Dancer And Choreographer Rennie Harris To Perform At ‘Berg
Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Rennie Harris will perform a work-in-progress, “Prince ScareKrow’s Road to the Emerald City,” on Saturday, September 10 at 8 p.m. in the Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion.Friday, August 26, 2005 01:59 PM
This performance is free and open to the public.
The “Prince ScareKrow’s Road to the Emerald City” project traces the journey and development of the artist and the many profiles in the life of Harris through dance. The work includes the solos “Endangered Species” and “Lorenzo's Oil.” A discussion with Harris will follow the performance.
Harris will make himself available to Muhlenberg students earlier that day, offering a dance workshop, “Hip Hop Rhythm, History and Theory.” This master class will provide students with a brief historical and practical context about funk & hip hop dance according to ideas set forth by the creators and masters of the forms. Participants will learn the basic foundation of authentic movement form and discuss the differences between commercial hip hop and authentic hip hop, giving them a deeper understanding of the dance form, its evolution and culture.
Harris is the artistic director of Rennie Harris Puremovement, a critically-acclaimed hip-hop dance company that blends hip hop poetry, rap music and movement with traditional African dance. Harris is a hip-hop pioneer, bridging the usually disparate worlds of street and theater, self-empowerment and artistic inspiration. He uses hip hop to express universal themes that extend beyond the boundaries of racial, religious and economic elitism while acknowledging its roots in inner city African and Latino American communities.
Harris’s appearance on campus is co-sponsored by the Student Activities Office and the Dean of Students Office. The master class and performance are a part of The Ethics and Politics of Identity, a year long series of programs about the ethical challenges that surround the changing categories of social, national, and global identities. For more information on the series, or to view the schedule of events for the fall semester, please visit: www.muhlenberg.edu/cultural/ethics.
