STOMP!

Last night I went to see STOMP - and it was such an amazing show, so incredibly worth going to! I'd seen videos of the group at elementary school and thought they were so awesome when I was a kid. When I heard they were touring NZ, I had been considering  whether to go or not due to the higher-than-average ticket price (and my lower-than-average student budget for these things). I am so glad I decided to go. It was one of those experiences that enhances your life,  stimulates your brain, and also gets you to view everyday street items as having a new and totally cool potential.

Part dance, part comedy, and all rhythm, the show had me smiling and laughing all evening - they definitely kept the audience full of anticipation for what they would do next. Visually and in the nature of their movements, they juxtaposed the gracefulness of dancers with being rough-around-the-edges in the street. The routines were beyond impressive and everything they used was an everyday object, like their signature brooms and trash cans, plus shopping carts, metal sinks (with water!), buckets, wooden sticks, plastic bags, basketballs, matchboxes, newspapers, and Zippo lighters. There was such a variety of sights and sounds. Sometimes they were just clapping and using their bodies without any extra props. Their precision and coordination was captivating and invigorating to watch and they all had individual characters in their act, making for hilarious comedy without any spoken dialogue. And they even had an audience-interactive encore, proving that each and every one of us, musical or not, could have rhythm clapping, snapping, and stomping, and do what they do (even if to a much less impressive effect) too! And I bet everyone walked out of there that night with a new excitement for the rhythm of life.

If you ever have a chance to go to STOMP, do take it and go! You will not be disappointed - you can't help but have fun watching these guys!