LORENZO RENNIE HARRIS P.H.D. Rennie Harris Puremovement 1500 Market Street 12th Floor East Tower Philadelphia, PA 19102 Rennie Harris born and raised in an African- American community in North Philadelphia. Since the age of 15, Harris has taught workshops and classes at universities nationally & internationally and is known as a powerful spokesperson for the significance of "street" origins in any dance style. Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement in 1992. RHPM, a hip-hop concert dance & theater company are dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop culture to the masses. Harris grew up entrenched in hip hop as an African American and Latino art form, in all its forms-music, dance, language- At the turn of the century Harris was voted one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years of Philadelphia history and has been compared to twentieth-century legends, Alvin Ailey and Bob Fosse. "Rennie Harris is the Basquiat of the US. Contemporary dance scene, Lorenzo Rennie Harris has literally embodied the history of hip-hop dance." ~London Times~ 2011-Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs US Department of State chose Rennie Harris as one of four companies to represent the USA. Dance Motion USA is a cultural diplomacy program, which shares the United States' rich dance culture with international audiences, sends four American dance companies on cultural exchange tours to four world regions beginning in early 2012. In 2012 Rennie Harris Puremovemnt will go to Egypt, Israel/ Palestine, and Jordan, where they will engage in workshops, training, master classes, and performances. Rennie Harris Puremovement will represent the US as Cultural Ambassadors. 2011- Guggenhiem-Rennie Harris the Founder/Artistic Director of Rennie Harris Puremovement has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2010 in recognition of his work as a hip hop choreographer. Edward Hirsch, the president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, announced that Rennie Harris was among the 180 awarded fellowships to artists, scientists and scholars chosen from a group of some 3,000 applicants. –The Dance Journal- 2011-Creative Ambassador of Philadelphia-Rennie Harris is voted "Creative Ambassador" of Philadelphia. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation's (GPTMC) newest initiative for the African American market spotlights trendsetters— musicians, visual artists, dancers, poets, designers and producers—who are in touch with what's cool, hip and hot in the city and region. These Creative Ambassadors, led in 2009 by Grammy-winning hip-hop group The Roots and in 2010 by singer/songwriter Marsha Ambrosius, use their social networks to build buzz about Philly as a travel hotspot and encourage a younger, affluent, tech-savvy crowd to visit. Rennie Harris is this years recipient. 1 Rennie Harris Puremovement 1500 Market Steet 12th Floor East Tower Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 T: 215 665 5718 F: 215 689 2727 www.rhpm.org 2010 -Honorary Doctorate-Philadelphia choreographer Lorenzo "Rennie" Harris received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the Bates College 144th commencement ceremony on May 30, 2010. Founder and Artistic Director of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Harris was one of five honorary degree recipients this year. Honorands included: Dr. James McCarthy, Harvard professor of biological oceanography; Jane Pauley, veteran journalist and television anchor; Elizabeth Strout '77, Pulitzer Prize- winning novelist; and Dr. Teresa Woodruff, an obstetrics and gynecology researcher at Northwestern University. –The Dance Journal- 2008-William Shakespeare Award- Rennie Harris, Peter Martins and Chita Rivera Honored with!the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre: The Will Award is an annual honor given by the Shakespeare Theatre Company to a person (or persons) who has made a significant contribution to classical theatre in America. 2007-United States Artist Fellowship- Rennie Harris receives US Artist fellowship. United States Artist honor 50 of America's finest artists with individual fellowships of $50,000.00 2007-Governors Artist of the Year Award-Rennie Harris receives The Hazlett Memorial Award, which recognized Pennsylvanians who contributed their creative talents to their communities, were named the Hazlett Memorial Awards for Excellence in the Arts, after the late Theodore L. Hazlett Jr. of Pittsburgh, the first chairman of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Fellowships, Honors and Award/Citations Dance Motion USA 2011 Creative Ambassador of Philadelphia Pa 2011 Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Humanities 2010 Recipient of the Guggenheim Award 2010 Black Theater Alvin Ailey Award 2009 Rutgers University Honorary Committee "Launch Pad" 2009 Nominated for the Guggenhiem Award 2009 National Endowment for the Arts 2009 New England Foundation for the Arts 2009 Dance Place Honors Rennie Harris 2008 William Shakespeare Award 2008 Master Choreography 2008 United States Artist Fellowship 2007 Governors Artist of the Year Award 2007 Philadelphia Rocky Award (Peer recognition) 2007 Kulu Mele "African rooted Dance, Arts and Culture" Award 2007 Ford Foundation/Future Aesthetics 2006 Artography Award/Ford Foundation 2006 Ford Foundation/Preservation 2005 2 Rennie Harris Puremovement 1500 Market Steet 12th Floor East Tower Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 T: 215 665 5718 F: 215 689 2727 www.rhpm.org Master of African American Choreography-The Kennedy Center 2005 Awarded key to the City of Philadelphia 2005 Ford Foundation/ Research & Preservation 2004 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts 2004 Awarded key to the City of South Beach 2004 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts-Fellowship 2003 Best of Philly Philadelphia Magazine 2003 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts 2003 Penn Foundation 2003 Creative Capital 2003 Samuel Fels Foundation 2003 Stockton Rush Bartol 2003 Alvin Ailey Black Theater Award 2002 Alvin Ailey Black Theater Award 2001 Bessie Award 2001 Lawrence Olivier (nominee) United Kingdom 2001 Voted most influential Philadelphian in 100 years 2000 National Endowment for the Arts 2000 National Dance Project 2000 Cultural Fund 2000 Dance Advance Pew Charitable Trusts 1999 Ethnic Dance Award 1997 Certificate of Achievement 1997 Dance Advance Pew Charitable Trusts 1997 Pew Charitable Trusts Fellowship 1996 City of Philadelphia Cultural Fund Grant 1996 Dance Advance Pew Charitable Trusts 1995 Philadelphia Repertory Development Initiative Grant 1995 Philadelpia Repertory Development Initiative Grant 1993 Most Exciting Dancer/Choreographer 1993 City of Philadelphia (citation) 1988 Best Of Philadelphia (citation) 1984 Special Invitation/Performance Presentation Dance Motion USA (Egypt, Israel, Jordan) 2011/12 Caine Park 2011 Michigan University 2011 Dance Place Theater 2011 Freed Center for Performing Arts 2011 Dianne Wortham Theatre 2011 Wells Fargo Center 2011 August Wilson 2011 Kimmel Center 2011 3 Rennie Harris Puremovement 1500 Market Steet 12th Floor East Tower Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 T: 215 665 5718 F: 215 689 2727 www.rhpm.org Wesleyan University 2011 International Association of Blacks in Dance (LA) 2011 Adrienne Arsht Center (MIA) 2011 Freeman Stage ((Delaware) 2011 The Kimmel Center (Philadelphia Pa) 2011 Stanford University (Palo Alto) 2011 Mahaiwe (MA) 2011 Contact Theater (United Kingdom) 2011 Jacobs Pillow 2010 Kimmel Center 2010 Florida State University 2010 Montgomery Community College 2010 August Wilson Center Pittsburg 2010 Artist Collective CT 2010 Edinbourough Fringe Festival Scotland 2010 Jacobs Pillow MA 2010 August Wilson Pittsburgh Pa 2010 Georgia State University 2010 IBIAD Philadelphia Pa 2009 Yerba Buena Center 2009 La Pena Arts Center 2009 Kohler Arts WI 2009 Lafayette College Easton Pa 2009 Reicold Center St Thomas 2009 Jacobs Pillow MA 2009 Kimmel Center Philadelphia Pa 2009 Summer Stage New York City 2008 Queens Bridge Park Performance 2008 Royal Theater UK 2008 Univerisity of Wisconsin 2008 The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA 2008 The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA 2007 Yerba Beuna, San Francisco, CA 2007 Majestic Theater Gettysburg PA 2007 Wells Fargo Center Santa Ana CA 2007 Piedmont Virginia College, Piedmont VA 2007 University Of Virginia 2007 Alabama Dance Council Birmingham AL 2006 Painted Bride Arts Center, Philadelphia PA 2006 New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ 2006 Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 2006 Red Cat Theater LA 2006 Mryna Loy Center Helena, MT 2006 Winston Salem State University 2006 City Parks Foundation New York NY 2006 Southeast Alabama Dance Company 2006 4 Rennie Harris Puremovement 1500 Market Steet 12th Floor East Tower Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 T: 215 665 5718 F: 215 689 2727 www.rhpm.org Overture Center for he Arts Madison WI 2006 World Music Crash Arts Cambridge MA 2006 City Center St Louis, MO 2005 University at Buffalo Center for the Arts 2005 Kravis Performing Arts West Palm Beach Florida 2005 Queen Elizabeth Hall London England 2005 Krannert Center for the Performing Arts 2005 University of North Carolina 2005 Dance & Theatrica Modena Italy 2005 Contemporary Dance Theater Inc, Cincinnati OH 2005 Moore Theater Seattle, WA 2005 Luther Burbank Santa Rosa, CA 2005 University of Michigan Ann Arbour, IL 2005 Carver Community Center San Antonio, TX 2005 Sheppard College Virginia 2005 Cornell University Ithica, NY 2005 Jarson-Kaplan Theater Cincinnati, OH 2005 Queen Elizabeth Theater London, England 2005 University of Illinois Urbana, Il 2005 Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Santa Rosa CA 2005 Fort Wayne Dance Collective Fort Wayne, IN 2005