ACTION AFOOT 'DANCE' CAN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE WHAT SAVION GLOVER DOES IN 'IMPROVOGRAPHY II'.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic

SAVION GLOVER is a sleek and graceful rag doll of a man. Anybody looking to cast Oz's Scarecrow - whether for ``The Wizard of Oz'' or ``The Wiz'' - should look no further. His cascading dreadlocks are pulled back into an unruly ponytail. Jewelry, badges, even a pointless unfastened bow tie dangle from his neck. By the time the first-act set of his ``Improvography II'' has run its course, the pale green shirt that began the night has darkened to almost an avocado shade. Glover has sweat through it from front to back.

And how could he do otherwise? The man never stops moving, and I don't think there's a part of his frenetic feet - heel to toe, top to bottom - that doesn't come into contact with every inch of that square wooden platform on the Kodak Theatre stage. You almost have to wonder whether tap man Glover isn't somehow testing those floorboards for sound or durability ... or perhaps trying to bore his way through.

The Southland has seen Glover before, most recently headlining a return engagement of ``Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk'' - which he starred in and choreographed - a couple of years ago. He had impressive solos in that piece, too, as well as a place in the ensemble. The dancer's prowess as both a hoofer and creator of steps is, frankly, unparalleled.

Even so, ``Improvography II'' is something vaguely not of this Earth.

How much these steps - set to the jazz-laced strains of a hot quartet - are truly improvised doesn't much matter. Glover, whose beatific expression suggests he's thousands of miles away, keeps time with pianist Tommy James, percussionist Brian Grice, sax man Patience Higgins and double bassist Andy McCloud. When he's engaging with anyone, he's picking out an individual musician for a joint ``keep up with this!'' session. ``Improvography II,'' while never exactly playful, doesn't really get near the thematic rage of ``Noise/Funk'' either.

But it is consistently dazzling.

For the evening's first half and for stretches of the second, Glover is utterly alone out there, clacking and pounding through segments that seem to exceed 15 minutes. There are no breaks, no rests, no cakewalk steps. The musicians - under the direction of James - may kick things up to enhance the power of a moment, but they never afford the headliner any chance to coast.

Glover even takes the microphone briefly to scat his way through the opening refrains of ``How You Look Tonight'' before he gets back to the business of tapping. The evening's musical selections contain a mix of jazz-laced numbers as well as a Michael Jackson tribute (set to ``Remember the Time'') and a riff on patriotism in the finale, ``Stars & Stripes Forever for Now.''

The solo work is, as previously mentioned, astonishing. Just as exciting in its own way is Glover's work with - and without - the three younger members of his ensemble, Chapter IV. Maurice Chestnut, Ashley DeForest and Cartier Williams, while clearly working the Glover style, add their own signature to their routines.

That's important too. At 31, Savion Glover is far too young to think about passing any kind of torch, but the line of progression that led from Gregory Hines to Glover and to a new generation figures to be one to watch - and to hear - for years to come.

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

SAVION GLOVER'S IMPROVOGRAPHY II - Three and one half stars

Where: Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

When: 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; through Saturday.

Tickets: $26 to $53. Call [phone].

In a nutshell: Savion sings, scats and - when tapping - stuns.

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no caption (Savion Glover)