For the City Times

Philadelphia-based hip hop dance company Rennie Harris Puremovement will come to Stevens Point this March through the Sentry Insurance Invitation to the Arts series.

The group will give a public performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at Sentry Theater. The show will feature signature works as well as Rennie Harris’ new piece, “Nuttin’ But a Word.” Tickets are $20 each and will go on sale Sunday, Feb. 21, at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University Information and Tickets, http://tickets.uwsp.edu or 715-346-4100. All proceeds will be donated to local arts programming.

On Tuesday, March 29, the company will hold master classes at UW-Stevens Point and at the Boys and Girls Club of Portage County Berard Center. The following day will include another master class at UW-Stevens Point as well as demonstrations of the “History of Hip-Hop” at Sentry Theater for local Stevens Point area sixth grade students and dance students at UW-Stevens Point.

Harris founded the dance company in 1992 to preserve and disseminate hip hop culture through workshops, classes, lectures, demonstrations, residencies, mentoring and public performances. Harris is one of the most influential spokespersons for the significance of “street” origins in any dance style.

The company portrays the diverse African-American traditions of the past while presenting voices of a new generation with sincerity rather than stereotypes. Harris’ work to influence contemporary dance has earned him a Guggenheim Award and honorary doctorate from Bates College.

The Sentry Insurance Invitation to the Arts is sponsored by Sentry Insurance Foundation in conjunction with the College of Fine Arts & Communication at UW-Stevens Point. The program provides local students, from grade school to college, opportunities to interact with outstanding professionals in the fine arts including Yo Yo Ma, Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald.