Rennie Harris is a dancer, choreographer, artistic director and professor of Hip-hop dance. Harris formed the first and longest running hip-hop dance touring company, Rennie Harris Puremovement in 1992. In 2007, he conceived another touring company, RHAW or Rennie Harris Awe-Inspiring Works.

In addition to touring with his companies, he teaches the technique and history of hip-hop dance in its various forms. Versed in Popping

Popping

Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...

, Campbellocking, House dance

House dance

House dance is a social dance primarily danced to house music that has roots in the clubs of Chicago and of New York. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting...

, GQ, B-boying

B-boying

B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...

 and Hip-Hop (proper), he continues teaching at universities in the US and internationally. Rennie Harris also organizes an annual Hip-Hop Dance Festival entitled, Illadelph Legends of Hip-Hop Festival, which brings together the original hip-hop street dances and the pioneering legends to give lectures and mentor students from around the world.

Harris has received numerous awards for his theatrical Hip-hop dance performances or what he refers to as, "Hip-Hop concert dance". He is known for such works as Rome and Jewels, Facing Mekka, 100 NAKED LOCKS, Heaven, and a host of innovative repertory works, which have broken many stereotypes and expectations of hip-hop dance. After receiving an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in Hip-Hop from Bates College

Bates College

Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...

, Harris' company was chosen as 1 of 4 US companies to serve as cultural ambassadors for President Obama's "Dance Motion USA" and will be touring the middle east.

Early Years

Growing up in North Philadelphia, PA, Rennie was first inspired by Don Campbell (dancer)’s group, The Campbell Lockers, after seeing them on the TV show Soul Train

Soul Train

Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...

. He started dancing socially as a kid but when he was around 12 years old, he started a dance group called Cobra III with his brother and childhood friend, nicknamed “Brainy.” Cobra III entered and won a local church talent show, marking the beginning of Harris’ life commitment to dance.

Commercial Career

Rennie Harris started his career by forming dance groups during his teens, such as the GQ group called, The Step Masters and a popping crew called, The Scanner Boys. These groups opened and performed with such acts as: Afrika Bambaataa

Afrika Bambaataa

Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...

, West Street Mob

West Street Mob

West Street Mob were a boogie and electro music trio, active between 1981 and 1984, best known for their 1983 song "Break Dance – Electric Boogie". The band comprises Joey Robinson, Jr...

, Kool Moe Dee

Kool Moe Dee

Mohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s through the early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York...

 and the Treacherous Three

Treacherous Three

The Treacherous Three was a pioneering hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee , with occasional contributions from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg and DJ Crazy Eddie...

, Super Nature, currently known as Salt-n-Pepa

Salt-N-Pepa

Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....

, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. Composed of one DJ and five rappers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in...

, and Doug E Fresh, Double Trouble, Roxanne Shante

Roxanne Shanté

Roxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....

, UTFO

UTFO

UTFO is an old school hip-hop group, popular in the 1980s, that was mentored by the contemporary R&B group Full Force. The group consists of the Kangol Kid , the Educated Rapper , Doctor Ice , and Mix Master Ice...

, Whodini

Whodini

Whodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee.-Early years:Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to...

, Newcleus

Newcleus

Newcleus is an American electro and old school hip hop group that gained popularity in the early 1980s. They are primarily known for their 12-inch singles "Jam-On's Revenge", re-released as "Jam on Revenge " , and "Jam on It" ....

, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow

Kurtis Blow

Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...

, Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

, Brandy (singer), Aliah, Sugar Hill Gang, Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...

, Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...

, The Tramps, and Debarge

DeBarge

DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...

, among others. Also known as, Prince of the Ghetto, Harris was also a member of The Magnificent Force. Rennie worked for the TV dance shows: "Dancin' On Air

Dancin' on air

Dancin' On Air was a 1980s television dance music reality show, forerunner of the TV show Dance Party USA. Both shows were produced and created by Michael Nise and his father Frank. The show started with US$100,000 from a small group of investors that included Tonight Show band leader Doc...

", "Dance Party USA

Dance Party USA

Dance Party USA is an American dance television show that aired on cable's USA Network from April 12, 1986, to June 27, 1992. It was originally a half-hour, but was expanded to an hour in 1987....

", and then was given his own show to host called, "One House Street

ONE HOUSE STREET

ONE HOUSE STREET was a freeform rap/dance party television program highlighting videos, artist performances, street dance and a high-tech DJ booth for “scratching” and live DJ’ing....

." Rennie Harris finished his commercial career with a prolonged tour with Cathy Sledge of Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...

, as a choreographer and dancer. Harris then returned to Philadelphia and The Scanner Boys to continue to innovate hip-hop dance. The Scanner Boys disbanded in 1992 with their last performance at the “Dancing in the Streets" festival held at 30th Street Train Station in Philadelphia.

Rennie Harris Puremovement

In 1992, Rennie Harris formed, Rennie Harris Puremovement, the company created to further his efforts to preserve and disseminate hip-hop culture. The company's mission is to re-educate about hip-hop and its culture through its artistic work, lecture demonstrations, and discussions. The company currently performs newer repertory works such as: "Something to Do with Love", "Got to Get It," and "Queen," among a host of other works. The company has performed such evening length productions as: "Rome and Jewels", "Facing Mekka", "100 NAKED LOCKS", and "Heaven", of which they have won numerous awards for. 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of Rennie Harris Puremovement and the company is set to tour excerpts of past works as well as newer works in commemoration.

Rome and Jewels

Billed as the longest running evening length hip-hop dance production, "Rome and Jewels" is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...

 and the movie, West Side Story

West Side Story

West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...

. It is one of the first of its kind as being a hip-hop dance play/dance production. The piece features all hip-hop dance vocabulary, poetry, DJ's, projected video and live video feed. The show has won numerous awards and was even nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

Illadelph Legends of Hip-Hop Festival

Started in 1998, Rennie Harris started Illadelph Legends of Hip-Hop Festival to bring together the pioneers of the various forms of hip-hop dance in a teaching festival that offers dance classes, panel discussions, and performances with such pioneers as Don Campbell (dancer) of The Campbell Lockers, Mr. Wiggles

Mr. Wiggles

Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente is a street dancer, noted for his popping skills. He is a member of the Rock Steady Crew, The Electric Boogaloos, Tribal Click and Zulu Nation. Wiggles has been active as a dancer, actor, choreographer, dance instructor, music producer and graffiti...

, Ken Swift

Ken Swift

Ken Swift is a second generation B-boy, or breakdancer, and former Vice President of the Rock Steady Crew of which he was a long time member and key figure. He is now President of the Breaklife and VII Gems Hip Hop movement in NYC. Widely known in the B-Boy world as "the Epitome of a B-Boy," Ken...

, Budda Stretch, Tweety, Caleaf Sellars, Moncell "Ill Kosby" Durden, and international artists like Meech from France, Hiro from Japan, and Eva Shou from Denmark. The festival passes on the knowledge, tradition, and dance vocabulary of the various forms, such as Popping

Popping

Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...

, Breaking, Locking

Locking

Locking may refer to:* Locking , a style of funk dance invented in the early 1970s* Locking, Somerset, a village in the United Kingdom...

, House dance

House dance

House dance is a social dance primarily danced to house music that has roots in the clubs of Chicago and of New York. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting...

, Waacking

Waacking

The Waacking style of street dance traces its roots back to gay and nightclub cultures. In the United States, at gay nightclubs, male performers dressed as women and performed to female songs on stage...

, and Vogue (dance)

Vogue (dance)

Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning...

, that have been umbrellaed under the term Hip-hop dance.

Scholarship

Rennie started teaching hip-hop at the age of 15 with the Smithsonian Institute and continues to teach at various universities across the world. He teaches lectures on the history of Hip-Hop and the various techniques of Hip-Hop street dance through guest classes, residencies, and panel discussions. In 2010, Harris received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bates College

Bates College

Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...

, for his work with Hip-hop dance. He has taught at Universities such as the University of Colorado-Boulder, Stanford University

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

, New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

, University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...

, Temple University

Temple University

Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...

, Villanova University

Villanova University

Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...

, University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

, Drexel University

Drexel University

Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...

, Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

, Michigan University, University of Hawaii

University of Hawaii

The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...

, among many others. As apart of his efforts to educate the world about Hip-hop, he passes on his historical knowledge of the dance through performances all over the world, including but not limited to: London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, Holland, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

, Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Perth

Perth

Perth may refer to:* Perth, Scotland, the administrative centre of the Perth and Kinross council area * Perth, Western Australia, the capital of Western AustraliaPerth may also refer to:-Places:...

, Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

, Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

, and the Bahamas. In addition, he has performed in theaters such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....

, Lincoln Center, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue located on Broad Street, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also manages the Academy of Music in...

, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...

, Kennedy Center, Jacobs Pillow, Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

The Joyce Theater is a 472-seat dance performance venue located in the Chelsea area of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The Joyce Theater Foundation, the organization founded in 1982 that operates the theater, also owns the Joyce SoHo dance center located in a former firehouse on Mercer...

, Symphony Space

Symphony Space

Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre or the 160-seat Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater. Programs include music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings...

, New Victory Theater, The Apollo Theatre

Apollo Theatre

The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...

 in New York, Sadler's Wells Theatre

Sadler's Wells Theatre

Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...

 (London), The Southbank Centre (London) and many other theaters and universities in the US and internationally.

Commissions

Rennie Harris has broken new ground as being one of the first, if not "the" first, Hip-Hop choreographer to set works on Ballet based companies such as the Memphis Ballet, Colorado Ballet

Colorado Ballet

Colorado Ballet is a classical ballet company based in Denver, Colorado. Comprising two academies as well as a company, Colorado Ballet serves more than 110,000 patrons each year. The main performance venue is Ellie Caukins Opera House in downtown Denver....

, Pennsylvania Ballet

Pennsylvania Ballet

Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the leading ballet companies in the United States. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the...

, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...

, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadelphia Dance Company, Gus Giordano

Gus Giordano

Gus Giordano was an American jazz dancer. He was a performer on and off Broadway, in television, film and stage, and he is a master teacher, a gifted choreographer, founder of his company , creator of the Jazz Dance World Congress and the author of Anthology of American Jazz Dance, the first book...

 (Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago), Lula Washington Dance Company and many others.

Rennie Harris Awe-Inspiring-Works (RHAW)

After a large interest of young hip-hop dancers wanting to join his main company Rennie Harris Puremovement, Rennie decided to create his second company RHAW, an acronym for Rennie Harris Awe-Inspiring Works. This company features young dancers performing the various forms of Hip-Hop to various genres of music. RHAW performances are less complex then the main company in the areas of narrative and theatrics but maintains the high level of Hip-Hop technique, performance, and talent. The company also focus on community outreach and education.

Legacy

Voted one of the most influential people in 100 years of Philadelphia history and compared to legends such as Bob Fosse

Bob Fosse

Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...

, Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...

 and Nijinsky

Nijinsky

Nijinsky can refer to:*Vaslav Nijinsky , ballet dancer and choreographer*Bronislava Nijinska , dancer, choreographer and teacher*Nijinksy , starring Alan Bates Harry Saltzman as Vaslav Nijinsky*Nijinsky II, race horse...

, Rennie Harris' legacy is creating the very first Hip-Hop concert dance company to tour the fine arts circuit, Rennie Harris Puremovment. The company brought the street dance

Street dance

Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...

 and aesthetic of hip-hop into the theatre and mixed it with: narrative, abstracted aesthetics, and various music genres. Rennie Harris is featured in books and publications written by such authors as: Brenda Dixon Gottschild, "Digging the Africanist Experience in America", "The Black Dancing Body", Jeff Chang

Jeff Chang

Jeff Chang is a Taiwanese male singer, who performs sentimental Mandarin pop ballads.Chang was born in Yunlin, Taiwan. He started off his showbiz career by winning a singing competition while in college...

, "Can't Stop Won't Stop

Can't Stop Won't Stop

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation is a book by Jeff Chang chronicling the early hip hop scene.The book features portraits of DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D, and Ice Cube, among others, and is based on numerous interviews with graffiti artists, gang members, DJs,...

" and "Total Chaos

Total Chaos

Total Chaos is an American street punk band from Pomona Valley, California, formed in 1989. Lead vocalist Rob Chaos is also co-owner of SOS Records with Ezzat Soliman, owner of the Showcase Theater, having released albums by classic Punk and Oi! bands like The Exploited, Vice Squad, Sham 69,...

", Publication Columbia University, Constance Kreemer, "Further Steps", Martha Cooper

Martha Cooper

Martha Cooper is an American photojournalist born in the 1940s in Baltimore, Maryland where she picked up photography at the age of three. She graduated from high school at the age of 16, earned an art degree at age 19 from Grinnell College...

, "We B-Girlz", Rose Eichenbaum, "Master of American Choreography", Joan Acocella

Joan Acocella

Joan B. Acocella is an American journalist who is the dance and book critic for The New Yorker. She has written several books on dance, literature, and psychology....

, "Off the Street" (The New Yorker

The New Yorker

The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...

), and Julie Malnig, "Ballroom, Boogie, Shimmy Sham, Shake: a Social and Popular Dance Reader."

Choreographed Works

• (Vegas Contemporary Dance Company) (2011)
• "Home" (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
  
  ) (2011)
• "Awake" (The Philadelphia Dance Company
  The Philadelphia Dance Company
  The Philadelphia Dance Company is a professional dance company based in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in modern contemporary dance. The organization was founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown...
  
  - Philadanco) (2011)
• "Another One Bites the Dust" (RHAW) (2011)
• “Voices” (Contact Theatre
  Contact Theatre
  -Contact:Contact is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Manchester. Originally a traditional theatre Contact was rebranded in 1999 as a space specialising in producing work and providing opportunities for young people.-History:...
  
  ) (2010)
• "3 B-boys & a Girl" (RHAW) (2010)
• "Image" (RHAW) (2010)
• "A Man’s World" (RHAW) (2010)
• “Reign” (Lula Washington) (2009)
• "Lavender Lover" (University of Colorado-Boulder) (2009)
• (Rutgers University
  Rutgers University
  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
  
  ) (2009)
• (Gus Giordano Jazz Company ) (2009)
• “Something to do with Love” (University of California, Irvine
  University of California, Irvine
  The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
  
  ) (2008)
• “Endangered Species- solo by Desmond Richardson" (Complexions Contemporary Ballet
  Complexions Contemporary Ballet
  Complexions Contemporary Ballet is a contemporary ballet company founded in 1994 by Artistic Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson based in New York City comprising about 14 classical and contemporary dancers...
  
  ) (2007)
• “Philadelphia Experience” (The Philadelphia Dance Company
  The Philadelphia Dance Company
  The Philadelphia Dance Company is a professional dance company based in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in modern contemporary dance. The organization was founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown...
  
  ) (2007)
• “Jacobs Ladder” (Dayton Contemporary Dance Company) (2007)
• “Pure Dance” (RHPM) (2007)
• (William Penn Foundation
  William Penn Foundation
  The William Penn Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by businessman Otto Haas and his wife Phoebe....
  
  ) (2007)
• (Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  ) (2007)
• "Ms. Spellings of Be" (2006)
• “Meditation of a Goddess” (Goddess) (2006)
• “PrinceScareKrow Road to the Emerald City” (Rennie Harris) (2006)
• “100NAKEDLOCKS” (RHPM) (2006)
• “Heaven” (RHPM) (2006)
• “Human” (University of the Arts
  University of the Arts
  University of the Arts or University of Arts may refer to:*University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States*University of the Arts London in London, England, United KingdomGermany...
  
  ) (2006)
• “Soul” (Sam Houston State University
  Sam Houston State University
  Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
  
  ) (2006)
• (Expressions Dance Company
  Expressions Dance Company
  Expressions Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company based in the The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, in Fortitude Valley. It was founded in 1984 by Maggi Sietsma, Artistic Director and Abel Valls, General Manager...
  
  ) (2005)
• “Scourge” (Bamuthi Joseph) (2005)
• (Colorado Ballet
  Colorado Ballet
  Colorado Ballet is a classical ballet company based in Denver, Colorado. Comprising two academies as well as a company, Colorado Ballet serves more than 110,000 patrons each year. The main performance venue is Ellie Caukins Opera House in downtown Denver....
  
  ) (2004)
• "Love Stories" (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
  
  ) (2004)
• "Facing Mekka" (RHPM) (2003)
• "Honoring the Source" (Legends of Hip-Hop) (2001)
• (Ballet Memphis) (2001)
• "Rome & Jewels" (RHPM) (2000)
• Pan Logo (1998)
• Mr. Campbell Lock (1998)
• Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop (1997)
• "March of the Antmen" (1997)
• “Shut Up and Dance!” (Pennsylvania Ballet
  Pennsylvania Ballet
  Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the leading ballet companies in the United States. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the...
  
  ) (1997)
• "Hip-Hop and Holler!" (1997)
• (John Coltrane Project) (1996)
• Art Works in Different Place (1996)
• "Lorenzo’s Oil" (Philadelphia Museum of Art
  Philadelphia Museum of Art
  The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
  
  , John Cage
  John Cage
  John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
  
   Exhibit) (1995)
• "Fallen Crumbs from the Cake" (Pennsylvania Prison Society
  Pennsylvania Prison Society
  The Pennsylvania Prison Society is an advocacy group that supports prisoners, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
  
  ) (1995)
• "Students of the Asphalt Jungle" (Chuck Davis) (1995)
• The Rainbow Connection (1995)
• Patriots (1995)
• "State of Mind II" (Ivrim Festival) (1994)
• Prima Materia Phila, PA (1994)
• "Death Becomes Me" (1993)
• "3 Minutes with You" (1993)
• "P-Funk" (RHPM) (1993)
• "Peace Out to James" (1993)
• "Silent House" (1993)
• "Beautiful Human Lies" (1993)
• "State of Dazement" (1992)
• "Endangered Species" (Mime Now Festival) (1992)
• "Fresh Fruit" (1992)
• "Puremovement" (1991)
• "Hip-Hop to Be-Bop" (1987)
• "Private Dancer" (1986)
• "Nuclear War" (1986)
• "Africana" (1985)
• "Nuclear Wild Style" (1985)
• "Oriental Pop" (1983)
• "Planet Rock" (1982)
• "Step Master" (1978)
• "Cobra" (1977)

Honors

• Dance Motion USA (2011)
• Creative Ambassador of Philadelphia PA (2011)
• Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Humanities, Bates College
  Bates College
  Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
  
  (2010)
• Recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship
  Guggenheim Fellowship
  Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
  
  (2010)
• Black Theater Alvin Ailey Award (2009)
• Rutgers University Honorary Committee “Launch Pad” (2009)
• Nominated for the Guggenhiem Award (2009)
• National Endowment for the Arts
  National Endowment for the Arts
  The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
  
  (2009)
• New England Foundation for the Arts
  New England Foundation for the Arts
  The New England Foundation for the Arts , headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of six not-for-profit regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and by private foundations, corporations and individuals...
  
  (2009)
• Dance Place
  Dance Place
  Dance Place is an arts organization in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C.. "The heart and home of Washington Dance," Dance Place aims to "transform lives through performing arts and creative education programs that inspire personal growth, professional success, physical...
  
   Honors Rennie Harris (2008)
• William Shakespeare Award (2008)
• Master Choreography (2008)
• United States Artists
  United States Artists
  United States Artists is an independent nonprofit and nongovernmental philanthropic organization based in Los Angeles, California and dedicated to supporting the work of living American artists by the granting of cash awards, called USA Fellowships...
  
   Fellowship (2007)
• Governors Artist of the Year Award (2007)
• Philadelphia Rocky Award (Peer recognition) (2007)
• Kulu Mele “African-Rooted Dance, Arts and Culture” Award (2007)
• Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  -Future Aesthetics (2006)
• Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  -Artography Award (2006)
• Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  -Preservation (2005)
• Kennedy Center-Master of African-American Choreography (2005)
• Awarded Key to the City of Philadelphia (2005)
• Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  -Research & Preservation (2004)
• Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
  Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
  The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...
  
  (2004)
• Awarded Key to the City of South Beach (2004)
• Alpert Awards in the Arts
  Alpert Awards in the Arts
  The CalArts/Alpert Award in the Arts was established in the 1994 by The Herb Alpert Foundation in collaboration with the California Institute of the Arts . The foundation provides $50,000 annual fellowship to five artists in the field of film and video, visual arts, theatre, dance, and music....
  
  -Fellowship (2003)
• Philadelphia (magazine)
  Philadelphia (magazine)
  Philadelphia is a regional monthly magazine published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Metrocorp....
  
  -Best of Philly (2003)
• Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
  Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
  The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...
  
    (2003)
• William Penn Foundation
  William Penn Foundation
  The William Penn Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by businessman Otto Haas and his wife Phoebe....
  
    (2003)
• Creative Capital (2003)
• Samuel Fels Foundation (2003)
• Stockton Rush Bartol (2003)
• Alvin Ailey Black Theater Award (2002)
• Alvin Ailey Black Theater Award (2001)
• Bessie Awards
  Bessie Awards
  The New York Dance and Performance Awards, informally known as the Bessie Awards in honor of Bessie Schonberg, are awarded annually for innovative achievement in dance and related performances, particularly so-called "downtown" performances...
  
  (2001)
• Laurence Olivier Award (nominee) UK (2001)
• Voted most influential Philadelphian in 100 years (2000)
• National Endowment for the Arts
  National Endowment for the Arts
  The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
  
  (2000)
• National Dance Project (2000)
• Cultural Fund (2000)
• Pew Charitable Trusts-Dance Advance (1999)
• Ethnic Dance Award (1997)
• Certificate of Achievement (1997)
• Pew Charitable Trusts-Dance Advance (1997)
• Pew Charitable Trusts-Fellowship (1996)
• City of Philadelphia Cultural Fund Grant (1996)
• Pew Charitable Trusts-Dance Advance (1995)
• Philadelphia Repertory Development Initiative Grant (1995)
• Philadelphia Repertory Development Initiative Grant (1993)
• Most Exciting Dancer/Choreographer (1993)
• City of Philadelphia (citation) (1988)
• Best Of Philadelphia (citation) (1984)