Savion Glover takes CFA's breath away
By PAUL MEGNA | Apr. 25, 2005It all began with a jazzy bass line, drifting from the back of the dimly lit stage.Such an understated opening was the proverbial "calm before the storm," with the storm being the hectic yet flawlessly soulful staccato notes emanating from the soles of Savion Glover's tap shoes.Just as he has for well over 20 years, on Friday at Center For the Arts Glover converted the physical motion of his feet and legs into a sonic splendor, playing a finely tuned instrument and giving the performance of a lifetime.Part of Glover's "Improvography II" tour, he was backed by a talented jazz quartet and later accompanied by three fellow dancers who both, while very talented, were clearly playing second fiddle.Glover, who has been a Broadway performer since the age of 10 and has won a Tony Award as well as many other awards, showed a mastery of rhythmic dance, robbing the audience of their breath.With precision, unbelievable speed and musical prowess, Glover told a story without the use of many words, though he did occasionally vocalize some of the emotion transcended through his dance in repeated scat phrases.Glover's set, which lasted over two hours and was interrupted only by a brief intermission, explored an eclectic musical range, improvising on everything from classical music to acid jazz.Perhaps the most impressive quality of his performance was his endurance physically and vocally.
