‘Sammy’ Hits Pop-Culture High Points

Like many of us, locally based choreographer Samuel Donlavy is dazzled by pop culture, and in his new two-act dance musical, “How Sammy Got His Groove Back,” he sets a hard-working 14-member company to energetically scavenging street dance forms, rock hits, movies and Broadway shows--taking what he needs to identify with their creators and express his perspective on being a contemporary artist.

At Highways Performance Space on Thursday, the title anthem from “Noise/Funk” suddenly heralded the joys of “bringin’ in ‘da groove,” and the lyrics to “Light My Fire” (with a new melody) made room for Donlavy’s declaration that “dancing is supposed to inspire.” Inevitably, his dancers formed a “Chorus Line” lineup to tell us why they dance. Not so inevitably, Donlavy managed to purge hip-hop of its sexism and tendency to look impersonal.

Belief in art formed the core of “Sammy,” with Donlavy taking the stage at the end for a mesmerizing, mercurial solo--as good as anything he’s ever done--offered as an homage to his life in the theater. “This is where imagination starts,” he said. “This is my house, this is my groove.”

Obviously, adapting familiar songs and dances forces a new cast into competition with our memories of the original performers--and not everyone in Donlavy’s company rose to the impressive level of bass guitarist Wafeek Sherrod or dancer Emma Nagata. Donlavy himself needs to practice his singing and should think about losing a few pounds if he wants to continue dancing sensitive-young-man solos and duets exploiting a sinewy, hyper-extended line.

He also might reconsider using his older modern-dancey pieces to punctuate the evening; yes, they give his company showcase opportunities, but they don’t always mesh with the newer sequences--and, just as bad, they use taped music while three musicians and four singers wait around for their chance to display themselves as artists believing in art.

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* “How Sammy Got His Groove Back” repeats tonight at 8:30 in Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. $18. (310) 315-1459.