Donald Hutera
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He's not yet 35 years old and already Savion Glover's phenomenal talent has marked him as a legend. And the American tap superstar carries the burden of such a label effortlessly. Flanked by fellow dancers Marshall Davis Jr and Maurice Chestnut, Glover's return concert at Sadler's Wells is a triumph of stamina, flair and classy, unpretentious showmanship.
Bare Soundz unleashes a concentrated cavalcade of varied percussive footwork. The setting - three heavily miked, island-like wooden platforms - is admirably unadorned and free of any trace of showbiz glitz. This suits Glover's aesthetic. Bearded, dreadlocked and casually dressed, he has developed a contemporary, funked-up and post-bebop street style that pays discreet homage to past masters while pushing his chosen form of expression into the future.
The show is certainly quick off the mark. The dancers are in place and raring to go as soon as the curtains part. Their opening set is a rush of rattling, rippling riffs, with Glover's gut-busting moves neatly counterpointed by Chestnut and Davis (each, like him, a former child prodigy). Whether they are passing around layers of complicatedly broken beats or suddenly flipping in and out of unison, the explosions of sophisticated polyphonic rhythm detonated during this two-part evening can make your heart race and muscles twitch with pleasure.
The sheer amount and intensity of the dancing can seem overwhelming, even exhausting, but it is also deeply impressive. There are a few long but riveting solos. Glover is particularly exciting to watch, his thin, jangling frame expanding and contracting with a loose yet precision-hit joy. His presence is sunnier, more open, than in his debut performances in London last year. Still, the effects he produces can be as strong and changeable as the weather.
Glover is a rhythm junkie, laying down a hailstorm of taps. Crossing ankles and dangling a wrist, he briefly becomes a cool jazz cat. Moments later he shoots on to the toes of his shoes. Running or skipping in place, he brims with infectious high spirits. Is it any wonder that the people who made the hit animation Happy Feet drew directly on him for inspiration?
Box office: 0844 4124300. To tomorrow. www.sadlerswells.com
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