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“Steps Around the World”
Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble
Strathmore’s Backyard Theater
The Mansion at Strathmore
North Bethesda, Maryland
July 20: 9:30 A.M.

by Naima Prevots
copyright 2006 by Naima Prevots

Surrounded by children, parents, and grandparents, and sitting on a blanket on the grass outdoors, I watched for an hour while this group of five dancers and two musicians presented an entrancing, very professional and informative program. With a combination of performance and audience participation, the group succeeded in involving all ages sitting on the grass. Showing us beautifully executed samples of traditional and contemporary clogging, African-American stepping, South African boot dancing, inventive tap dance, and fine improvisation, they managed to teach everyone about rhythm in many manifestations. There were imaginative explorations of voice, body parts, clapping, and more, all clearly explained and demonstrated, and all creating happy involvement for the two year olds and the seventy year olds.

Significant credit goes to the five dancers and the two musicians: Danny Knicely and Jon Glik playing guitar and fiddle; Emily Crews, Matthew Kupstas, Kim Perry, Marsha Searle, Megan Downes, who danced with joy, precision, and abandon. By not talking down to anyone, the group managed to teach, delight, and hold every one’s attention.
Starting right on time, the dancers appeared first performing two clogging numbers, with French Canadian and Cape Breton origins. Their excellent footwork was accompanied by changing spatial patterns and a lovely presence. Following this there was an extended audience participation section. One of the dancers took the microphone and announced that they were happy “to be here with you”, and proceeded to announce they were focusing on rhythm and polyrhythm, and all would participate. What ensued was marvelous: we proceeded to learn two different patterns clapping hands and using the body as a percussive instrument, and then perform these simultaneously with the audience divided in two groups. We then proceeded to use the voice in making rhythms, using wonderful nonsense words and adding more clapping and body parts.

Next came a traditional South African boot dance. The explanation followed that this was created by those working in the gold and diamond mines, where people wanted to express themselves and make friends using music and dance, and the boots were necessary because of the mud and rain. The musicians then took the stage, singing and playing. Another clogging piece came after this, followed by audience  participation highlighting call and response. The dancers then emerged with two large green bags, which turned out to hold numerous empty water bottles, and this began a lovely series of improvisations and rhythmic explorations where the bottles were used in a variety of ways to accompany tapping, and to create different rhythms. All those sitting on the grass were again asked to participate in creating new patterns.

After performing a hambone sequence, and explaining the African-American origins, we were all asked to participate in some rather complicated clapping and voice sequences, which were made to feel enjoyable and simple. The final segments of the program included excellent tap dancing, and fine improvisation. The dancers showed inventive individual variations, and also created wonderful shifting spatial patterns. They exhibited a high level of skill and artistry.

The group is to be commended for an event that included lovely dancing, and an opportunity for all to learn more about rhythm, several percussive forms, and their own ability to use body and voice in expressive ways. This was one of four summer programs at Strathmore sponsored by Providence Bank, called “Great Summer Music for Kids.

Each of these are presented twice on a single morning, at 9:30 and 11:30. What a wonderful way to introduce children and their accompanying elders to the arts.    

Volume 4, No. 28
July 24, 2006
copyright ©2006 Naima Prevots
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