Fayard and Harold Nicholas, aka the Nicholas Brothers, were known for their one-of-a-kind “flash act” performances, characterized by full-bodied animation, rhythmic perfection and fearless stunts. They were among the first African-American entertainers to break through the segregation of pre-Civil-Rights-era America and be featured in integrated films. Growing up in Philadelphia, Fayard learned to dance by […]
Like most educators, I have been teaching online since early March. My undergraduate Dance and Culture course was relatively easy to deliver remotely (as long as I could pre-record lectures while my son was taking a nap), but my tap classes? Not so much. This is because tap is a percussive dance form. Sound matters. […]
Looking for your next audition shoe? Shot at and in collaboration with Broadway Dance Center, Só Dança has launched a new collection of shoes working with some pretty famous faces of the musical theater world! Offered in two different styles and either 2.5″ or 3″ heels, top industry professionals are loving how versatile and supportive […]
Tomorrow night, L.A.’s fiercest lady hoofers are lighting up the stage at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood. Chloé’s Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies present Syncopated Ladies: Live Concert—a one-night-only tap-dance extravaganza. Want more Syncopated Ladies? The ensemble’s Los Angeles Boot Camp begins tomorrow at Universal Dance Design in L.A. and goes through Sunday, July 30. Participants will […]
Tomorrow night at 7 pm, the American Tap Dance Foundation will host a special performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in honor of legendary jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington. The program, aptly titled “Tap Ellington,” will feature the Duke Ellington Center’s Big Band and tap stars like Tony Waag, Brenda Bufalino, Sam […]
This month, Steps on Broadway tap teacher Claudia Rahardjanoto teaches a crossover step—a traditional rhythm tap step first performed by the great Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. The step is usually done three times with a break at the end, and is a great way to practice weigh shifts. Here, some of tap history’s greatest hoofers perform […]
As soon as she hears a song, Chloé Arnold knows if she wants to tap to it. “I’m a very feeling person. I like to feel the rhythm in my soul and feel like I have no choice but to dance,” she says. “Tap is music, so it’s a dual experience of creating. I hear […]
Your browser does not support the video tag. Katharine Pettit teaches tap at Peridance Capezio Center in New York City, where she focuses on fundamentals in all of her classes. In this video, she explains the weight shift necessary for a five-count riff.
Congratulations to Anthony LoCascio, our Editors’ Choice for the Dance Teacher Video of the Month! In this video, LoCascio and other professional hoofers (some are members of his company, Taplife) perform at The Big Apple Tap Festival in New York City. The group had only two one-hour rehearsals prior to their performance and learned the […]
Seen and Heard at the Dance Teacher Summit By the time he was 18, Mike Minery was already a tap innovator. It was then that he created the “shiggy bop,” a challenging step that has become a mainstay of his classes with JUMP Dance Convention. Here, he speaks with DT about teaching and choreographing tap, plus […]