Happening at Riverside City College (RCC) – Do Not Miss It!
Hip-Hop Dance Icon Rennie Harris is coming to RCC, bringing his legendary expertise and groundbreaking artistry to our campus! Widely recognized as a visionary of Street Dance Theater and Hip-Hop Concert Dance, Rennie Harris has toured the world, performed for royalty, and inspired countless through his dynamic contributions to hip-hop culture.
Spread the word, bring your energy, and join us for this extraordinary celebration of hip-hop dance culture. Let us show Rennie Harris and RHPM a warm RCC welcome!
Both events are FREE and open to RCC students and the community!
About the artist…
Rennie Harris, hailed as one of the most influential figures in Philadelphia’s history over the last century, is a proud son of North Philadelphia. He made his mark by touring with “The Fresh Festival” in 1984, the first rap tour in American history, which featured iconic artists such as Run DMC and Kurtis Blow. Throughout his illustrious career, Harris has shared the stage with legendary acts including Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Madonna, Brandy, The Roots, and many other prominent pioneers of rap and R&B. In 1992, Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement-American Street Dance Theater, a company committed to preserving and promoting hip-hop culture. He is credited with coining the terms “Street Dance Theater” and “Hip-hop Concert Dance.” Rennie Harris Puremovement stands as one of the longest-touring street dance theater companies in American history, boasting three Bessie Awards, four Black Theater Alvin Ailey Awards, a Herb Alpert Award, and a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award in the UK.
Harris’s remarkable journey has seen him perform for the Queen of England and the Princess of Monaco, and he has received the Master of African American Choreography Medal from the Kennedy Center. His contributions to dance have drawn comparisons to 20th-century icons like Basquiat, Alvin Ailey, and Bob Fosse. He is a distinguished United States Artists Rose Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, PEW Charitable Trust Fellow, and USA Artist of the Year Fellow. In 2012,, Harris served as an ambassador of hip-hop for President Barack Obama’s Dance Motion USA initiative in which took him to Egypt, Jerusalem, Palestine, Jordan, and surrounding territories. Notably, he is recognized as the first street dancer to receive two honorary doctorates in dance from Columbia College Chicago and Bates College in Maine. Harris has garnered numerous accolades, including Dance Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), the Palm Desert Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), the Doris Duke Artist Award (2020), the American Dance Festival’s Samuel H. Scripps Award (2023), the Hermitage Greenfield Award (2023), and the Joanie Legacy Award (2024). The New Yorker, through writer Joan Acocella, has deemed Rennie Harris as one of the most respected and brilliant hip-hop choreographers in America.