Savion Glover nearly stomped through the floorboards of the Wisconsin Union Theater's floorboards Thursday evening, followed by multiple standing ovations from the audience. Glover, a 37 year old tap dancer, actor and choreographer from New Jersey has incredible amount of expertise, which was immediately apparent through his performance.
Fellow hoofer Marshall Davis Jr., a seasoned tap dancer on Broadway, teacher and choreographer, accompanied Glover. Davis worked alongside Glover in performing and creating the Broadway production of "Bring in Da' Noise Bring in Da' Funk," a musical celebrating that which they both do best.
The event, aptly named "Savion Glover's SoLe Santuary," consisted of 11 dances center-stage beneath the portraits of influential African American dancers and artists. The pieces, although stylistically varied, were connected almost seamlessly through the rhythmic conversations of the choreography.
The show began with a solo performance by Glover, rife with rhythms that were reminiscent of African styles, set at a heady pace. His footwork was incredibly quick and precise, accompanied by heavy steps that seemed to shake the theater. His sound was incredibly expansive; if one were not viewing the performance it could easily be mistaken for a chorus of drummers.
Glover was soon accompanied by Davis, who expanded the breadth of the performance even further. Situated alongside one another on stage, they maintained a synchronized performance for parts of songs while switching in between battle-styled solo acts.
Despite the consistently energetic and upbeat rhythm of the choreography and the sweat seeping through their clothes, the performance maintained an air of sobriety in its church-like essence. The reminder of the artists' forefathers hanging above their heads and a woman seemingly meditating at the back of the stage prompted audiences to remember the sanctity of the tap art form.
The Wisconsin Union Theater, home to several world-renowned acts in previous months and years, was a beautiful venue for Glover's performance. The theater complimented the emotional intensity of the dancer's performance, which may have seemed too percussive for the space at first glance. The venue's acoustics maintained the rhythm beautifully for such a large space, and audiences were undoubtedly pleased with the performance. It is no wonder the Wisconsin audience welcomed such a deserving and talented hoofer of a different kind.
