Trash cans, brooms and matchboxes are just a few of the objects used as nontraditional instruments in STOMP.
The percussion-based dance and music performance was created in Bristol, England, in 1991 and will come this week to the IU Auditorium.
Jeremy Price, a 13-year member of STOMP, said the original creators — Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas — choreographed 75 percent of the show they perform today, but 25 percent is up to the current cast’s improvisation.
“You’re never going to see the same show,” Price said. “It changes every night, and that’s one of the reasons why the show has been around so long.”
Price has been interested in percussion for as long as he can remember, and he said he loves working with other talented musicians who inspire his own creativity.
There are distinct characters in the show, Price said, four of which he has played himself.
The eight-person production, made up of rotating members of the 12-person cast, includes two female roles and four other roles that Price described as the drummer, the dancer, the leader and the wild card.
“The style is very urban and street oriented,” Price said. “It’s also very organic. We make music with things you typically don’t make music with, and there are no tricks. We actually play these instruments.”
This style is exactly what makes STOMP one of the most highly requested events to be brought back to the auditorium, managing director Maria Talbert said.
“STOMP is revolutionary, as it brought street-style performance to a global audience, and is still going strong 20 years after its inception,” Talbert said. “This show appeals to all audiences, especially students, because of its raw energy, explosive performance style and imaginative sounds and staging.”
Before the show today, “STOMP the Union” will take place at 11:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union. This event will raise donations for Hoosier Hills Food Bank as part of their “Stomp Out Hunger” campaign.
Students who participate in this free program can partake in a jam session with the STOMP cast members, Talbert said, and will also get a chance to get free tickets to the performance.
An idiosyncratic aspect of the show, Price said, is that it is entirely performed with facial expressions, rhythm and movement. There are no spoken words.
“As soon as you speak words, you bring about cultural-specific things,” Price said. “If you don’t speak words, you’re just playing music. It speaks to every culture in the world.”
