Tap legend Savion Glover at the Sadler's Wells (Nov 2008)

Savion Glover by NiNa (c)

For his production, Bare Soundz, tap legend Savion Glover forgoes the familiar theatrical elements of narrative and music, and lets his feet do the talking. Performing eleven short pieces upon three wooden platforms, the minimalistic yet stylish backdrop perfectly illuminates Glover’s exuberant style.

Dancing with an energy that is boundless, and a flexibility and technical prowess that is otherworldly, Glover treats the audience to a virtuoso display of complex toe taps, stamps and hops. No part of the foot is excluded by this tap wizard in order to create a barrage of rhythms as diverse as hip-hop and Calypso.

Glover is joined by Marshall Davis Jr. and Maurice Chestnut, and together this relaxed trio are the epitome of cool. At one point Glover dances with a sweat towel in hand as if in mid rehearsal, rather than performing under the pressure of an expectant audience at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. This effortlessness is evident not least in Trading Places, where each dancer take turns in a Round Robin to tap out phrases on a single platform. As one performer leaves, the next swiftly picks up the rhythm. Never is there a dropped beat and the timing is impeccable.

At times the deluge of sound is overwhelming and one may be tempted to fall into a trance like state in order to process it all. But with a flourish into the air and a daring pointed toe balance, Glover always brings the audience back to the action.

A self-confessed hoofer since age 12, it is this revolutionary brand of street influenced rhythm tap – and regular appearances on Sesame Street – that  have made Glover  a household name in America. Long surpassing the likes of Fred Astaire and the Broadway tradition, for fans young and old this is fearless and edgy tap for the Millennium.