Globetrotters get their Stomp on
NEW YORK It’s the ultimate mashup of athleticism and theatre — the Harlem Globetrotters have teamed up with Stomp.
In a high-energy collaboration shot at a New York City playground earlier this month, four towering Globetrotters joined eight members of the off-Broadway fixture to show off their skills.
In the video, the performers dribble in rhythm, pass and fold into each other. The Globetrotters do complicated dunks and plenty of finger spins, while the Stomp dancers make a soundtrack with basketballs.
“They were great. They were very supportive. I felt like we were on the same team, all working together,” said Stephanie Marshall, a New Yorker who worked up a sweat with her fellow Stomp stars.
The video was shot at the William F. Passannante Ballfield in the West Village with a three-axis, gyroscopic-stabilized hand-held MoVI camera. It took seven takes to get the one everyone agreed was flawless.
The video shoot had to compete with ambulance sirens, truck honks and dozens of shrieking school kids. To make matters worse, clouds gathered and the threat of rain was real.
The result is a treat for anyone who fantasizes about more dribbling in Stomp! or more dancing at the Globetrotters’ show.
The collaboration might initially sound odd until you realize the Globetrotters, who soon embark on a 90th-anniversary tour, have always had a little showmanship to their act, and Stomp loves making music out of random things.
“For years, we’ve had a basketball routine as part of Stomp,” said Steve McNicholas, who co-created the show in 1991 with Luke Cresswell and watched the Globetrotters admiringly. “But what these guys can do with basketballs is stunning. A different league.”
The four Globetrotters were “Bull” Bullard, “Firefly” Fisher, “Cheese” Chisholm and “Handles” Franklin. All wore their iconic red, white and blue uniforms with red Adidas 773 Derrick Rose high-tops. The Stomp performers were in chic street clothes, their colour palette mostly greys and blacks.