What is a
Swedish group with a name like the Harlem Hot Shots that performs American
swing period dances doing in Singapore? This eccentric mix underpins
the quirky and distinctive character of this dance company that limits
itself to performing exclusively within the swing period famous for
tap dancing, cakewalks, the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. With a great
deal of wit, humour and dancing skill they delivered a show that not
only informed and entertained the packed audience of enthusiasts but
left them wanting more. After standing ovations and encores, the troupe
were on the job in the foyer to pass on the basics of the Lindy Hop
to members of the audience. Hard working hoofers indeed.
The show escaped being a standard variety act merely going through
the paces of the 20s and 30s dances by using several clever theatrical
devices. For example, the dancers themselves introduced each performance
with self-deprecating humour, and this was at times a highlight in itself.
Who could resist listening to a man speaking about the next dance wearing
only the top half of his suit with a green frog protruding from his
pocket? The other star of the show was no doubt the archive film footage
of the original dances that was constantly projected behind the dancers
– this gave the narrative, history, context and a visual backdrop
to the performance. It showed stars from the 1920s and 30s, including
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Buck and Bubbles, and Earl "Snake
Hips" Tucker – these stars set the style that the Hot Shots
aspired to onstage.
The dancers were extremely competent in the styles they performed and
delivered a high-energy performance – although their skills would
not necessarily cross over to other forms of dance. The ladies in particular
epitomised the look of this era. They recreated this look through careful
attention to costume, make-up and the way they used the body, emphasising
loose body movements with an emphasis on earthy athleticism rather than
the ethereal grace of a ballerina. It was a time when Busby Berkeley
famously said "a pair of legs and a pretty face" was all a
girl needed to get into one of his shows. And, appropriately enough,
Fatima Teffahi recreated the famous solo by Ruby Keeler from the Berkeley
movie 42nd Street, giving it the original "gawky" quality
that made Keeler a star.
The Harlem Hot Shots succeed because of their adherence to a clear
artistic vision and the authenticity of their material. They research
all of the dances they perform, and recreate them by seeking out film
footage of the original performers of the era. At times the projected
footage is danced step-for-step below on stage, and this worked well
whenever the movement was relatively simple. It was a less successful
device when trying to emulate the extraordinary movement and charismatic
quality of Josephine Baker and the exemplary tap style of Bill "Bojangles"
Robinson, for example.
As the Hot Shots dancers explained, the tap style they were using had
the simplicity of the era, but their insistence on that simplicity led
to a problem in the overall production. In a modern world where dancers
learn many styles, the Hot Shots dancers' lack of a wider dance technique
showed. Also, their taking such "snapshot views" may be an
injustice to the era and to dancers like Robinson and Baker whose unique
qualities as performing artists would be recognised in any age: their
dancing was versatile and not simply about dance steps; it embodied
a unique ability to improvise, to entertain and to communicate through
the body.
The group wound up the evening with an exciting, show-stopping Lindy
Hop with high throws and good energy. It capped off a most interesting
and entertaining evening of dance that also posed intriguing questions
about authenticity, recreation and context for dance.
Dr Stephanie Burridge is a choreographer, dance critic, researcher
and writer. She has been the Artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre
(Australia), senior lecturer in Performing Arts at LASALLE-SIA, dance
critic for the Business Times, and author of numerous papers on dance,
education and creativity. |
"A most interesting and entertaining evening of dance that also
posed intriguing questions about authenticity, recreation and context
for dance"
Credits
Performers: Fatima Teffahi, Mattias Lundmark, Frida
Segerdahl, Lennart Westerlund, Åse Palm, Daniel Heedman, Jenny
Deurell and Sakarias Larsson
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