I couldn’t stand the only fusion dance company I’ve ever seen, where the artists onstage were a jumble of poppers, ballerinas and tap dancers that traded phrases back and forth. There was no unity, and while it was entertaining enough the differences in movement execution just make me cringe. But Montreal-based RUBBERBANDance Group (RBDG) fuses hip hop, breaking, and contemporary ballet within each moment of choreography in a way I’ve never seen before. And they’re bringing it to Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art this weekend with three performances only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
RBDG was founded in 2002 by Victor Quijada, who dances in the company and serves as artistic director along with Anne Plamondon. Quijada started out as a b-boy in LA before studying with modern legend Twyla Tharp and later joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, one of the world’s premier contemporary ballet companies. RBDG is the culmination of his cross-discipline background, as he brings the fluidity and poetry of contemporary ballet to the rawness of hip hop.
Quijada sets his choreography to everything from Vivaldi and Stravinsky to beats mixed by DJs with names like DJ Lil Jaz. Intricate duets and dynamic phrases that move in and out of gravity-defying breaking moves on the floor are trademarks of his work, much of which explores human relationships. All of RBDG’s dancers are versatile artists who bring theatrics, technique, and a certain delicacy to the hip hop movements they’re given.
The show they will be performing at the ICA is entitled “Loan Sharking,” and consists of four pieces from the company’s repertoire that recast hip hop as high art. This is the group’s Boston debut, and they are appearing as part of World Music/CRASHarts, a Cambridge-based nonprofit that works to bring international performing arts to the Boston area.
Tickets are $40, but can be purchased for $20 through BosTix.org for us poor students. For regular tickets, a list of showtimes and directions to the ICA, visit the event page.
