STOMP began when a man walked on the stage of the IU Auditorium with a broom.
At first, he simply swept the floor of the stage, but eventually the broom became a musical instrument. He tapped the broom against the floor, creating a rhythm.
Soon, other people with brooms joined. Performers who were previously sitting among audience members rushed out from their seats.
STOMP, a production featuring a combination of percussion, dance and visual comedy, had performances yesterday and Tuesday.
The performers in STOMP use everyday objects as percussion instruments.
“I’ve always heard great things about STOMP,” sophomore Kadie Freeman said. “I’m really excited to see this show live and see all the music and the things that go with it.”
Freeman said she and her family were excited to get tickets, and 14 of her family members attended the event.
The cast members’s clothes appeared worn and stained, and as they swept the floors with their brooms, a dust-like substance spread across the stage.
In one section of the show, the performers clapped and tap-danced at an accelerating pace, and the audience members clapped in response.
In addition to brooms, they used ordinary objects like trashcans, matchboxes and pipes as instruments.
The performers communicated without words, using body language and facial expressions to draw laughter from the audience.
Throughout the performance, the spotlights illuminated the cast members. In one part of the show, the lighting projected the shadows of the dancing cast members across the walls surrounding the audience.
Audience member Elle Earhart, 49, said she was looking forward to seeing the performance with her son.
“It’s very unique,” Earhart said. “I’ve never seen anything like it, so I’ve always wanted to see it.”
For freshman Tyeisha Fordham, it was her first time seeing STOMP live, but she said she has seen videos of their productions before.
“I’m really looking forward to the seeing all the passion of the players,” Fordham said. “That’s the best part about STOMP — how passionate they are. I think it’s incredible. The kinds of things they can do are just insane.”
