Home-grown hoofers from the Minneapolis arts scene, Rhythmic Circus makes its New York premiere on the New Victory stage with Feet Don't Fail Me Now!, a dynamic tap and music performance that mixes hard-hitting percussive dance and a live rock band from November 15 - December 1, 2013.
Three guys and a gal combine rapid-fire tap talent with the funky styling and original lyrics of Root City, a seven-piece band with a big, brass sound; add vocal percussionist Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton, the human beatbox, for a third layer of rhythmic percussion and it's easy to see why this show earned a 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Mervyn Stutter's Spirit of the Fringe Award.
From an a cappella singing and tap number to a percussive chair routine, Feet Don't Fail Me Now! is a genre-hopping hour of rock, blues and soul. Highlights include the stripped down "Dream Song," an acoustic number inspired by a front porch jam session back home in Minneapolis, and the brilliant staging and integrated choreography of "Circus," a crowd-pleaser in which the dancers, decked out in colorful marching band attire, join the musicians in an intense, fast-paced number that features a tuba solo, original vocal lines and tap breakdowns.
Although the company's official inception was in 2007, the troupe's core members have been collectively choreographing and performing together since 2000. No stranger to the spotlight, they opened for Savion Glover's Bare Soundz, collaborated with choral ensemble VocalEssence in Witness: A Tribute to Duke Ellington at the Ordway Performing Arts Center, appeared in the Crash Bang Boom! Festival at the Minnesota Orchestra Hall and were recently featured in "Minnesota Original," a weekly art series on Twin Cities Public Television. Feet Don't Fail Me Now! premiered in August 2008 at the Ritz Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and went on to tour both nationally and internationally, including a recent six-week tour throughout China. The ensemble was awarded in two categories of the Minnesota SAGE Awards for Outstanding Performance and Outstanding Ensemble and was also named the "Best Dance Performance" by the Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages.
Under the Artistic Direction of Ricci Milan and Executive Direction of Nick Bowman, Rhythmic Circus includes dancers Nick Bowman, Galen Higgins, Ricci Milan and Kaleena Miller. The musicians of Root City include guitarist Alex Rossi, beatboxer Aaron Heaton, keys player Cornell Blanchard, drummer Patrick Nelson, bassist Dan Ristrom, saxophonist Peter Vircks and trumpeter Aaron Wiener.
Tickets for Feet Don't Fail Me Now! at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) cost $25, $18, $12 and $9 for Members based on seat locations, with full price tickets starting at $14.
Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Victory shows qualify for free Membership, with benefits including 35-percent savings on tickets all season long and unlimited free ticket exchanges. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 646-223-3010. The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) is open Sunday and Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm. For more information, visit the New Victorywebsite.
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