Like a Glover

In 1990, Gregory Hines sat with Sammy Davis Jr. as Davis lay on his deathbed. Unable to speak, Davis tossed an imaginary ball at Hines, bequeathing the title of most-beloved American tap dancer. When Hines died in 2003, all eyes turned to Savion Glover, Hines's former pupil and co-star in the 1989 movie Tap.

Since then, Glover has toe-heeled across music and dance genres with more deftness than country-pop singers. He's made appearances in videos for Puff Daddy and Kenny G, performed for President Bill Clinton and starred in the Spike Lee joint Bamboozled.

Part of Glover's ability to fit in anywhere is that he doesn't necessarily looklike a tap dancer. The 33-year-old virtuoso sports less formal attire than his predecessors, including long, meaty dreads that add even more movement to his already perky performance. But he does have the same grin that both Davis and Hines often flashed.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 4 p.m., Glover and his four-piece jazz ensemble will breach the classical-music sphere with Classical Savion at Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. The dynamic tap show will be set to Vivaldi, Stravinsky and Bach, to name a few.

Come 45 minutes early for a pre-concert discussion with dance professor Onye Ozuzu in Macky's room 102. Tickets range from $15 to $60; call the box office at 303-492-8008 or go to www.cuconcerts.org.
Sat., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 15, 4 p.m.