Ryan ChartrandEveryone has seen ballet dancers, break dancers, dancing on tabletops, even “Dances with Wolves.” But how about dancing with crutches?
Bill Shannon, the “Crutchmaster,” will be bringing his creative blend of hip-hop, innovation and passion to the Christopher Cohan Center Pavilion today and Wednesday at 8 p.m. with his performance “Spatial Theory.”
Shannon has been using crutches to get around since he was 5years old when he was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease. Since then, he has been dancing all over the United States bringing a unique style and unconventional image from New York City street corners to Cirque du Soleil.
“I have invented a new form profoundly different from anything you may have seen. This invention is rooted in the hip-hop/skateboard tradition of street improvisation yet has a formal timeless quality beyond the boundaries of its roots,” described Shannon on his Web site www.virtualprovocateur.com.
With crutches at his side, Shannon embraces his individuality and uses his roots in break dancing, skateboarding and improvisation to exhibit a smooth, comedic and mood-setting display of inspiration.
His crutches are used like another set of legs, moving as if they were his own. Turning 360 degrees down flights of stairs and imitating power moves from break dancing – all with crutches – Shannon is no doubt in a league of his own.
“We had seen him perform before in New York and were impressed by his creativity and how he overcame his handicap,” said Peter Wilt, interim director of Cal Poly Arts. “He is a positive role model, and (it’s) a fun and entertaining show.”
Shannon certainly colors outside the lines when it comes to contemporary dance, and this innovative manner has brought him all over the world and gained him many acclaimed awards. His videos have been shown abroad at art galleries in Liverpool and Finland. He was also a recipient of the 2003 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship Award and the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Art Award.
“I think I have an original vision that holds no allegiances and brings dancers to the stage who are raw talent,” Shannon said on his Web site. “Through dancing I have created an entire classification of movement that is technically specific, while culturally holding a hybrid and (remaining) unique unto me.”
Dance Magazine illustrated Shannon as “a new bionic man made of metal and flesh with a hip-hop heart.”
Tickets for the event are $34 for regular admission, and $27 for students. Additionally, if there are still available seats within a half-hour of the showing, student tickets will be sold for $5 with a PolyCard. The show will last 60 to 80 minutes.
For information about the show and how to purchase tickets, call the Performing Arts Center ticket box at 756-2787 or 888-233-ARTS or visit the Web site at www.pacslo.org.