HAMMERSTEP

Co- Founders Jason Oremus and Garrett Coleman in Boston, 2009

A new dance show that has sparked interest from inspirational grounds for exploring new movement the UK to Japan has finally landed in the US! and for staging social and political commentary. Hammerstep, the first touring show of its kind, strives to overcome cultural and socioeconomic Created and directed by two-time World differences through a nuanced integration of Champion Irish step dancer Garrett Coleman and historically rebellious forms of urban movement. former lead of Riverdance Jason Oremus, This groundbreaking show integrates traditional Hammerstep made its official US preview preview in Irish step, tap, and hip hop dance forms and May 2011 with two performances at the Lincoln presents them through cutting edge choreography, Center Atrium alongside Grammy Award lights, and sound in a way that reinvents the Nominee . More recently, the company typical Irish dance show experience for an performed at the prestigious Palace Theatre on audience. ’s West End. Hammerstep’s entertaining yet thought-provoking The performances have been met with great movement not only elevates dance to a new level acclaim and have set the stage for US and but strives to spark social change in the process. As European tours. A highlight reel of the products of the urban environment themselves, performances can be found HERE or at Hammerstep’s founders use urban spaces as the www.hammerstep.com. “[Hammerstep] shared a show absolutely like no other with Lincoln Center audiences tonight.”

Hillary McAndrew Plate Senior Manager Lincoln Center Atrium

About the Show This versatile dance performance will showcase used upstage, and an audiovisual element will be some of the best talent from around the world in projected in the background. While these an amalgamation of various art forms. The show components fuel the action of the show, it is the explores the possibilities for fusing hip hop, tap, dancers that represent Hammerstep’s thematic and Irish step dance into a new and unique style. elements. These include depicting conflict and Drawing on a variety of dance forms reinvigorates collaboration, examining marginalization and formerly unique genres while breaking down oppression, and exploring the opportunity for movement styles that are traditionally more creative and social progression. constricting choreographically. Hammerstep’s touring shows can be tailored for site The movement will be accompanied and specific venues, large theaters and concert halls. influenced by an impressive multimedia audio- We plan to potentially showcase local dance and visual component. Signature, modern costuming music talent at performances, both as a means to will include a reinvention of the traditional dance attract new audiences and to give individuals shoe. Innovative lighting of the shoes and footwork invaluable performance experience. Each touring and projection of synchronized equalizers, show may consist of two acts totaling up to 90 animations and silhouette imagery will be minutes in length, while other performances at incorporated into the choreography. A live DJ and festivals or corporate functions will be be tailored band—incorporating contemporary fiddle to the venue or event. anchored with hip hop and electronica— will be Street Initiatives and Public Outreach “Dance is a universal language. The children were really eager to learn a new The Hammerstep mission is an evolving mechanism dance culture – Irish dance; and equally tailored to historically relevant sites and current the Hammerstep crew were also excited social affairs. By visiting places such as children’s to see the children share their Gumboot hospitals, community centers and local charity dance moves with them. When the two events, we plan to not only garner local support met on the dance floor, it was an overwhelming cultural experience – like and media exposure but to also give back to the no other. I’m glad to have been part of it.” community. Activism and neighborhood empowerment initiatives will unite a grass roots Sinethemba Modungwa audience base around the cause of urban Rena Le Lona Project Manager revitalization. We believe this will allow us to break the barriers that constrict dance forms by Footage from the event can be found here or at integrating them into community life. www.hammerstep.com.

The Hammerstep crew recently returned from an Our guerilla street marketing team ‘Sneaky outreach performance workshop in Soweto, South Steppers’ have received excellent feedback on Africa, at the Rena Le Lona Creative Center for YouTube and the online community. Our latest Children. The organization provides program- project was an Irish dance flash mob for St ming for underprivileged youth, many who have Patrick's Day 2011 at Central Station, Sydney, in been orphaned due to AIDS. Hammerstep’s association with Tourism Ireland and the cast of performance and workshop sessions in Irish, Riverdance. The Sneaky Steppers orchestrated Flamenco and Hip Hop music and dance, over 150 dancers into a spontaneous outbreak of provided an artistic and cultural exchange for Irish dance, making news around the world and everyone involved. going viral over the internet, gaining over two million hits on YouTube within a year.

Hammerstep Outreach in Soweto, South Africa

Left: Rena Le Lona youth perform a Gumboot dance.

Right: Hammerstep Music workshop. Founding Directors

Garrett Coleman Traditionally trained in Irish Step dance as a child, Garrett has consistently found himself Jason Oremus drawn to types of dance that are rhythmically Jason has been heavily involved in the dancing innovative and that push the boundaries of industry his entire life. Originally from Sydney, athleticism through dance. In addition to Irish Australia, he won 5 consecutive State and National Step, he has trained in hip hop, tap, and Solo Irish dancing titles from 1999-2003. He also contemporary movement. Following a successful performed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening career in the competitive Irish dance realm, in Ceremony alongside Tap Dogs at just fifteen years which he won two world titles and numerous other of age. In early 2004, Jason joined the world national and international titles, Garrett toured famous Riverdance. Shortly thereafter, Jason was professionally with Riverdance and Trinity Irish selected to train for the lead role, and successfully Dance Company. Garrett has choreographed went on to star as the principle male dancer for performances for cityLive! Productions of over four years. Jason has performed with Pittsburgh, and performed with musical acts like Riverdance for an eight-year period in over 36 Cherish the Ladies, The Chieftans, and Gaelic countries, and for notable leaders including The Storm. He has twice been named one of the “Top Empress of Japan and Australian Prime Minister 100 Irish Americans” by Irish America magazine. Julia Gillard. Realizing that current Irish dance He also performed at the Kennedy Center in 2006 shows were following a routine and somewhat as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and is a monotonous pattern since the conception of National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Riverdance in 1994, Jason created and refined a award winner (top 2% of artistic talent in the vision for Hammerstep alongside Garrett Coleman in ). As co-creator of Hammerstep, his 2009- a new approach to Irish dance that attempts experience as a dancer and choreographer in the to break the traditional restraints on this engaging urban environment has honed his artistic vision art form, while integrating both culturally and and acted as inspiration towards Hammerstep’s long socially through dance collaboration and outreach term mission and development. programming. HS Team

Parker Hall Pat Mangan Parker Hall has been tap Fiddler and DJ dancing since the age of Patrick Mangan is eight. At thirteen, he from Brooklyn, New graduated from the New York. The two-time York Shakespeare Tap A l l - I r e l a n d Institute, mentored by Ted champion studied Levy and Savion Glover. with renowned player and teacher, Brian Conway. He also made guest At sixteen, Patrick appeared in Riverdance on appearances in “Savion Glover Downtown: Live Broadway, becoming the youngest fiddle player in Communication”, one of which was on opening the show’s history. Since then, he has performed night. Parker has toured with Riverdance as lead with Riverdance as a featured soloist from 2006 tap dancer throughout the UK, Europe, Russia, through 2011. He has dazzled audiences across the US and Canada, performing in venues such as US, Europe and Asia. He has also been a member The Duke on 42nd St, The Kremlin, and the of the John Whelan Band, performed with world famous Apollo Theater, both in NYC and renowned vocalist Cathie Ryan, and neo-Celtic London. Some of the legendary tap dancers he’s group Whirligig. Other accolades include first studied with include Derrick Grant (Imagine Tap), prize honors for instrumental composition in the Jared Grimes (Choreographer for Cirque Du BMG-sponsored World of Expression competition Soleil) and the late Dr. Buster Brown. Parker is also in 2002 for his piece “September Sky”. Also an featured in the instructional tap video “Funky avid DJ, Patrick fuses his eclectic fiddle skills with Rhythm Tap”. live synth effects and beats during performances.

Gilbert Bailey II Cjaiilon ‘Snap Boogie’ Gilbert has worked in Andrade studios surrounding the Trained in multiple dance Philadelphia area as an disciplines, Snap is a true instructor of Hip-Hop, hip hopper, having learnt Acro, and Street . In the styles of popping, addition, he has worked as locking, waving and b- the "Hip-Hop culturalist" boying by dancing with and choreographer for the some of the pioneers of BHS Hip-Hop squad and is a current member of the original street crews of Boston and NYC, ABC crew, a dance group out of Bristol. He was including Mr. Wiggles, Tiny Love and Float recently seen in the URTC production of WORD Master John. Snap’s uncle, also named Snap, was a UP, a staged documentary of Hip-Hop. Gilbert’s founding member of the original FloorLords crew. expertise in this style of dance spans the whole Snap has danced with One Love, FloorLords, realm of the genre – from breaking to rocking, BalletRox, and co-hosted the 2011 World B-Boy locking to popping, and house to capoeira.! Gilbert Championships held in his home town Boston. has toured the US, South Africa and China with Snap recently reached the semi-finals of America’s Riverdance and is also employed at Asharp Got Talent 2011, and strives to be a good example Productions as an MC, Vocalist, and Interactive to kids, showing them that they too can stay off the Dancer. He received a BA in Musical Theatre streets if they cultivate a passion for dance. from Penn State University. Dave Eggar Lucas ‘The Beatbox’ Grammy nominated cellist Brooks and composer Dave Eggar Hailing from Derby, has performed throughout England, Lucas ‘The the world including Beatbox’ Brooks has been featured solo engagements conjuring vocal wizardry at , the for the last 10 years. A Barbican Center, Lincoln finalist in the 2010 UK Center, the Hollywood beat boxing champion- Bowl and many others. ships and a collaborator Solo cellist of the American rock band with some of the finest emerging hip hop talent in , he has performed and recorded with the greater UK scene, Lucas has been pioneering acts in many styles including , Tony the musicality behind the beats and its interaction Benett, , , Tina between percussive art forms. His depth of music Turner, the Ballet and Beyonce. and production knowledge allows him to venture Mr. Eggar was awarded the SONY records into unchartered soundscapes across genres and Elevated Standards Award in classical music as samples of classical, cinematic, electronic, pop, well as fellowships and awards from Time and of course hip hop. Lucas dares to go where no magazine, the Leonard Bernstein foundation, beat boxer has been heard before. ASCAP, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He holds a PhD from the in music and a BA in biophysics from Harvard University.

Chuck Palmer A gifted percussionist, Chuck has performed and recorded with artists including , , RJD2, Sly Dunbar, Tony Scherr, , Itaal Shur, Luciano, Dr. , Handel Tucker, Heather Holley, Morley, Alex Skolnick, Rachael Sage, The City and Horses, Waway Saway and the Talaandig Tribe, and from Evanescence. Mr. Palmer co-produced Dave Eggar's latest Grammy-nominated release Kingston Morning and is a founding member of the group Deoro.

CONTACT HAMMERSTEP: [email protected] www.hammerstep.com US: +1 412 860 8777 www.hammerstep.com [email protected]