'Swift Solos'

Brook Jones of olive Dance Theatre

Ken Swift might be the most famous dancer you've never heard of, but that wouldn't be the fault of olive Dance Theatre. This Philadelphia-based company set its course eight years ago: to "explore, master, and elevate the dance form of Breakin' to solid ground, beyond capital and commercial gain into the realm of artistry." Mission accomplished, at least according to the National Endowment for the Arts, which this year favored oDT with one of its American Masterpieces grants for dance, which have been awarded previously to the companies of Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, and Martha Graham. Swift Solos, the program that olive Dance Theatre is bringing to Reagan High School this weekend under the auspices of the ever-encompassing Dance Umbrella, is based on the life of ultimate B-boy Ken Swift.

In a way, the NEA grant really is a stamp of legitimacy for breakin', which emerged from a folk background. "Breakin' started at block parties hosted outside in the summertime or springtime," says oDT's company manager, Brooks Jones. "They were listening to old Sixties and Seventies funk and soul, and there's always the break, that one moment in the song where all the other instruments except the drums fade out. So Kenny and his crew back in the day, they would hang out at the party, talk to girls, dance, but really just be waiting for that moment, the break in the record, and they would literally break on the break." From there, breakin' grew outward, onto street corners and into films, television, presidential inaugurations, and world tours. And Ken Swift was at the center of breakin's greatest mass culture popularity.

"Ken set the standard for where the bar is placed in the aesthetic of breakin' in 1982," says Jones, "and B-boys are still holding themselves to that aesthetic now. Which is kind of remarkable. But Kenny's so incredibly humble, if he knew I was saying any of these things about him, he would probably deny all of it." Artistic Director Jamie Merwin agrees: "Ken probably wouldn't say this about himself, but I think you could say Kenny's name to a breaker in any country on this planet – and there are breakers in every country, for sure – and they would know the name Ken Swift. They might not speak English, but they would know the name. There's just something about him, the way he moves, his own style, his commitment to the aesthetics and the details, the intention of all of it. Kenny is very clean. He's not a power dancer; he's very precise and intentional. Crisp and together and mature. Open and curious."

Swift Solos will focus on the events in Swift's life, but from a movement perspective, highlighting the influences that shaped him as a B-boy, as well as articulating the inspiration Swift has been for the dancers in the show. "We really built the show around questions," says Merwin. "What is the impact you can have when you follow your dream? How can we overcome struggle? Who is Ken Swift?"

For the curious, Swift will have a cameo in both performances of Solos and will judge a B-boy contest, Double Trouble, for Texas crews on Sunday at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex.

Dance Umbrella will present olive Dance Theatre's Swift Solos Friday and Saturday, July 16 & 17, 8pm, at Reagan High School, 7104 Berkman. A special performance for youth groups will be Friday, July 16, 11am, at Reagan High School. For more information, call 450-0456 or visit www.danceumbrella.com.