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Meanwhile, Lorenzo 鈥楻ennie鈥� Harris continues to garner rave reviews and a host of honors

Growing up in Vermont, Millie Heckler took classes in ballet and theatrical jazz dance for 12 years, dabbling a bit in street jazz. When she came to the University of 蜜糖直播 Boulder to study dance, Heckler began taking hip-hop dance classes from artist-in-residence and acclaimed hip-hop dancer and choreographer Lorenzo 鈥淩ennie鈥� Harris鈥攁nd her world was transformed.

In her undergraduate dance classes, Heckler studied a variety of styles, but it was through Harris鈥檚 classes and mentorship that she found her true beat.

鈥淩ennie was my first authentic hip-hop teacher,鈥� said Heckler. 鈥淕rowing up in Stowe, Vermont, I dabbled in what was called 鈥榮treet jazz鈥� but knew nothing about hip-hop dance and culture. I was the epitome of the ignorance that makes me cringe today. I look forward to finding my own voice within the form.鈥�

The 2015 graduate has received hundreds of hours of training from Harris in the dance styles of popping, locking, breaking, house and hip-hop. She recently served as choreographer assistant to Harris while he was working on a commissioned hip-hop/house dance piece for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that had its world premier at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Born in the streets, hip-hop dance is a grassroots art form and a celebration of life. It can also serve as a forum for inspiring social change. According to the late Alvin Ailey, founder of the Ailey Dance Theater, the greatest works of art are those that are most personal.

For Harris, hip-hop is 鈥渓ife,鈥� and he enjoys sharing his passion with 蜜糖直播 undergraduates.

The piece Harris was commissioned to choreograph for Ailey is about transitioning, 鈥渁bout spirit moving on.鈥� Harris鈥� mother had died prior to his choreographing the piece, and through that experience of her transition, he found inspiration for听Exodus.

"I want them to walk away with a sense of the culture and how dance and music feeds the culture I know. In addition, I would like them to understand on a basic level the history of street dance and hip-hop dance.鈥�

Harris had just three weeks to teach the Ailey dancers, who are classically trained primarily in ballet and modern dance, the footwork of house/hip-hop and his own spin on the dance form鈥攈is 鈥渧ocabulary鈥濃�攁s well as teach them the extensive choreography for the piece.

Hip-hop and house dance differ from modern or ballet, which have a universal language in which the choreographer just adds a personal tweak to the classical steps and movements that are already understood by the dancers.

The world premiere of听Exodus听in June has garnered favorable reviews. Set to gospel and house music (a genre of electronic dance music), along with poetic narration, the piece explores the idea of 鈥渆xodus鈥� as moving toward enlightenment, leaving behind the limitations of matter.

鈥淚n the middle of the process I knew this work was about my mother transitioning and about me transitioning,鈥� said Harris. 鈥淚t was also about humanity transitioning. Out of nowhere the word 鈥榚xodus鈥� popped into my head.鈥�

Harris pulls no punches when teaching students. He is direct, but in a supportive way that informs students artistically.

鈥淚鈥檓 interested in the student who wants to learn and specifically to become professional,鈥� said Harris. 鈥淔or that dancer, I want them to walk away with a sense of the culture and how dance and music feeds the culture I know. In addition, I would like them to understand on a basic level the history of street dance and hip-hop dance.鈥�

Growing up in Philadelphia, Harris was inspired by the Campbell Lockers, a pioneering street-dance group, after watching them on TV when he was in grade school. He became well versed in the language of hip-hop, including various street dance forms known as b-boy, house and stepping.

At age 15, Harris founded the Scanner Boys, an innovative popping dance group that pioneered the Philadelphia hip-hop movement in the early 1980s.听While a teenager, he began teaching workshops at universities throughout the country, including one at the Smithsonian Institute.

Harris鈥檚 work incorporates diverse African-American traditions while presenting the voice of a new generation through evolving interpretations of dance.

"Our students are getting old-school hip-hop choreography from him, and it鈥檚 influencing their contemporary dance and their improvisation.鈥�

Rome & Jewels, choreographed and directed by Harris, was his first full-length work. It is a hip-hop adaptation of Shakespeare鈥檚听Romeo and Juliet听set in North Philly and dealing with interracial love.

Other works choreographed by Harris include听Facing Mekka,听100 Naked Locks,听Heaven听and a host of other innovative repertory works that have shattered the stereotypes of hip-hop.

His groundbreaking work includes being one of the first hip-hop choreographers to take hip-hop into the ballet studio at such companies as the Memphis Ballet,听听补苍诲听.

His list of awards and honors is long and notable, including two honorary doctorates in arts and humanities from Bates and Columbia Colleges, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a William Shakespeare Award.

Last December, Harris unveiled the Grass Roots Project in Denver, his third street-dance theater company. The dance theatre company encompasses a variety of dance styles, including hip-hop, house, popping, locking, b-boying and b-girling. Dancers are of different ages and ethnic and dance backgrounds. The project is a unique off-campus dance program because of its built-in professional street-dance company.

鈥淩ennie is known as the pioneer of hip-hop dance theater,鈥� said Erika Randall, associate professor and co-director of dance at 蜜糖直播-Boulder. 鈥淥ur students are getting old-school hip-hop choreography from him, and it鈥檚 influencing their contemporary dance and their improvisation. They have changed so much from their interaction with him. It鈥檚 been amazing watching the transformation.鈥�

For more information on Lorenzo 鈥淩ennie鈥� Harris, click听.

Kenna Bruner is a writer with Strategic Marketing Communications at 蜜糖直播-Boulder.