#robyn watson

Song Review: Rhiannon Giddens with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Robyn Watson - “I’m Just Wild About Harry” (Live, 2017)

For further evidence Rhiannon Giddens can sing anything, Sound Bites presents this video of her performance of Eubie Blake’s “I’m Just Wild About Harry.”

First released in 1921 in the Broadway musical “Shuffle Along,” the tune was one of a handful Giddens performed with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra during November 2017 concerts/recording sessions with Steep Canyon Rangers and Pokey LaFarge for the forthcoming American Classics: 1918 LP, which lands, Nov. 9.

This was a formal event - the Sound Biteses were in the house for the final session - but not so formal that Giddens put on shoes. She simply came out and sang the hell out of the song, stopping only long enough for tap dancer Robyn Watson to perform a short interlude and accompany the singer and the musicians on the final verse.

There’s a lot of space between the old-timey string music of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Civil Rights Era-inspired Music of Giddens’ Freedom Highway and this post-World War I musical piece. And Giddens - blessed with an operatic voice that can sing all of it - inhabits each of them effortlessly.

Grade card: Rhiannon Giddens with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Robyn Watson - “I’m Just Wild About Harry” (Live - 2017) - A

Once upon a time, in another life, I owned a dance studio in Bucks County, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. (FYI, I've had many lives, I'm kind of like a cat.) At the studio I was fortunate to have a talented staff of teachers, many who became and remained friends, and tonight I was reunited with one of them when she came into town to perform with Savion Glover's company at The Joyce Theater.

Though I lived just three blocks away from it my entire first year in NYC, I have not attended a performance at The Joyce since I was in high school. It's a great theater, and they put up both up-and-coming and well-known companies each season. This was also my first time seeing Savion Glover perform since high school- he is legendary in my generation... a prodigy of the late Gregory Hines who made a name for himself very young winning a TONY award for the Broadway show "Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk," amongst other things.

The show was fantastic. All five hoofers were so impressive, from the speed at which their feet moved to the ease and grace of their upper body as it flowed almost contradictory to their lower half.  It's as though the dancers are having a conversation with you, through just their feet. The style of dance is essentially rhythmic tap... made popular by Glover, Hines, and Sammy Davis, Jr.  I found myself smiling throughout the entire show, the energy from the stage simply radiating into the audience and the genuine smiles of the performers becoming infectious.

There is nothing like a live show.

After I was able to see Robyn and catch up for a few, before heading home, my brain on fire with memories of the stage and younger years. Don't be surprised if some more dance-related posts sneak up in #projectlife101... I think I may have caught something. 

Saladin Deir sits with the women of Savion Glover's STePz, his latest production at the Joyce Theater in New York City, to discuss fashion and femininity in an art form dominated by men.

Savion Glover's STePz                                            photo: Elijah Paul

Tumblr: Savion

Baby STePz, the Preview

I'm leisurely sitting down after a quick-paced day from work due to staying out way past my 8pm curfew to watch Savion Glover’s opening night of “STePz” and instantly I’m aware of last night’s buzz! A fellow dancer shared the “STePz” promo video on Facebook but now I’m on this kick to re-study everything about Savion. YouTube is a nice forum to watch a lot of his out of town shows which means my neighbors get to listen to his feet all night long as well, LOL! All of a sudden I have this renewed energy to catalogue Savion’s body of work. Savion hoped people would leave feeling “rejuvenated” after the show and I’m feeling electric.

With all my electricity the goal is to make video critiques of Savion dancing in case other dancers might want an in-depth look at his professional career. I’ve created a playlist because the “STePz” promo preview brought back old school, nostalgic memories of ‘96 when I first started following his career. Right now I’m working on a portfolio to kind of create a timeline of events. I was telling my mom how for the first time I’m able to clarify why tap means so much to me. As a born-again Christian I completely believe, “nothing happens by accident.” I wholeheartedly believe God created or as Savion said, “B.C.” (Before Creation) a time for me to attend the concerts I have seen, to also record on VHS, yes, VHS every T.V. special; is nothing short of a miracle. With that being said I’m extremely privileged to have been able to watch the greatest tap dancer in the world, Savion Glover!!!

Seeing What I Hear

I guess I should somewhat go over how I came to follow Savion’s career. The NBA finals were going down in San Antonio at the Henry B. Gonzalez center in ‘96, I think. My cousin’s boyfriend at the time had backstage access so he let us hang out with all the celebrities. I met LL Cool J, the actor Leon and even got to meet Laura, Steve Urkel’s dream girlfriend! What a thrill! But as I was making my way through the crowd, I noticed Savion kind of walking around, chilling. I walked to him and cornily stumble over asking, “Um, didn’t you tap dance on Star Search?” I’m unsure what he said but regardless now I can’t keep from looking at the picture we took and smile. Again, after having seen Savion’s promo video I’m reminded once again why I am such a die-hard fan. When Savion came on the scene he was on every T.V. special so divine or not, there was one way or another that I would be able to catch him dancing. I can’t begin to tell you how many VHS, yes, VHS snippets I have of Savion dancing in the mirror for the Coca-Cola commercial. When it first came out, I would wait around all day to catch that commercial with remote in hand, anxious to hit record. At a time when I was unable to express my own teenage angst, Savion was talking about tap as a way to express all that. Never mind the fact that he is 10 years older than me yet I couldn’t help but believe “the dance” didn’t care about my age. I think Gregory Hines was correct in stating that he is the “greatest tap dancer in the world.” It could possibly be a tough burden to carry but it seems like now is the time to build a library of Savion’s work, lightening that burden a bit. He’s paid his dues and for a guy that claims when he taps, he can almost “see what he hears” he deserves to have homage paid to him.

Black Booth

It’s kind of odd how lax I had become in getting excited over his last couple of concerts and compared to now, I was a bit nervous going to the Joyce. I anticipate the crowd, how close to the stage might I be and also being able to meet the cast afterward is always terrifyingly awkward for me. Because I can’t truly put into words how or why I know so much about Savion’s dance history the portfolio of what I have created will serve as a stepping stone to story tell. To see all the pictures of events line up with the stories behind it is pretty cool if I say so myself. It would be an honor to give lectures of Savion Glover’s dance repertoire. Speaking of which, Savion has his wife’s friend’s kid working the merch booth. I tried jiving with the kid about the awesomeness of Savion’s work but he kept saying he doesn’t know much. Do you get to watch him during rehearsal? I giddily ask. He shyly says no. So, what about the DVD you’re selling? Is this from the other night? I don’t know, he says again but with that teenage awkwardness that made me not press the issue further. The whole time though I was thinking, you mean you don’t know if the DVD you’re selling of him dancing along a drum great like John DeJohnette was part of the Blue Note Festival performed at the Highline called, “Revive Big Band?” Por why?

Needless to say, early on in my quest for the dance, my mom and I followed Savion to Tempe, Arizona for his concert, “Footnotes” at ASU Gammage Theater. My mom snuck me into the theater to watch him rehearse. I was embarrassed yet extremely grateful. Savion called me to the stage and what did I do? I pretended to be chummy chummy with him and blew it! I had rehearsed all night to say how devoted I am to the dance but no words formed. My mom also snuck me into his dressing room where I took pics with his shoes. You see what I just did there? I’m blaming it all on my mom. Who out there has a mother like mine? I get the whole idea behind hiring family to help out, but man would I love the opportunity to work that tiny little black booth. The kid has a dream job and prayerfully one day, he’ll realize it.

First Lady

Making our way to our seats, I like to savor the smell of the theater. I intently listen to the chatter of the crowd and wonder how everyone might be doing backstage. I crane my neck around to spot fellow dancers in the crowd but to my chagrin, I see none I recognize. Although, I love seeing black people in the crowd, and kids because you know the dance reaches everyone. I recall Savion saying in an interview how before he goes onstage, everything leading up to it is akin to an airplane captain taking off for flight. At any rate, the lights finally dim and I take a deep breathe, anticipating how Savion might fly in on the stage. He is nowhere in sight. He has allowed his hoofing team to engage us first. The mood is Miles and the lighting is blue. There are 3 gorgeous women and one familiar face that is Marshall Davis Jr. whom Savion has had by his side since they were teenagers. Lulling me into a sweet trance, Savion excitedly takes the stage sending the audience into an uproar of applause.

Savion leads his troupe into a uniformed routine called, “When the Lights Go Down” which really made Ayodele Casel stand-out the most. Ayodele has a long hit list of dance accomplishments of her own but she’s also danced with Savion on the Jamie Foxx show and also being referred by Savion as the “first lady” of tap. And what a lady she is because it seems to me that Ayodele during the performance piece was intent on trying to set a new standard for women hooferz. Female or not, most young hooferz wanted to be, sound, act and move like Savion. Truly, I’m no one to judge because I was right there with my long locks and K360’s with the heel built up just like Savion! So, to see her rep the dance with elegance yet ferocity was nothing short of brilliant. She didn’t have to hang her hands like Savion or compete rhythmically for attention. It’s almost as if she was striving to accomplish the opposite by keeping everything even her taps to a minimum. On that note, I really was hoping to hear more from her. I felt like the entire night was a warm-up for Ayo as if there is a wild woman dancer waiting to let loose on the wooden floor. I was waiting for her and Savion to trade bars but unfortunately, they didn’t. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her; even studying how she exited the stage was a sight to see. The awe and splendor of her dance was being able to watch her stiff arms move sporadically on an accent. And with a constant pattern of melody, BOOM! The hooferz would hit the floor and Ayo’s hand would point to where the beat came from. She was powerful, soulful; intent. Ayodele has grown and she readily admits to me after having asked her what has changed since the last time she danced with Savion, “We’re grown.” She’s grown as a woman, adult and dancer and it’s engagingly charismatic. She will always be the, First Lady.  

Remembering When

I realize that there are probably more stories to count of why dancers flock to Savion but the reason I gravitated to Savion’s approach to tap is that he emphasizes on rhythm as opposed to steps or what he calls, “Dance as education as opposed to dance as class.” He recently just gave a rad interview to THNKR about the creative process behind the making of Broadway’s, “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk.” When he describes how what he and the other hooferz were going through as black men in NYC, especially when it came to hailing taxis, the conversations were being trotted down by George Wolfe. That explains how Wolfe became involved in the show because Savion chuckles over the fact that after a month of writing, they only had about 40 minutes worth of Broadway material! Ha! For me, his stories are educational or historical, if you will. And also, might I add; what a phenomenal journey God has prepared in advance for me. His story about how Bring in Da Noise came about reminds me of this time a buddy of mine drove with me all the way to Dallas, TX to watch him perform on the traveling tour of Bring in Da Noise. The drive over was super trippy, a story of its own but nonetheless I cried throughout the entire performance. Don’t judge me, lol. The waterworks really started flowing when Savion performed “Slave Ships.” I was able to experience the show’s theme with someone else which dealt with racism in the vaudeville circuit for tap dancers. The one scene of Savion all dressed in black, acting out tap steps as Shirley Temple in, “Uncle Huck-A-Buck Song” was fairly intense. I was expecting the noise but I had underestimated the power of the funk. I think Sarah Savelli might have underestimated it too.

Tears of Joy

My wife truly enjoyed the show and was thrilled to see Sarah Savelli rep all non-black hooferz. Lol! Sarah is old school, charismatic, charming and super grateful for her opportunity to dance with Sav. I believe I witnessed her crying, a whole bunch right after the troupe segued into the night’s performance of “The More I.” The group of hooferz had just finished a dance but then all of the sudden the lights dim and each body is holding its pose. It was a cherished moment in time to see the silhouette of their faces, staring proudly over the crowd so that we could gaze in amazement with them. I was proud of them; I almost started crying yet again. I’ve been able to see two of the hooferz grow over the years which left me astonished at how mature there approach to the floor is. Snapped out of my sweet melancholia was this thumping noise that almost sounded like a heartbeat. I was wondering if anyone else could hear it but I looked down in front of the stage and it was Savion. He was moving his right toe to a steady drum beat then would rapidly pat it to create the sound of a drumroll. As he is doing this, one by one the hooferz dramatically slink away to the back of the wooden platform. There in the dimmed theater is Sarah Savelli in tears. Just like her, I was on the verge of some cataclysmic emotional meltdown but I reminded myself the night wasn’t about me. It was intense, genuine, and raw.

Sarah is her own hoofer. She uses her arms like a professional dancer who was always taught to hold their hands in a certain pose. At the same time, Sarah makes it look good. She couldn’t stop smiling and her joy radiated in her feet. She hit the steps and she shuffled out the notes and in return captured the raw emotion of Savion’s vision so that the audience could feel it as well. I believe I’ve never heard Sarah dance until that night and I’m impressed to say the least. Cry all you want Sarah, the night was about you.

I’ll See You

In case you didn’t get it the first time around, I want to make a catalogue of all things Savion. During this process I have to rummage through old photos of when I was younger. Time flies, don’t it? Le sigh…On a quick note, I was reminiscing of the time when my sister and I flew to NYC in ’98 to watch Savion on Broadway. The nights we didn’t have tix to see the show we wound up waiting all night to talk to him. Imagine from across the street my poor sister chilling in the dark, waiting for Savion with me. Haha! She was awesomely cool at one point, I don’t know what happened. So when the time came to finally meet him all I could muster were some odd words with him hopping into a black taxi, rolling the window down to jovially say, “I’ll see you!” It was as if he was reminding me that other opportunities would be available. You have to hear the guy speak in interviews to comprehend in which way he said that to me. It was all the hope I needed for my young, wild and bright-eyed heart.

Rockin Robyn

Back to life, back to reality…I stumbled across an old Dance Spirit Magazine from 2005 and found the 3rd female hoofer in Savion’s group, Robyn Watson. She was named one of the top 20 tappers we would need to keep an eye out for. Her small yet intimate biography states that she wants to use dance to inspire people back to the Lord. Phenomenal! By the way, Robyn is extremely tall or I’m short but she must have an advantage being so lanky. Also, I realize she was a mere 19 years old at the time of the magazines article and people change, I get that, which leads me to now wonder if she still has a strong desire to “bring audiences closer to God through performance.” But what I noticed about her style during “STePz” is also true to what she said in her bio about her ‘hands directing where her feet go.’ She uses her left arm in rhythmic conjunction to what her feet are doing and she executes Savion’s intricate rhythms well.  I loved seeing her do it. I also noticed that her stage presence is similar to how Savion, in his youth, use to approach the dance; rebellious. Rebellious in that she is young, and has yet to become an all- around tap dancer in terms of making a connection with the audience or even her on rhythms. She may be young in her feet but obviously Savion believes she’s got what it takes to hang with him. No disrespect there. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow. The 3 ladies kept it original, authentic and genuinely passionate. Bravo ladies, bravo.

Home Stepz

Seated in my comfy, new recliner I am overwhelmed with memories of meeting and listening to Mr. Savion Glover. I have already started collecting all the YouTube videos I have enjoyed to talk about the rhythms he introduced to the public. For instance, the opening melody he did for the ’98 Jerry Lewis Telethon was also performed for Bill Clinton. Andrew Nemr pocketed that rhythm and did it for one of his shows with the group CPD Plus. It’s stuff like that, people must be shown if they want to ever truly understand Savion’s vision for the “dance as education” to catch on. When Savion repeats a certain phrase, I like to call this a “home step.” It’s a step the dancer can resort back to in order to help the audience understand. “If you can do an eight ball phrase with your feet and another person, not a dancer can understand like what you just did, you hit, you made a statement” says Savion.

The greatest event was when I watched him perform for the first time for his in-laws at the Blue Note. My goodness! He banged out Calypso, Funk, Rock, Blues even Rock-A-Billy. Savion pulled out all the stops for his wife’s family and it was awesome. But what was so memorable after the show is when I went up to him with my coveted VHS, Yes, VHS tape of every single T.V. show, with lots of Coke commercials on it and showed it to him. I couldn’t part with it in all honesty. It was all I had at the time, before YouTube, to learn from a master hoofer. Another time at the Blue Note, I had seen him the night before so I wasn’t able to make it for the next day. But I decided I would stand outside the clubs doors to merely listen and this guy with a ticket sees my fortitude and offers me his ticket. It was a blast. Looking back on how this whole tap dancing thing started I realize after watching Gene Kelly perform, “Moses Supposes” for “Singin in the Rain, I was hooked. The way Gene danced with, around and on top of chairs was exhilarating. What dexterity.

Class in Session

I had seen Marshall Davis perform with Savion before, but one piece of the show really made him stand out called, Dexterity. Both guys had a three tier wooden staircase they would dance on. I was anticipating some Bojangles, cutesy routine but boy was I mistaken. At first, Marshall’s floor wasn’t mic’d or not working so it was hard to hear him. I was so close to the stage I could make out what he was doing but I still wanted the full effect. Both guys would leap in the air, arms wide, back to the audience and slap the front of the stairs with their feet making a “thwack!” sound. The sound is so clear, crisp and intentional. At one point during the show I thought he was going to pull a ‘hammy’ after sharply spreading both legs so that each foot at once lands on the second stair. It was amazing! Marshall was able to hit it hard, smooth and honestly, be a real showman. I’m unsure how old he is but the guy reminds me of an old soul. Even while dancing his body moves like an older man, like a dude who sits on the porch to just chill, kind of man. Marshall is timeless. He’s got his own style which allows Savion the freedom to dance. Marshall’s position in regards to dancing with Savion is that he’s not a young kid looking to prove anything. At one point, both hooferz are trading bars and to me it seems Marshall, like the rest of us truly enjoy seeing Savion at his best. I think Marshall is to thank for that, honestly. During one part of the show, both guys are singing and Marshall Scats this one phrase and I swear he sounds like an old tap dancing man. I’m sure Savion enjoys sharing the stage with Marshall just out of the sheer humility and showmanship he brings to the platform. Marshall is what a tap dancer is and should be. Lesson learned.

My Kind of Music

This is also why my wife and I will see the show 4 more times at the Joyce. I really would love to see it every day, 20 times for three weeks but poppa’s bank can’t fork the dough right now. I had hopes of blogging his progression from opening night until shows closing. What a feat that would be. To be able to listen to, break down and memorize, well, at least hum the cadences, tones and songs. I haven’t felt fired up like this for the dance in a very long time, over 3 years. Lately, I’ve been telling my wife how badly I want to start tapping again. I already know which kind of taps I want this go around and they aren’t the 360’s. I’m older which means I can actually enjoy watching Savion without wanting to be just like him, literally. I feel like I’ve come full circle. It’s been a very long journey of meeting Savion. Most times I’m unable to say a word, I’ve embarrassed myself by being dorky and I’ve ditched an after-show party where he spun house music. Yes, supposedly, Savion spun house music after one of the shows he did for “Classical Savion” at the Joyce. I have an old ticket stub and it was my wife’s first time seeing him. I don’t regret much, but I do regret not making the party to hear him play my favorite kind of music.