Savion Glover’s Invitations to A Dancer

by Eva Yaa Asantewaa

The respectable part of tap genius Savion Glover’s new Joyce Theater production–awkwardly-titled Invitations to A Dancer–involves Glover and two male sidekicks mercilessly slamming diverse rhythms into three miked platforms on a stage that is otherwise bare. Rrrat-a-tat, rrrat-a-tat. Bock, bocka, bocka. Rrrrunka, rrrrunka, rrrrunka, rrrrunka. I said I would, I said I would, I said I would. Slam. Slam. Slam. No jazz combo to back them up. No recorded music. Just myriad sounds--or, to be precise, Bare Soundz, as Glover now calls himself, Marshall L. Davis, Jr., and a third fellow who’s uncredited in the program--of men making propulsive jazz with the deft, rapid movements of their heels and toes and the sides of their feet.

Sometimes the world-famous guy with the two-toned dreadlocks and tap boots that resemble kelly green M&Ms takes the middle platform and–either fiercely concentrating on his feet or looking at his mates and grinning with pleasure--dances like a demon. Sometimes Glover lets one brother or the other take pride of place or have a cool solo. Woodpeckers on speed, their amplified soundz zoom out from the stage and shake our brains loose.

Intermission. Downstairs in the Women’s Room.

Woman #1: “I’ve never seen feet move so fast! How does he do that?”

Woman #2: “You have to really lift up...”

Woman #1: “Now I want to see ‘Happy Feet’!”

Woman #2: “But that’s not the same! They’re penguins!”

All three men are fine dancers. But Glover alone is stratospheric and not this season–thank the Almighty!--hoofing to classical music, a previous Glover experiment that failed to amuse me.

Unfortunately, Glover has built a new and even less amusing concept into the second half of Invitations to A Dancer. He has invited a ballerina (Suzana Stankovic) and three modern dancers (Sheila Barker, Lauren Last and Jerica Niehoff) to perform ballet and contemporary choreography while the six feet of Bare Soundz provide the sole accompaniment. That might sound like a worthwhile challenge, but someone forgot to throw good choreography into the mix. The contemporary jazz dance passages for the barefoot modern dancers are as flimsy, tacky and cheesy as the women’s little halter-topped dresses. I became increasingly annoyed as I puzzled over why the women had to be dressed in this manner in glaring contrast to the men’s deliberately un-glamorous, comfortable and functional clothing and sturdy tap shoes.

Stankovic, dolled up in a sparkling white tutu, dances real ballet to Glover’s foot music, but then she attempts to get funky and cutesy. She pulls this embarrassing stunt twice. Well, it worked for Wednesday’s matinee audience.

SBSG–a modern piece in which Glover accompanies the willowy Barker–does have interest (as well as a lovely, flattering costume for Barker). She answers Glover’s footwork with dancing that is quick and clear, as spiky, eccentric and unexpected as Mr. Trademark’s world-class hoofing.

Glover drops a killer solo in the second half–one that made me realize it’s time to stop thinking of him as “Heir to Gregory Hines” and start wondering who the hell could ever, ever, ever take up his mantle. All the more reason to wonder why he has started messing around with concepts that don’t make the grade. It can’t possibly be boredom, can it? Tell me it ain’t so!

Without the...what should we call them? variety show numbers?...Invitations to A Dancer might possibly look and sound monotoned. The first half–or “The 1st Accent,” as Glover calls it–is basically just one thing: three guys hoofing hard all the time. But even without variety, it’s a mind-blower.

The trouble with excellence is that it tends to show up everything around it. All the more reason to make damned sure that everything around it is up to its uncompromising standards.

Savion Glover’s Invitations to A Dancer continues at the Joyce Theater through July 14. For schedule and ticketing details, click here.

(c)2007 Eva Yaa Asantewaa