Illstyle’s program builds to a dazzling finale
The title of Philadelphiabased Illstyle & Peace Production’s program Friday night at UB’s Center for the Arts referred to the production’s theme of a multistyled celebration of dance.
While not quite living up to that, Same Spirit Different Movement’s token amount of other styled dance movement including tap and bellydancing, added flavor to the mostly hip-hop production.
More than just a dance concert, Same Spirit Different Movement featured other elements of hip-hop culture including beat boxing, singing and turntablism.
The highly accessible program’s theme preached not only a unity of dance but of mankind and in that respect the program shone.
The evening began with a slow-motion group dance number that not only served to warm up the dancers, but warmed the audience to the show’s theatrical, and at times, almost “theme park” level of entertainment.
While hard-core hip-hop fans may have been disappointed by this approach, the family-friendly show overall proved a crowd pleaser.
After its slow beginning, the program picked up and its first half produced a few memorable moments, including a battle of skills between turntable queen DJ Sparkle and Illstyle’s elder statesman, dancer Forest “Gump” Webb with Sparkle getting the better of Webb.
Also grabbing attention early in the program was Illstyle artistic director Brandon “Peace” Albright, who literally lighted up the stage in an old-school robot dance solo outfitted in a costume adorned with flashing lights.
The program’s brightest moment, however, came courtesy of the otherworldly vocal percussion skills of beat box prodigy Anointed S.
The self-proclaimed “Prince of beat boxing” mixed the vocal magic of a ventriloquist with the musical layering of a symphony all to a driving dance club beat. The Anointed one left the appreciative UB audience stunned.
In the program’s second half, Illstyle’s predominantly 1980s hip-hop style of dancing hit its stride in several group dance numbers that showed off the troupe’s varied dance skills.
While perhaps not in the upper echelon of hip-hop dancers working today, Illstyle’s crew offered up plenty of personality and spirit where technical ability lacked.
Highlighting the show’s second half were the group dance numbers “His Love, Our Love, My Love” and “Breakers-R-UReady,” which both showed off the troupe’s acrobatic and break dance skills including Bboys taking flight from each other’s shoulders into back flips.
The evening’s most visible use of another dance style other than hip-hop came in an alluring bellydance solo by B-girl Lady Vanessa, who shook her hips as several B-boys periodically darted on and off the stage in short bursts of break-dance moves.
The program closed with “The Bantuba,” a dance jam circle of sorts in which Illstyle’s dancers each took turns throwing out their best dance moves in order to best the others.
The final celebration of dance featured a dazzling head-spin routine by Albright that brought the audience to its feet.
Review
Illstyle & Peace
Friday night in the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts, North Campus, Amherst.
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