To all my followers, I am sorry I have been behind in relaying Tap in the News. This segment will be longer than usual, as there are a bunch of articles I have had to read!

We will start with a review  by Marty Hughley of Jason Samuels-Smith’s company A.C.G.I. (Anyone Can Get It) who just performed a 3 night stint in Portland, Oregon as part of the White Bird Dance 2010 Season.

Click here to read the article

 

 

 

Even with amazing shows and companies travelling around the world, Tap is still under the    radar. There aren’t very many all Tap studios in the country, but in Silver Spring, Maryland, a    small studio called Knock on Wood is struggling to survive as one of them. Tap needs to be  preserved and there are few people dedicated like Courtenay Swinton that are actually doing  it. However, due to the economy she is finding it harder and harder to continue to share her  passion. Hearing about this studio, it makes me think what we can do as a community to keep  Tap on the Map through fundraisers, events, and to peak interest in general….

Click here to read the article

 

 

 

 

Also keeping Tap on the Map is the Tap ensemble, Soul Full of Rhythm in  Ann Arbor, MI who is presenting an in-studio performance titled “In the  Mix”. I think this is a great idea that is cost-effective and as Sara Randazzo  puts it, “We’ll make the [audience] part of the show”. It inspires me to snag  the idea as well, as it is important for students to perform. It doesn’t have to  be a huge all out production, but somewhere where they can show off what  they have learned. A once a year recital doesn’t seem to be enough for me…

Click here to read the article

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloch has launched the debut of it’s newest shoe designed for and by Jason  Samuels Smith! It’s called the Jason Sameuls Smith Professional Tap Shoe SO313.  Aptly named, this shoe is said to be extremely comfortable with larger taps for  the ball of the foot, is already built up, and ready to use right out of the box.  Since it is designed by a Tap dancer who obviously knows what we experience  when teaching and performing, and how much our feet throb at the end of the  day, it is one of the best shoes in the market. It’s actually next on my list to buy  (as I have destroyed my Capezio k360’s) and I am very excited to try them out!

 

 

Click here to read the article by Nicole Saleh from the debut in Sydney, Australia

Visit Divine Rhythms Productions to buy this shoe

 

 

 

 

Getting to Know You…..

Knowing about Tap history connects you with the art. I teach about the roots of Tap dance and try to make it a point to talk about people who have contributed throughout the years. The Tap dancers from years ago have influenced the movement of Tap through this new generation that continues to evolve. So read up on Derick Grant, Ruby Keeler, and Fred Kelly!

Here’s a great interview with Derick Grant by Nicole Harris

Click here to see Derick in action!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up is a short history of Ruby Keeler posted by Cedric Grosjean

Click here to see a clip of Ruby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great blog post about the life of Gene Kelly’s brother, Fred Kelly.

Check out the video at the end of the post from above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a video where Maurice Hines talks about John and Leo Manzari for his show “Sophisticated Ladies”