Step, shuffle, step. Brush back, heel, flap.

Does this sound familiar? It would if you happened to catch the brilliant Savion Glover during his three week run at the Joyce Theater. His production, SoLo in TiMe, is a combination of his choreographed works and an infusion of flamenco styles. The show starts off with esteemed musician, Carmen Estevez, powerfully striking a cajon box drum, as Savion makes his entrance onto the stage. His unmistakable appearance makes you want to smile with familiarity, as the tall, slender figure with the thick brown dreadlocks and loose clothing begins to create a series of phenomenal sounds with the heels and toes of his feet.

There he goes, creating a whirlwind of movement and sound in just moments before your eyes. Even a tap dancer like myself had to strain my eyes to figure out which part of his foot made which sound. The performance is further enhanced by the low to the ground, hollow wood platforms that the dancers tap on. The hollowness of the platforms make the sounds of their feet voluminous. The clearest, smallest movement echoes throughout the interior of the theater. It isn’t possible to miss a thing.

Joining Savion during many numbers are two experienced hoofers, Marshall Davis Jr. and Cartier Williams. Both of them subtly complement Savion in his extravagant solos and expressively demonstrate their skills during their time in the spotlight. Williams, nineteen years old and a prodigy of Savion, is especially impressive. They all work with each other, clacking out rhythms at a blinding pace and working off the the beats that the others provide; all improvisation and collaboration.

About half the time, Savion dances without music. He creates the music with his feet, producing bluesy syncopation and elaborate percussion. And never is his unique style only apparent in his feet, but his body always sways to the rhythms he creates. His arms flail up with a toe stand and thrust down with his heavy heels. Though he creates such prominent, heavy sounds, his legs and torso always seem to be so light and nimble.

And remember, that is only the first half of the show. Before you know it, the flamenco crew appears, including cellist Andy McCloud, guitarist Arturo Martinez, drummer Carmen Estevez, and the radiant singer, La Conja, who performs a symphonious duet with Savion. Savion’s inspiration is evident in his intensity and overwhelming joy expressed on his face. He faces each musician as they perform their solo, looking each other in the eyes and fusing their styles into a united form of music.

When asked in an interview why he chose flamenco as a complement to his show, Savion said, “I wanted to explore the rhythmic percussion of a dance that involves an emotional percussive history similar to the Hooferz tradition. What many people do not understand is that tap is percussion. While there are traditional hoofer rhythms, each moment, each brush to the floor is an expressive poetry individual to each dancer’s internal voice.”

So, if you want something different, and something that will surely keep you energized, than I suggest you travel down to The Joyce before the end of this week. Savion is scheduled to play every day up until this Sunday, the 22nd. The show is a good two hours, plus a fifteen minute intermission, and Savion is out on the floor for the majority of it. The amount of sweat he generates just proves the amount of energy he puts into his show; a whole lot!