Harold (above) and Fayard in Stormy Weather (1943) In our May issue’s History: Lesson Plan, we learn about Fayard and Harold Nicholas, aka the Nicholas Brothers, the tap dancing duo from Philly known for their one-of-a-kind “flash act” performances that combined fearless stunts, technical proficiency and brilliant showmanship. Watch the Nicholas Brothers in “I’ve Got […]
Michelle Dorrance Last we checked in with Michelle Dorrance (DT, May 2012), she had been named a 2015 MacArthur Fellow, an honor that came with a no-strings-attached $625,000 grant. Since then, tap dance’s leading lady has been busy! Last night, she premiered her most recent endeavor ETM: Double Down, an evening-length show created in collaboration with dancer and […]
A video of tiny tap dancers in tutus has more than 3 million views on YouTube, and it’s not hard to see why. During a performance, one pre-school–aged student makes a fleeting attempt to execute choreography with her classmates before striking out into completely uncharted, adorably inventive territory and basically throwing her own one-woman dance […]
In the dance world, it pays to stand out. In March 2012, Harlem native Joshua Johnson made The New York Times by tap-dancing on the subway to pay for his Pennsylvania State University tuition. Next week, the college senior will perform at a much larger venue: Madison Square Garden at the New York Knicks’ opening […]
Between rehearsals, classes and multiple shows each day, Broadway performers don’t have much free time, which makes this new video even more extraordinary. A crew of Broadway dancers somehow worked it into their schedules to create an adorable crowd-pleaser of a tap routine to hit song “Cups (Pitch Perfect’s ‘When I’m Gone’)” by Anna Kendrick, […]
In 2012, “Tap it Out” was held at the World Financial Center. There aren’t many opportunities to see 300 feet tapping in sync—unless you own Happy Feet on DVD. But this weekend, “Tap it Out” will give New Yorkers a show to remember. The performance will conclude the American Tap Dance Foundation’s week-long Tap City […]
Savion Glover is serious. Serious talent. Serious about upholding tap history. Serious about having a good time and making the audience feel joy. Serious is the only way to describe the man after seeing the second performance of his new show STePz at The Joyce Theater in New York on Wednesday night. With Marshall Davis […]
Seen & Heard At the Dance Teacher Summit As a regular convention faculty member, Debbi Dee is a pro at teaching tap to teachers. Named a “Living Treasure in American Dance” by Oklahoma City University in 2011, she will be teaching at the Dance Teacher Summit in August. Dee spoke to DT about her […]
How I teach pre-tap Courtney Runft and American Tap Dance Foundation student Julia Freer (age 5) demonstrate a maxi ford. Forty-five minutes of 3 1/2-year-olds in tap shoes may sound like a recipe for a throbbing headache, but Courtney Runft manages to keep the noise under control. That’s because for the first few months of […]
Music for rhythm tap When Mike Minery’s students enter Wednesday tap class at For Dancers Only in Little Falls, New Jersey, they already know what technique drills are coming. “Soon after I first started teaching, I realized I was just coming up with combinations. I wasn’t really teaching technique,” says Minery. “Now I’ve made an […]