PULSE: A STOMP ODYSSEY
1/2
Pure joy.
Running time: 40 minutes. Not rated (nothing objectionable). At the Museum of Natural History’s LeFrak Theater, 79th Street at Central Park West.
THE unifying power of the spoken word is surpassed by the might of music in this effervescent IMAX documentary from the creators of the percussive stage phenomenon “STOMP.”
The camera soars above the globe in dazzling panoramic shots that make the most of the large-screen format, before swooping down on a string of exotic locales, scooping the whole world up in a joyous communal festival of rhythm.
From the frenzied tattoo of the wiry Kodo drummers of Japan, through the rapturous cacophony of a 200-piece drum orchestra at a street carnival in Brazil, to the diatonic chime of church bells in Winchester, England, there emerges an exhilarating kind of harmony.
Guiding us wordlessly through this beat-fest is “STOMP” performer Keith Middleton, a sexy, charismatic, powerfully built (did I mention sexy?) hip-hopper who says much with the raise of an eyebrow.
Often his presence alone is enough for a clever segue: Sitting on a bench in the Spring Street subway station, Middleton watches as the rumble of a passing C train ushers in a herd of bison thundering across the African plains.
In Africa, we meet the traditional dancers of Zeerust, South Africa (clad in the brightly colored, natty costumes of a Broadway musical), drumming up a storm with their feet, and the Bayeza Cultural Dancers of Johannesburg, who cavort about a construction site in hard hats and Wellington boots – before it’s off to Granada, Spain, to watch a flamenco dancer whirling and stomping on a rooftop.
Directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas created “STOMP” – an urban collective that uses found objects such as trash cans and bottles to carve out a beat – and they use this musical trip around the world to give a shout-out to those who have inspired the troupe.
All but one of the sequences succeed brilliantly: The up-tempo beat falters during a contrived underwater performance in the English Channel – but it’s saved by a kooky segue, in which a bell-ringing Middleton rides his bike off the end of a jetty.
Then there’s the visually and aurally spectacular sequence in which two polar-opposite drum troupes – the traditional Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and the very funky Jackie Robinson Steppers – converge on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The giant-screen format closely captures the delirious energy of a “STOMP” live performance, leaving you rapt until Middleton closes with a gentle “Shhhh.”