Bridging the Gap Between Classical and Contemporary

It has been some time since our last blog post but thought this was a great way to start off the Fall semester at NEC’s School of Continuing Education – With so many school music programs in trouble and with the classical world continuing to fight to stay alive among younger generations, I recently ran across a great video that merges two genres into one engaging performance: classical and hip hop. This video speaks volumes at the importance of re-energizing classical music and finding new and exciting ways to introduce it to younger audiences.

Red Bull’s Flying Steps is an award-winning breakdance troupe based in Berlin. Recently the ensemble, under the direction of opera conductor/producer Christoph Hagel, has taken on the challenge of integrating their innovative hip-hop dance with the music of J.S. Bach. “Flying Bach” – using acoustic and electronic renditions drawn largely from Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier – tells the story of a surprise encounter between a female classical dancer and a group of breakdancers, as they seek common ground. This performance took place at the 2nd Semi-Finals of the European Song Contest in Berlin, May 2011.