Rennie Harris Puremovement launches new digital street dance archive
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The launch of the Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive (RHASDA) is more than just a news item; it's a seismic shift in how we understand and preserve the history of American dance. For years, the contributions of street dance—born from the vibrant energy of hip-hop culture—have been marginalized within mainstream dance narratives. It’s a narrative we’ve seen challenged before, as highlighted in articles like World premiere of Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company’s ‘FRICTION’, which demonstrates the continued evolution and artistic merit of contemporary dance forms. RHASDA’s commitment to being an inclusive and collaborative digital archive, spearheaded by the legendary Rennie Harris himself, directly confronts this historical oversight. This isn't simply about documenting steps and routines; it’s about capturing the lived experiences, the social context, and the cultural significance that birthed and nurtured these powerful movement traditions. Thinking about the wider implications for artists, and the need to plan ahead, it's helpful to consider the advice in Why fall is the best time to start planning your studio’s dance tour – preserving this history requires long-term commitment and careful planning.
The brilliance of RHASDA lies in its community-driven approach. Too often, archives are created by outsiders, imposing their own frameworks and interpretations onto the subject matter. By actively involving artists, archivists, and scholars in the process, RHASDA ensures that the archive reflects the authentic voices and perspectives of the individuals who shaped street dance. As someone who’s spent years honing my own craft, both on and off the pole, I know how crucial it is to feel seen and validated. Street dance, like pole dance, is often misunderstood and even stigmatized. It’s about power, control, and self-expression, wrapped in athleticism and artistry. And it’s a celebration of the body in all its forms. The archive promises to showcase not only the technical brilliance of street dance, but also the resilience, creativity, and community spirit that drive it. The fact that it’s a *digital* archive is also key; it democratizes access to this history, making it available to students, researchers, and dance enthusiasts around the world, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic background.
This development has profound implications for the entire dance landscape. It challenges the traditional hierarchies that have historically privileged certain dance forms over others. It acknowledges the vital role that marginalized communities have played in shaping the evolution of American dance. And it provides a valuable resource for future generations of dancers and choreographers, inspiring them to push boundaries, explore new forms of expression, and honor the legacy of those who came before. I firmly believe that movement is medicine, a form of therapy, and a pathway to self-discovery. Whether you’re perfecting a complex popping sequence or mastering a gravity-defying pole move, you're building strength, confidence, and a deeper connection to your body. The dedication and discipline required to excel in any dance form—street dance, ballet, contemporary, or pole—are admirable qualities that translate to every aspect of life. It’s about owning your space, commanding attention, and radiating self-assurance. And the spirit of RHASDA aligns perfectly with this ethos of empowerment and self-expression. It’s also important to note how artistry can be found in unexpected places, as seen in ‘Schmigadoon!’: Finding love – and laughter – and where everything’s a song, reminding us of the joy and creativity inherent in movement.
Looking ahead, the success of RHASDA hinges on continued community support and ongoing funding. Will other dance forms, similarly marginalized, benefit from this model of collaborative archiving? Will RHASDA inspire a broader recognition of the cultural significance of street dance and its rightful place within the pantheon of American art forms? More importantly, will it encourage other artists and communities to document and preserve their own unique dance histories? The potential is immense, and I, for one, am incredibly excited to witness the unfolding legacy of RHASDA and the invaluable contribution it will make to our understanding of dance and culture.
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Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM) the world’s first and longest running Street Dance company, has announced the launch of the Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive (RHASDA) – the first inclusive, collaborative digital archive dedicated entirely to the history of Hip-hop and Street Dance in America. RHASDA was developed by a team of artists, archivists, and scholars, headed by the pioneer of Street Dance Theater Rennie Harris and his company RHPM.
RHASDA is a groundbreaking community-driven digital archive created and run by dancers, choreographers, deejays, emcees, scholars, and the Pioneers and Legends of the Hip-hop and Street Dance communities. The archive weaves together academic articles, first person narratives, rare dance footage and many more resources contributed by a wide range of creators and contributors to Hip-hop and Street Dance culture.
At the heart of the archive is 5E Knowledge, or the Rennie Harris Library, a resource rooted in the 5th element of Hip-hop: Knowledge.
The four elements of Hip-hop are Deejay, Emcee, Graffiti, and Dance. The fifth element – Knowledge – grounds the other four, as an intrinsic value to the dissemination and preservation of the culture. 5E Knowledge features first person, oral and embodied narratives which are vital to public understanding of the enduring American art forms of Hip-hop and Street Dance.
With support from a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the RHASDA team has been hard at work unearthing, archiving, digitizing and sharing Mr. Harris’s large collection of papers and audiovisual materials to populate the archive and make items easily searchable by (for example) date, dance style, author, etc.
In addition to materials from Rennie Harris’s personal collections, the team has been working on items from other Legends, culture bearers and RHASDA artists in residence such as Princess Mhoon, Larry Love, Fayzo, Akim Funk Buddha, Versa-Style Dance Company, and more.
The site also features the Vault, which houses never-before-seen content from Harris’ personal collection of choreography, works set on other companies, book recommendations, rehearsal footage, interviews, personal history, vintage footage, appearances, tv shows, movies, and much more.
With the launch of RHASDA, RHPM invites educators, practitioners, researchers, students, and cultural institutions to explore this living archive and deepen their understanding of Hip-hop’s legacy.
You can visit the digital archive at https://rennieharrisamericanstreetdancearchive.org.
RHASDA is also looking for more contributors to the archive, so if you have any papers, photos, articles, videos etc. that are important to the history of Hip-hop and Street Dance please contact them at rhasdainfo@gmail.com
The post Rennie Harris Puremovement launches new digital street dance archive appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.
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