Those of us who decided to skip the Off the Beat show on Friday night were treated to the funk-tastic grooves of Strictly Funk, Penn’s hop/funk/jazz dance company. We arrived at 7:30 for an 8 p.m. show time and pitied those who got there five minutes after — every seat was filled. And it’s no surprise — the group has commanded a devoted set of followers from every brick in Penn’s walk. The show began with its usual bang: psychedelic lights + undulating bodies + rowdy audience = orgiastic fun time for all. We’re not exaggerating; following last semester’s Rent-esque orgy scene on stage, two Funksters brought a whole new meaning to simulated sexual activity (the parents in the row in front of us didn’t quite know how to handle the moves).
It’s not all sex and games, though. A litany of modern dance interpretations fused with subversive shock, Funk’s repertoire overflows with imagination. The show incorporates elaborate lighting and video segments (a tad too long for our taste — Funk, stick to what you know best), but the audience didn’t seem to mind, judging from the rambunctious calls coming from seats around us. To put it as bluntly as possible, these cats can move.
Whether they’re prancing in underwear or formal wear, they’re as slinky as jaguars. Jaguars in heat, that is. Dispensing with all attempts at propriety, the dancers’ acts are enhanced by the fact that if they wanted to, they could get it on in front of you — and do it with the ease of New York City ballet dancers (on speed). We’ll definitely be in the front row next time, holding out our tongues to catch a taste of talent-flavored sweat from their gyrating bods.
