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Julie Nybo
Caroline Prohosky, Graham Brown
Dance 461
March 20, 2015
Rennie Harris
A compiler of movement from generations of streets into an artistic invention brings only
one name to mind, Rennie Harris. Mr. Harris is a vibrant dancer and choreographer in the genre
of Hip Hop. His contribution to the dance world can be seen through is goals as a dreamer,
courageous nature, and his love to teach.
Rennie Harris grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania starting in the year 1964. Dance
became part of his body language when he viewed the Campbellockers on television. Here is
Rennies comments on this early influence, I was first inspired by Don Campbells group, The
Campbell Lockers. I remember seeing them on TV when I was in 4th and or 5th grade. I
remember my mom making me a Knicker Bocker set because thats what Don and his group
wore. If you dont know what knickers are, they are shorts with pegged hems, so to speak. It
was really Don Campbell who inspired me, although at the time I had no idea that he affected me
in such a way. I also remember, around the same time, dancing in a line dance at a girls birthday
party and having people say out loud, hes a good dancer. After that I dont remember dancing
again until I was about 12-13 years old. This is when I started a group called Cobra III with my
brother and my childhood friend nicknamed Brainy (RHPM.org). We entered a church talent
show and won it. That was really the beginning. I had on green pinstriped pants with colored
suspenders, white gloves and a bow tie. His motivation for dance started with the

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Campbellockers. This group danced on many television shows including the Carol Burnett Show
and The Tonight Show. These African-American lockers were dressed in bright colored Knicker
Bockers. Their dancing displayed a certain courageous charisma that left no shame on their
faces. Arms flailing and weightless splits hit the ground bringing the audience with them on their
delightful journey. It was these images that inspired Rennie to create small dance groups as a
teen and later a full dance company.
Rennie developed companies as a youth such as The Scanner Boys. This group
performed all around Philadelphia streets exploring hip hop of the 1980s (RHPM.org).
Performing on the streets was a small success for Rennie but he had dreams to pull the
movement from these alleys into a new avenue! He wanted to change the way people thought
about hip hop in the general public and bring steps onto a dressed up stage. The year 1992 Dr.
Harris brought his dream to life. He created the Rennie Harris Puremovement Dance Company.
In a Joyce Theatre playbill it states that, Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement, a hip hop
dance company dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip hop culture through workshops,
classes, hip hop history lecture demonstrations, long-term residencies, mentoring programs, and
public performances. Rennie wanted to preserve the street dancing, bring it to the public, and
also add some of his own flavors to it.
Before displaying his acclaimed works, intrigue can be found through the way he
choreographs and creates his pieces. A few of his company members had some insights on his
style. James "Cricket" Colter, a founding member of RHPM, describes Harris' fraught working
process during the making of Rome & Jewels. "We would learn stuff, then he would scratch it.
His patience was at a low, so tension was high." Colter compares Harris to an artist "sketching a
drawing and erasing and adding on to his picture. We just happened to be his pencils on a

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grueling project. I now understand his creative process, but at the time it was [ridiculous]!"
(Gottschild, Brenda Dixon). He was a little scattered but had passion for the artistry. A video of a
rehearsal displays some of his genius as he worked with many people. He was teaching the
company a heavily rhythmic sequence and was trying to help each of them internalize it. He
broke away from the rehearsal and related the movement to a personal connection. Rennie stated
that he was thinking rhythm not counts. He went onto explain that Walking is a natural thing
[and] your muscles remember that natural rhythm. Melanie Cotton, one of the company
members consolidated his statement with her own. You dont learn to walk by counts you learn
to walk with rhythm. His explanations helped the company to break away from the counts and
feel what they were being taught. A commenter stated that his performances looked spontaneous
or improvisational. Harris commented that it was rehearsed but that his company had the ability
to add their own ideas as well. I allow change to happen," he says. "The only time I step in is
when I am really married to moment or movement. Hip hoppers like change, and to not allow
that is to not allow them voice."(2007) He established a value for solidified movement as well as
a voice for changes in the movement due to artistry in the dancer.
Harris takes the credit for bringing the genuine article to concert dance audiences and
luring hip hop spectators to concert dance venues. Through his choreographic overhauls he has
made theater dance history- Dance article (2007). Among his acclaimed works Rome and Jules
is the kickstart for his company on the stage. It was the first full length Hip Hop performance. A
Dance Journal describes His work thus, This is postmodernism par excellence. With text shaved
and pasted onto rappers delights, making Romeo into a trickster with words and a jester with
movement. Dance journal (2000) To parallel this a article by Elizabeth Zimmer relates the
following The linguistic structure of the work is Joycean (and also, apparently, classically

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African): a word salad of puns, insults and improvised humor. Harris' team (shepherded by
dramaturg-narrator Ozzie Jones) has done its homework, drawing parallels between
Shakespeare's iambic pentameter and the insistent rhyming and syncopation of hip-hop verse.
Popping out of the script are sly references to the City of Brotherly Love, recently nicknamed
"the city that loves you back." Yeah, right, you say, looking at the disenfranchised rowdies on
stage, robbing each other even as they profess loyalty.( Elizabeth Zimmer). Both of these articles
discuss the genius of Rennie Harris ability to combine rap, Shakespeare, and Hip Hop into one
cohesive landmark production. Upon viewing this performance a dance journal noted that Jewels
is not actually on the stage, she is a presence that motivates the male leads to action (2000). This
choreographic choice allows for interpretation to the audience as well as to the performer. One
can only imagine what Jewels was thinking about this young boy who was trying to woo her but
Rennie has left it up to exploration of the mind to determine her expression.
Dr. Rennie Harris, throughout his history, has established a strong reputation for
innovative and exciting classes and workshops for children, beginning with his own
involvement, at the age of 14, with the Smithsonian Institution via the Philadelphia Folk Life
Center The After School/Mentoring program had a pilot phase that was implemented in the
fall 2000 and was a 4-6 week program at community centers and schools throughout
Philadelphia. RHPM company members were assigned to these centers and taught hip hop
dance and culture to children throughout the city who might otherwise not have such
opportunities. This program provided structured and constructive activities for at-risk youth,
encouraged creativity and literacy, and built self-confidence. It is amazing to see the way
children respond to learning hip hop dance and culture, in all its forms. By seeing the rich history
of the culture they develop a new respect for it and in turn for themselves, as they see their role

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within hip hop. This was Rennies vision about children in schools. He felt like hip hop could
unite people together to help them become something. He started these after school programs to
help them to see their potential and be a part of something in their lives. Dr. Harris artistic
philosophy reflects a deeper humanitarian vision that we as a universe of people can never
overcome racial or ethnic barriers without knowing and respecting our own distinct cultures.
Harris grew up entrenched in hip hop as an African-American and Latino art form, in all its
forms -- music, dance and language. Harris has embraced the culture and sought to honor the
legacy of hip hop. He truly believes that hip hop is the purest form of movement in that it honors
both its heritage from African and African American-Latino forms, and honors the individual.
(RHPM.org).
Rennie Harris is an advocate for the arts. He valiantly pursued a dream and pioneered the
mechanics of creating a full length Hip Hop performance. His legacy of determination to do what
he loved has brought forth an avenue for teaching children and mentoring them to follow their
ambitions. Rennie Harris has contributed sparks of intrigue to children, determination, and
fearlessness to the dance world. To continue his spirit of seeking after dreams would only be a
generous honor to him and a help for the future of dance.