Rhythmic Circus
Rhythmic Circus is an internationally renowned, eleven member percussive dance[1] and Musical ensemble from Minneapolis, Minnesota and the creators of the musical production Feet Don't Fail Me Now! Since 2008, the troupe has performed in over 250 cities worldwide including a six-week tour throughout China and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the world's largest art festival. Notable national performances include the Kennedy Center[2] in Washington, D.C., an extended off-Broadway run at New York's New Victory Theater, [3] and the American reality television series America's Got Talent[4] where, despite the audition receiving four "yes" votes to pass through to the next round of competition, the troupe declined to continue.[5]
Background
Rhythmic Circus was officially created in 2007.[6] The Rhythmic Circus mission was to "spread positivity to audiences everywhere through inspirational experiences for all age groups and cultural backgrounds through the sensational blend of theater, music, and dance."[7] Many of the dancers have performed and choreographed together since 2000, however, most have also known each other since childhood, having danced competitively against one another. The musicians have a similar story of supporting one another's music before joining together as a band. Both groups decided to join forces after crossing paths backstage during an Amateur Talent Competition at the Minnesota State Fair.[8]
The Company
The troupe[9] is composed of a vocal percussionist, beat-boxer Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton, a seven-piece band, Root City,[3] which plays music ranging from Funk and Blues to Latin and Salsa, and four tap dancers which utilize percussive dance – a highly rhythmic and musical dance form which employs percussive foot sounds for musical expression[10] and is a cross between modern Irish step-dance and American tap dance. Dance techniques employed by Rhythmic Circus have been likened to a cross between Blue Man Group, Stomp, and Riverdance.[2]
The Show
The show Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!, premiered at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis in August 2008.[2] The title for the show was adopted from an early 1900s New Orleans chant, and is meant to replicate their spirit of celebration.[2] The show integrates rapid-fire tap, percussive dance, a percussive folding-chair routine, and a tap-beat-box showdown –described as "a sonic ninja battle"[11] - all to a wide variety of musical genres. The show continues to garner rave reviews and sell-out performances to audiences of all ages. The troupe is currently working on a new Christmas program.
Artists
- Ricci Milan - Dancer/Artistic Director
- Nick Bowman – Dancer/Executive Director
- Kaleena Miller – Dancer
- Galen Higgins – Dancer
- Aaron Wiener - Trumpet
- Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton – Vocal Percussionist
- David Feily – Guitar
- Cornell Blanchard –Keyboard/Vocals
- Patrick Nelson – Drums/Tuba/ Vocals
- Dan Ristrom – Bass/Vocals
- Peter Vircks - Saxophone
- Miles Hanson – Sound Design/Audio Engineer
- Mark Ruark – Lighting Design/Production Manager
Awards
- 2011 Sage Award – Outstanding Performance
- 2011 Sage Award – Outstanding Ensemble
- 2012 "Spirit of the Fringe" Award, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Musical Numbers
- A capella Taps
- We Got It
- Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
- Hit the Road
- I Believe
- World Tour
- Chairs
- Great Big Ending
- Dream Song
- Salsa
- Boogie Monster
- Circus
Philanthropy
In May 2012, Rhythmic Circus partnered with Bremer Bank to produce the video "Step Up!"[12] to raise funds for Second Harvest Heartland, one of the largest food banks in the United States. Bremer donated $1 for every viewing which received over 10,000 views.
Vision Street Arts
In 2014, Nick Bowman founded the non-profit, Vision Street Arts, as an outreach to bring the performing arts to students "of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds – including under-served, low-income individuals who would otherwise not have access to the performance." It was also created to act as a launching platform for emerging artists "committed to artistic excellence and devoted to positive influence."[13]
References
- ^ "Contemporary Dance Terms. Definitions". contemporary-dance.org. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ^ a b c d Juras, Amy (17 May 2015). "Theatre Review: 'Feet Don't Fail Me Now!' at Performances for Young Audiences at the Kennedy Center". mdtheatreguide.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ a b Seibert, Brian (29 November 2013). "Rat-a-Tap-Tap: From Minneapolis, Fast, Furious Footwork and a Beatboxer". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ "Minn. group dances on America's Got Talent". Kare11.com. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ^ "America's Got Talent 2015 Rhythmic Circus Auditions 3". YouTube.com. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ "FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! Off Broadway Hit Embarks on Third National Tour". rhythmiccircus.com. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Two local dancers tap, shuffle, stomp with Rhythmic Circus". abcnewspapers.com. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "What is FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW about?". rhythmiccircus.com. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ^ "The Cast". rhythmiccircus.com. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "About Percussive Dance and Jump Patterns". mathinyourfeet.com. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ Craft, Dan (8 January 2015). "Tap happy: Feets of derring-do from Rhythmic Circus". pantagraph.com. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Step Up! End Hunger with Bremer Bank & Rhythmic Circus". youtube.com. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ "Our Crew". VisionStreetArts.com. Retrieved 4 November 2015.