Photo Coverage: GROOVALOO Freestyle at the Union Square Theatre

After sold-out performances at The Joyce Theater in September, GROOVALOO, the dance musical is back in New York by popular demand and will play off-Broadway at The Union Square Theatre (100 E. 17th Street) beginning December 1st with the official opening scheduled for December 8th. Since the Joyce engagement, GROOVALOO has been reinvented by its creators for its return off-Broadway. Big League Productions Inc. is producing.

GROOVALOO captured the hearts of America when they were the winners of NBC's "Superstars of Dance." They have also been featured on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Ellen Degeneres Show", and "The Wayne Brady Show." GROOVALOO is a rare collision of theater, contemporary dance, hip-hop and freestyle.

Based on the troupe's true-to-life experiences as told by the dancers who lived them, GROOVALOO is driven by intoxicating displays of physicality, a vibrant musical score and powerful spoken word poetry. The show's intertwined stories chronicle the struggles, hopes and triumphs of the 18-member cast. GROOVALOO celebrates the passion and purpose of life while revealing the heart, soul and artistry of freestyle and hip-hop dance.

"We created GROOVALOO as a new form of entertainment that truly blurs the lines between theater and dance," said creator Bradley Rapier. "The story is told through movement though we also feature spoken word poetry as well as compelling stories which add to the show's theatricality. We look forward to spending the holidays with New York City audiences ‘in the circle' at the Union Square Theater."

It's called the circle, a ring that forms when street dancers traditionally gather to show off their moves. It's an impromptu stage -- a place to shine, to prove oneself. In GROOVALOO, this gets expanded into a symbol for life. The show presents the circle as the place its members have come for encouragement, as well as an implicit challenge to always deliver one's best.

The New York Post cheers, "Take equal parts ‘Fame' and ‘A Chorus Line'...result? GROOVALOO, an eye-popping display!" and The Newark Star Ledger applauds "infectiously entertaining!." The Los Angeles Daily News says "GROOVALOO has the power to leave an audience slack-jawed and utterly blown away...I'm still not sure I believe what I saw or that human beings can move with that kind of precision and abandon" and Grammy Award Winner PINK raved "the show is absolutely AMAZING!"

The Los Angeles Times proclaimed, "GROOVALOO Explodes Laws of Physics. 15 performers ripple like ocean waves, shake like earthquake zones and spin like corkscrews. Some are capable of standing flips, handstand jumping jacks or locked, sideways handstands in which their bodies are frozen, modern-sculpture-like in impossible twisted shapes. The performers, from a wide variety of cultures and communities have come together to create something positive. There's real human drama on stage."

Members of GROOVALOO have been featured prominently in a multitude of popular culture entertainment arenas. Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Will Smith, Pink and Gwen Stefani have been inspired by the unique talent of these performers and featured their performances in recent concerts and projects. Additionally, GROOVALOO dancers have had substantial exposure in feature films (Step Up, Charlie's Angels, Idlewild) in national advertising campaigns (iPod, GAP, Skechers, McDonald's), and of course the amazing success on television on "Superstars of the Dance" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

GROOVALOO is conceived and created by Bradley Rapier and Danny Cistone in collaboration with the GROOVALOOS, and directed by Cistone. This production features Scenic Design by Laura Fine Hawkes and Costume Design by Mora Stephens. The Lighting Design is by Charlie Morrison and Sound Design is by Lucas Corrubia and Michael H.P. Viveros. Music supervisors are Steven Stanton and Bradley Rapier. The executive producer is Daniel Sher.

Tickets for GROOVALOO range from $25.00 - $69.00 with premium seating available. GROOVALOO plays Tuesday - Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and 8pm and Sunday at 3pm and 7pm. The box office opens on November 23rd.

The special holiday schedule is: Dec 21 - 8pm, Dec 22 - 8pm, Dec 23 - 3 & 8pm, Dec 24 - dark, Dec 25 - dark, Dec 26 - 3 & 8pm, Dec 27 - 3 & 7pm, Dec 29 - 8pm, Dec 30 - 3 & 8pm, Dec 31 - 7:30pm, Jan 1 - dark, Jan 2 - 3 & 8pm, Jan 2 - 3 & 7pm.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or calling (212) 307-4100. For more information, please visit: www.Groovaloo.com

Audiences are invited nightly to meet the cast and join GROOVALOO for an extended show celebration at the Union Square Theatre. One of the B-boys from the cast will DJ and drinks will be available.

Also check out the videos at www.groovaloo.com.