STREET BEAT - the show is an American urban drum and dance troupe utilizing junk, household items and found objects for drums and percussion and featuring modern “street” choreography of varying styles, including Breakdance, hip-hop, parkour and tap.
The group merges African, Cuban, Latin, West African and jazz concepts in their compositions and dances. They have been dubbed by one critic as “an urbanized journey through percussion.”
STREET BEAT appears at performing arts venues nationwide. They also offer abbreviated show concepts to fairs and festivals throughout the United States, in addition to leading teambuilding workshops for numerous corporate entities.
History
Created in Los Angeles in 2002 by Danish session drummer Benjamin Hansen, the genesis of the group was initially as a student outreach project for the Los Angeles Unified School District, designed to teach kids self-reliance and teamwork through drumming. Street Beat’s Arts Educational programs are developed in collaboration with Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
The birth of STREET BEAT as a theatrical act commenced in 2007 when Hansen expanded the troupe to its current 6 to 8 -piece configuration and took it on the road, touring extensively in the U.S., including Alaska. STREET BEAT has performed at numerous special events, some for Larry King and AEG Worldwide. In other productions, STREET BEAT has worked together with Gary Sinise, Jason Alexander and performed with Grammy award-winning group Ozomatli.