One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest in hip hop mode
Bounce’s Insane in the Brain is a street dance spectacular based on Ken Kensey’s novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It includes cuts Missy Elliott and Dizzee Rascal in its official soundtrack. The story tells of a psychiatric patient Randle P. McMurphy who led other patients to rebel against the calm but unyielding Nurse Ratched. She uses a combination if humiliation, punishments and daily routines to suppress the patients. In the show, the patients use break-dancing moves to show their rebellion against Nurse Ratched who prefers ballet.
According to critics, there are three best parts of the shows – the opening number, the daytrip and the exercise routine.
The opening number introduces each patient’s personality disorders. It shows some obsessive-compulsive movements such as repeated tapping on the end of the bed, checking the length of the bedpost using the forearm, and bouncing off on their mattresses.
When Nurse Ratched gives the patient their medicines, she makes them go to the ballet bar where they form a line. The group portrays Nurse Ratched’s electric shock treatments with the patients hanging on a high wall with bungee ropes on their waists, dancing up and down. Other highlights include the party scene where Miss Martini does a fantasy drug-induced dance to the tune of Flashdance’s Maniac. Later parts of the show highlights an expressive breakdancing number to the tune of tango music as Nurse Ratched and McMurphy fights over for power over the patients and the institution in general.
Bounce is a Swedish company which originated in Stockholm in 1997. The group is formed by seven street dancers with expertise in breaking, popping, lindy hop, locking, boogaloo, new school dance and tap. Since each is an expert in his own dance moves, they all choreograph their shows together.
Catch “Insane In the Brain” by Bounce Street Dance Company from June 8 to 27, 2010 at the Peacock Theater in London.
