in to manipulate vinyl on decks.

Anointed S (Shaun Roig) the human beatbox gave the dancers a chance to rest backstage while he completed captivated the house with his acapella versions of thumping house and heavy beats.

The man who originated the ‘Locking’ style, Greg Campbellock Jr, came to the stage to claim the throne that is his as the father of locking as did Boogaloo Sam the respective father of popping. These men set down the DNA for West Coast hip-hop, it was quite amazing to have them sharing the same stage (if this were ballet, it would be the equivalent of Nureyev and Ballanchine dancing together).

The Electric Boogaloos came out in their Zoot suits held their audience with a popping and locking routine that flowed easily from one section to another. My particular favourte was a trio made up of brothers Boogaloo Sam (Sam Solomon)and Popin Pete (Timothy Solomon) and the latter's son Straphanio Solomon. They had white elastic tape attached from their hands to their shoes which made them look like marrionettes when they did the impossible undulations of popping and locking.

My one slight disappointment of the night was the Rock Steady Crew (UK), I was expecting the New York Crew and Crazy Legs to turn up, but it was the British franchise instead. B-girl Mega (Megan Cooney) and JesSkilz (Jessica Hamani) were rather weak compared to Tweetie and Ms Vee, as their style lacked performance presence and the chutzpah of the latter two.

Overall, it an exhilarating night of performances, however, Rennie Harris’ absence from the stage marks perhaps a new direction for him in terms of his creative output. He “produced, conceived and directed” Legends of Hip-Hop, however I really missed his signature mark that he leaves on all his work I’ve seen to date, namely his presence on stage.

If you had trouble understanding the dance terminology refer to:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_7_78/ai_n6145252
http://rap.about.com/library/blbreakdancecoverpage.htm
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/story.jsp?story=621192
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Andre Yew posted 25 March 2005 08:58 PM
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I saw this show when they were here at REDCAT in Los Angeles a few months ago, and though I've had very limited exposure to and knowledge of hip-hop, it was very exciting theater. The crowd here was really appreciative as well, and we were lucky enough to have Rennie Harris give us a very short encore performance at the end.

--Andre

Rennie Harris' Legends of Hip-Hop
By Donald Hutera for The Times


HIP-HOP, its most ardent practitioners maintain, is a multi-faceted culture rather than a big-bucks commodity. The language of motion that has built up around it is as codified as that of ballet, ballroom or any other dance genre. Hip-hop has history. Relatively recent history, it must be said, but still worthy of respect.

Rennie Harris’ Legends of Hip-Hop was concocted by the titular Philadelphian, a legend-in-the-making himself, as a loose tribute to what came before and a partial nod to what’s happening now. Co- presented by the UK production outfit Crying Out Loud as part of the South Bank Centre’s Africa Remix season, the 90-minute performance is a sort of living history book. A grand idea, this, even if some of the particulars are slipshod.

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Legends of Hip Hop
By David Dougill for The Sunday Times

There were veterans on stage, as well, such as Boogaloo Sam of the Electric Boogaloos; and today’s generation, the Rock Steady and Mop Top crews, who spin on their heads (awesome).

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Legends of Hop Hop
By Jann Parry for The Observer

Easter Delirium! was the enticing title under which Rennie Harris's Legends of Hip Hop appeared at the South Bank. The ragbag show sets out to tell the story of street dancing, mixing American pioneers, hot young dance crews and show-off London DJs. The history bits on video are garbled, the mainly male star turns inventively articulate. Let's admit it: hip hop is a guy thing. Girls don't have the strength for the really eye-popping moves - and that's what the audience comes for.

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