Hines Rides Again

It's always a thrill to see a master tap dancer at work, especially when the master is a legend of performance like Gregory Hines.

Hines fans will be happy to know that after 50 years on the stage, he is still a master of rhythms, but I was somewhat disappointed at the amount of time he spent singing weird R&B versions of songs like "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. Hines' musical tastes seem stuck somewhere in the 80's, and although his voice is good, his singing (plus the scantily-clad backup singers and the flashing colored spotlights) sometimes made me feel like I was at a very big, very expensive bar mitzvah.

Fortunately, the singing only occupied about a third of the show. The best parts of the concert were when he dispensed with the lights and cheese and just danced. In khaki pants, a short, fitted black jacket, and green (!) shoes, Hines showed off his extraordinary dancing skills in the most unostentatious fashion. This man does not need to jump around with flashy steps; all he has to do is his impeccable footwork.

At times, it was hard to believe that there was only one dancer on stage; it was not that he made so many sounds, but he had an extraordinary range of tones. All the different pops, ticks, and thunks came from one pair of shoes on one pair of feet. Many of Hines' improvised steps were simple, but beautifully executed. When he is dancing his fastest, Hines' feet seem to skim the floor without even touching it.

It was hard to hear his sounds sometimes, particularly when he was dancing to the music of the band.

Hines is a very warm performer. He loves bantering with the audience, and he elicited dozens of hearty laughs with his chat. His few slapstick interludes were less funny.

Near the end of the performance, Hines invited tap dancers in the audience onto the stage to "express themselves." Volunteers included a girl and her tap teacher, who did a short routine, a pair of tap-dancing twins with matching shirts, and a dancer named Andrew who jammed with Hines and nearly matched him--but not quite. Hines' repertoire is so varied, and the musicality of his feet so great, that listening to him dance is like listening to Ella Fitzgerald string together her be-bop melodies.

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