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Divine Rhythm News>
Divine Rhythm News
July 7, 2008
IN THIS ISSUE:
*DRP ARTISTS*
-Jason Samuels Smith, Chloe Arnold, Dormeshia
Sumbry-Edwards perform/teach at Tap City (www.atdf.org)
-Jason Samuels Smith performs for DRA’s Fire Island Dance
Festival
-LA TAP FEST FACULTY PUBLISHED…register today
(www.latapfest.com)
*EAST COAST*
-Free at the Bronx Museum: “Harlem on My Mind:A Celebration
of Jazz, Swing, and Tap Jams”
-2008 Black Docs Film Series Presents...Africa Unite: A
Tribute To Bob Marley's Vision
-Jazz Cruises are back!
*MIDWEST*
- Barack Obama Fundraiser Concert
- Message from Stacie Hawkins
- News from St. Louis Tap Festival
- News from CHRP’s Rhythm World
*WESTCOAST*
- Tap Class with Sarah Reich
*WORLDWIDE*
-News from Rennes Tap Festival
-ITA updates and subscription info
-Roxane Butterfly Tap Boots for sale!
-Article on Roxane Butterfly in Dancer Magazine
===================================================
*DRP ARTISTS *
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
Tap City, The New York City Tap Festival
July 5th - 11th, 2008
Premiere Performances
Tap Forward
Tuesday, July 8 (8:00 pm)
An evening of contemporary choreography created by leading
choreographers for cutting edge ensembles including Chloe
Arnold, Michelle Dorrance, Barbara Duffy & Company, Walter
Freeman, Acia Gray, Derick K. Grant, Josh Hilberman, Jason
Janas, Kazu Kumagai, Michela Marino-Lerman, Margaret
Morrison, Carson Murphy, Andrew Nemr & Cats Paying Dues
PLUS, Jason Samuels Smith, Tapestry Dance Company, Josette
C. Wiggan, Zen & others!
The annual HOOFER AWARDS will be presented to tap dancers
extraordinaire Tina Pratt and Derick K. Grant and the TAP
PRESERVATION AWARD will be presented to teacher, historian
and Professor Ann Kilkelly.
Youth & Adult Showcases
Wednesday, July 9 (3:00 pm - Youth)
Wednesday, July 9 (8:00 pm - Adult)
Youth Showcase:
An opportunity for Tap City students in the Youth &
Pre-Professional Program to share their talents. Featuring
new works choreographed by Josh Hilberman, Chloe Arnold, &
Karen Callaway Williams. Includes Student Awards Ceremony.
Adult Showcase:
An opportunity for adult students to share their talents.
From emerging ensembles to choreography learned during four
day tap residencies this community event promotes
continuing rhythmic education at any age! Featuring works
choreographed by "Brownie" Brown, Ayodele Casel, Barbara
Duffy, Derick K. Grant, & Jared Grimes.
Tap Youth / Tap Future
Thursday, July 10 (8:00 pm)
Performances by kids, teens and youth ensembles from across
the nation. Performances by the Tap City Pre-Professional
Program with choreography by Heather Cornell and Jason
Janas. Hosted by Tap City's Youth Program Director Michele
Ribble. The 5th annual TAP TEACHER AWARDS will be
presented.
Tap & Song
Friday, July 11 (8:00 pm)
Tony Waag and friends take us on a rhythmic romp
celebrating traditional vaudeville, comedy and classic song
and dance. Performers include Brenda Bufalino, C3 Tap
Cooperative, DeWitt Fleming, Acia Gray, Jared Grimes, Susan
Hebach, Jason Janas, Kendrick Jones, Ann Kilkelly, Mable
Lee and her Dancing Ladies, Reggio McLaughlin, Konstantin
Nevretdinov, Sarah Petronio, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Max
Pollak's Rumba Tap, Mathew Sheilds, Hank Smith, Melinda
Sullivan, the Tap City Youth Ensemble, Tapestry Dance
Company, Tony Waag, Karen Callaway Williams and others.
Tap legends Ernest "Brownie" Brown (Cook and Brown),
Harold Cromer (Stump and Stumpy) Mable Lee, and Dr. Jimmy
Slyde will be inducted into the INTERNATIONAL TAP DANCE
HALL OF FAME.
Ticket Information
All performances will be presented at:
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Premiere Performance Tickets:
General $45
Children under 12, Symphony Space Member, College Student &
Senior: $23
Showcase Tickets:
General $20; Children under 12, Symphony Space Member,
College Student & Senior: $10
*NOTE: Reduced rate tickets available by phone or at box
office window only
Box Office: 212-864-5400
Hours: Tues - Sun from 11am until 7pm
Or visit: www.symphonyspace.org
The American Tap Dance Foundation, Inc. would like to thank
the following for their generous support: Our Anonymous
Angel, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York
Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on
the Arts, the Tsunami Foundation, the Heckscher Foundation
for Children, the Beatrice Snyder Foundation, Leo's
Dancewear, Capezio, the American Chai Trust, an Anonymous
Foundation, and numerous individuals, friends and families.
Please VISIT www.atdf.org for more information.
=================================
Jason Samuels Smith will be performing at:
DRA’S FIRE ISLAND DANCE FESTIVAL
TO FEATURE
AILEY, LUBOVITCH, PARSONS DANCE COMPANIES
AND TO BE HOSTED BY
WHOOPI GOLDBERG & CAROLINE RHEA
ANNUAL DANCE EVENT TO BE HELD
SATURDAY, JULY 19 & SUNDAY, JULY 20
AT THE FIRE ISLAND PINES
FIRE ISLAND, N.Y. The Fire Island Dance Festival returns to
Fire Island Pines for a trio of outdoor party/performances
on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, 2008. Now in its
14th year, FIDF is produced by and benefits Dancers
Responding to AIDS (DRA), a program of Broadway
Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Performing outdoors against a backdrop of the Great South
Bay, FIDF 14 will feature an eclectic program of classical
and contemporary ballet, modern dance, tap and hip hop
performed by eleven emerging and world renowned dance
companies. World premiere dances will be presented by
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet
Hispanico, Jermaine Browne, Parsons Dance, Jason Samuels
Smith and Tony AwardÒ choreographer Jerry Mitchell for
Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance as well as repertory pieces
from Jacoby & Pronk, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Jennifer
Muller / The Works, and Ellis Wood Dance.
Saturday’s emcee is Whoopi Goldberg, host of this year’s
Tony AwardsÒ, moderator of ABC TV’s “The View,” and - as
producer, actress, singer, writer and comedienne - one of
the few individuals to have won all four of the major show
business awards: the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy, and the
Grammy. Sunday’s emcee is comedy club favorite Caroline
Rhea original host of TV’s “The Biggest Loser”. An
accomplished actress, Rhea has had featured roles in both
film (‘The Perfect Man,” “Man on the Moon”) and television
(”Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” Lifetime’s “Fat Like Me”).
Dancegoers are offered a choice of show times. The opening
performance is on Saturday, July 19 at 5:00 p.m. (party at
4:00 p.m.). The sunset performance is on Saturday, July 19
at 7:00 p.m. (party following). And the closing performance
is on Sunday, July 20 at 5:00 p.m. (party following).
Leadership Sponsors are included in the special kick-off
celebration on Friday evening July 18h at Whyte Hall, the
Fire Island Pines Community Center.
To charge tickets by phone, call 212.840.0770 x268 - Monday
through Friday, and on weekends at the Pines harbor or
order online at www.dradance.org
Corporate Sponsors for Fire Island Dance Festival 13
include: The New York Times, Continental Airlines, GRW
Advertising, NEXT Magazine, PEEQ, EMR Systems, BV
Vineyards, Movmnt, and Passport Magazine
Community Sponsors for Fire Island Dance Festival 13
include: Fire Island News, Fire Island Pines Property
Owners’ Association, John Joseph Designs, Pines Pantry,
Pines Pizza and Martini Bar, Sayville Ferry Service, and
Tony’s Barge.
Twice hailed by Sunday Styles of The New York Times as “One
of the 12 best parties of the year,” the Fire Island Dance
Festival has since 1995 raised over $1 million in the fight
against AIDS.
DANCERS RESPONDING TO AIDS
The ongoing, committed response of the American dance
community to an urgent worldwide health crisis, DRA is a
program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), the
nation’s leading industry-based AIDS funding and
grant-making organization. By drawing upon the talents,
resources and generosity of the dance community, DRA raises
funds for AIDS-related service providers across the United
States. Funds are distributed to seven programs of the
Actors’ Fund of America and as grants to over 500 AIDS and
family service organizations nationwide. Since its founding
in 1988, BC/EFA has distributed over $140 million for
critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, or
HIV-related illnesses.
# # # #
=================================
Debbie Allen Dance Academy presents...
LA TAP FESTIVAL
August 4-9th, 2008
Faculty and Schedule Published...
This Year We've added more exciting classes
-Beg, Int,Int/Adv., Adv levels
-Adult Beg Evening Classes daily
-4-7 year old program
-Repertory Courses
Schedule online...www.latapfest.com
This Year's amazing Faculty -
Debbie Allen - Founder, Jason Samuels Smith - Director,
Chloe Arnold - Co-Director, Arthur Duncan, Harold Cromer,
Dianne Walker, Derrick Grant, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, Ted
Levy, Michelle Dorrance, Tre Dumas III, Jared Grimes,
Josette Wiggan, Arlen Kennedy, Denise Sheerer, Ivory
Wheeler, Steve Zee, Nicole Nicholas, Maud Arnold, Lee
Howard, Sarah Reich, Chantel Heath.
Plus electives - in African, Hip Hop, Flamenco, and Jazz
Nightly Events - Jam Session, Business of Showbiz, Cutting
Contest, Panel Discussion, Student Showcase
Saturday, 9th - Concert - 7pm @ Norman J. Pattiz Concert
Hall
Tickets on sale now @ 310.280.9145
REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
================================
*EAST COAST *
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
________________________________________________
** MEDIA ALERT **
FREE FIRST FRIDAYS! EVENT AT THE BRONX MUSEUM
“Harlem on My Mind:
A Celebration of Jazz, Swing, and Tap Jams”
FRIDAY, JULY 11 AT 6PM
WHAT: For the Bronx Museum’s First Fridays!
program, “Harlem on My Mind: A Celebration of Jazz, Swing,
and Tap Jams,” the sounds of the Ray Abrams Big Swing Band
– a powerful 17 piece group continuing the tradition of
great jazz music created by the bands of Count Basie and
Duke Ellington – will surely “swing” you into motion. The
event will also feature a tap and swing performance by the
great young dancers of Hoofer’s House.
Please note: Due to the July 4th
holiday, this event will take place the second week in
July.
For more information, and a complete schedule of upcoming
First Friday events, please visit
www.bronxmuseum.org/programs/firstfridays.html
WHO: Featuring the Ray Abrams Big Swing Band,
lead jazz vocalist Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch, and dancers
from Hoofer’s House.
The event will be hosted by Rashida Bumbray from Hoofer’s
House.
WHEN: Friday, July 11, 6:00 – 10:00pm
WHERE: The Bronx Museum of the Arts
South Wing – Lower Gallery
1040 Grand Concourse @ 165th Street
Bronx, NY 10456
CONTACT: Camille Wanliss, Director of Marketing, (718)
681-6000, ext.120 or
cwanliss@bronxmuseum.org
Hey, everyone:
Kind of unbelievable how quickly things happen, but our tap
group has an amazing list of activities lined up for the
summer that I thought you might be interested in.
We'll be performing at Symphony Space in 2 weeks (dancing
to Charlie Parker's Billie's Bounce with an amazing trio
and the phenomenal sax player Jon Irabagon) and maybe even
more exciting, we'll be hosting a FREE tap jam in
Washington Square Park on Saturday, August 16. (more info
below)
If you're around at all, I hope you'll be able to come out
and get some tap in your life!! And if you have dusty tap
shoes hiding in your closet (you know who you are!) I think
it might be time to pull them out and join the fun.
Hope you all had a great weekend!
See you soon,
awoye
==========================
Pass the word to all relevant sources, persons and
organizations!!!
Tentative Celebrity Family Guest TBA
2008 Black Docs Film Series Presents...
Africa Unite: A Tribute To Bob Marley's Vision
AFRICA UNITE is a singular and masterfully executed film
that is at once a humanitarian documentary, Marley family
travelogue, and concert tribute, igniting the screen with
reggae icon BOB MARLEY in its every frame. In commemoration
of Bobs 60th birthday, Africa Unite is centered on the
Marleys first-time-ever family trip to Ethiopia in 2005.
Includes rare footage of the legendary reggae icon Bob
Marley.
ANOTHER SET OF HISTORIC EVENTS:
Historians, Celebrities and Notable Guests
__________________________________________
Film Submission Deadlines
. Health and Wellness Film Festival ~ September 1st
. 6th Annual Black History Month Film & Discussion Series
~ December 1st
. Exclusive Screenings and Marketing Assistance ~
Year-Round
.
Submission Details and Instructions
. Packaging. Submit press packets with submissions or
provide a 1-page detailed description of your submission
with vitae. Include a self-addressed and stamped return
package (if return required). Films still in our receipt
are still under consideration for programming.
. Media. Film and video entries must be on DVD (if DVD
avialable) ~ DVD Copies Must Be Available for Screenings,
unless otherwise agreed. For 2008, shorts, features,
documentaries, videos, and children's films are encouraged.
. Fees. Please include a money order or cashier's check
for the $20 processing fee with your entry; $35 if
submitting for multiple programs; an additional $10 late
fee will apply for packages postmarked after respective
deadlines. Must be made out to "Next Generation Awareness
Foundation."
. Send all submissions to: _Project Coordinator _{Name of
the Series -or- "2008 Programs" if Submitting for All
Programs} _Next Generation Awareness Foundation, Inc. _P.O.
Box 6885 _Alexandria, Virginia 22306 __Phone: 202-409-7240
__Email: UrbanFilmSeries (at) hotmail.com (if with
attachments) _Info (at) UrbanFilmSeries.com (if without
attachments)
===============
THE SMOOTH CRUISES ARE BACK...
AND GOING STRONG!
The 2008 Smooth Cruises returned for their 9th year aboard
The Spirit of New York cruise ship on Wednesday, June 25
with 2 SOLD OUT performances by Guitars & Saxes. Cruise
goers and jazz buffs enjoyed a beautiful summer night on
the Hudson River!
This unique "floating jazz club" features LIVE, intimate
performances with the world's best jazz artists and the
breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue
of Liberty over seven consecutive Wednesday evenings July
16 through August 27. Dinner and beverages are also
available to make for a complete and thoroughly enjoyable
night.
The Smooth Cruise series sets sail again Wednesday, July 16
with Down to the Bone's last show featuring legendary
saxophonist Shilts with a Sunset Cruise performance at 6:30
p.m. and a Moonlight Cruise performance at 9:30 p.m. The
Smooth Jazz Cruises aboard The Spirit of New York leave
Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers at 23rd Street in Manhattan.
All tickets $55.00
Wednesday, July 16th
Down To The Bone
featuring Shilts
Wednesday, July 23rd
Brian Culbertson
Wednesday, July 30th
Spyro Gyra
Wednesday, August 6th
Marion Meadows
& Alex Bugnon
Wednesday, August 13th
Phil Perry
Wednesday, August 20th
RnR
featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliot
Wednesday, August 27th
Pieces of A Dream
The Smooth Cruises sell out fast. So get your tickets now.
For tickets and more information log onto
www.SmoothJazzNewYork.com Hot summer nights. New York
Harbor. The Statue of Liberty. Cool drinks & delicious food
--- all combined with great jazz LIVE IN CONCERT.
See video footage from last year's cruises
==========
*MIDWEST *
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
______________________________________________________
Event Information
Rockin' 4 Barack
Alhambra Palace
Chicago
Friday, Jul 18, 2008 8:00 PM
Doors Open @ 7PM
Showtime @ 8PM
21 & Over Only with Valid ID
Trendy, Sophisticated Attire Required
(More Info)
Event Pricing
GA Standing Only GA - $35.00
Table FLOOR - $75.00
VIP Advanced VIP - $125.00
=======================
Message from Stacie Hawkins:
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that I am back in Chicago
for the summer. Chris Griffin, still photographer for Miss
Thang, is producing a new television series and I am acting
as Associate Producer/Production Manager. The show is
called Midnite Screams and is a horror host show in the
vein of Svengoolie, Elvira, and Mystery Science Theater
3000. If anyone knows of any independent filmmakers with a
finished horror or thriller film with or without
distribution, please let me know so we can try to get their
films on our show. The website is www.midnitescreams.com.
Happy 4th of July!!!
Stacie E. Hawkins
Producer/Writer/Director
The Rise & Fall of Miss Thang
www.missthangmovie.com
=================================
Master Workshops with
Robin Reed
and
Robert Reed III
Centene Center
for Arts & Education
3547 Olive Street_St. Louis, MO 63103-1014
_Saturday - July 5, 2008
Beginning/Intermediate
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Intermediate/Advanced
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
$30 Per Class!
Call 314-531-TAPS (8277)
or email info@tapheritage.org
for details
Auditions for
St. Louis Hoofer's Club at 2:00 PM
*Contact for other upcoming events and auditions...
===================================
Register Now for...
The 17th Annual
St. Louis Tap Festival!!!
Celebrating International Rhythm!
Remembering Dr. Jimmy Slyde
Master Classes * Tap Jam
Panel Discussion
Participant's Showcase
ALL THAT TAP XVII
July 21 - July 26, 2008
Discount Hotel reservations only available until June 20!
Download Registration Form from the website:
World Class Faculty! www.tapheritage.org for more
details!
The 17th Annual St. Louis Tap Festival is dedicated to the
memory of Dr. Jimmy Slyde
Financial assistance for this project has been provided by
the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
=====================
Rhythm World Summer Festival July 21 - August 3
Dianne Walker & Derick Grant, Co-Directors
CHRP celebrates the 18th year of Rhythm World, the oldest
and largest tap festival in the world!
Held at the Chicago Cultural Center (July 21-July 25) and
Loyola University (July 28-August 3), this year's festival
celebrates the legacy of three great Chicago tap icons:
Leon Collins, Sammy Dyer and Tommy Sutton.
Once again, the festival features a number of excellent
programs designed to provide the best educational
experience for the over 400 students that attend each year
(click to learn more):
Intensive Residencies, Courses, After-Work Adult Courses,
Workshops, Master Classes, the 7th annual Youth Tap
Ensemble Conference, the Adult/University Tap Conference
and our Kids Program.
In addition, the festival also features several performance
and competition events:
Opening Night Celebration at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Tap Slam & Cutting Contest (students square off in
competitions)
Faculty Panel Discussion (about the current state of tap
dance)
Student Showcase (featuring the amazing student body)
Of course, the week culminates in our annual JUBA concerts,
featuring the faculty and youth tap ensembles of the
festival over three days of amazing concerts.
The festival offers something for everyone, from talented
students to tap enthusiasts, chaperones and even the casual
observer. We hope to see you there!
Help CHRP Bring the Tap World to Chicago
Chicago Human Rhythm Project strives to bring tap and
percussive arts masters from around the world to Chicago to
teach, perform and share their love of the art form.
This year's international guests include 2008 Artist In
Residence Guillem Alonso and Brazilian body band
Barbatuques, just to name a few.
With the ever-rising price of gasoline, airline fares have
skyrocketed and CHRP has been affected by this new trend.
Therefore, we hope you'll consider donating your unused
American Airlines miles to our organization. Your support
will provide remarkable assistance in bringing
international artists to Chicago. If you are interested in
donating unused miles, please contact our offices at
773-281-1825 and we will quickly guide you through the
process.
Chicago Anniversaries June 14 & 22, 2008
Chicago celebrated the anniversaries of two Chicago tap
instutitions during the month of June.
First, the Mayfair Academy presented their 50th Annual
Recital "Mayfair: A Chicago Legacy" at the Arie Crown
Theater on June 14. 50 years ago, Mr. Tommy Sutton
established the Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts on Chicago's
South side, beginning a new era in his career and the
development of one of the finest schools in the City
dedicated to the best dance training possible for the
children of his community.
Second, the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre celebrated
their 75th anniversary at the Harris Theater for Music and
Dance in Millennium Park on Sunday, June 22. Established
in May 1933 by Mr. Sammy Dyer, the school promotes the
progress of creativity and education in the performing arts
and assists children in receiving quality instruction in
technique and dance appreciation.
Both Mr. Sutton and Mr. Dyer are being honored at our
annual JUBA concerts, August 1-3 at Loyola University.
Please help us congratulate both the Mayfair Academy and
the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre on their amazing
milestones. Through their many years of dedication in
Chicago, they have provided the framework for much of
CHRP's success.
Register for Rhythm World
Classes are filling up....reserve your spot!
Click here for more information
Click here to register online
Book your accommodations here
*Festival rooms now available at the Evanston Best Western*
JUBALEE Tap Into The Night!
The Board and staff of Chicago Human Rhythm Project have
once again began preparations for our annual gala
fundraiser, JUBALEE Tap Into the Night!
The gala will be held on November 10, 2008, just a few
weeks before our Global Rhythms series at the Harris
Theater. The night will feature a live and silent auction,
fabulous food and drinks, and a performance featuring
Guillem Alonso, CHRP scholarship students, and more.
Our new Gala Co-chairs, Donna LaPietra, Bill Kurtis, Irene
Michaels and Arny Granat helped CHRP kick off the Gala
season on May 21 at the Vittum Theatre with a cultivation
event. Nearly 100 guests enjoyed a captivating performance
featuring the best of CHRP as well as pre and post-show
receptions. We love the opportunity to share our mission
with new audiences and are thrilled that the evening was
such a success.
Check back soon for more information on our 2008 Gala!
================================
*WEST COAST *
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
TAP CLASS
with
SARAH REICH!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Orange County Dance Center
5872 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
8:30- 10:00 pm
Intermediate/Advanced
ONLY $10.00!!!
Sarah Reich is exploding onto the scene as a young
professional, having spent the past four years assisting
tap legend Harold Cromer at numerous festivals, including
Tap City, St. Louis Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm
Project, Los Angeles Tap Festival, and Tap Into A Cure.
Sarah is now becoming a tap festival teacher on her own,
including festivals in Limoges, France and Edmonton,
Canada. She has studied with, among others, Alfred Desio,
Cyd Glover and Paul & Arlene Kennedy, has been a member of
the Jazz Tap Ensemble’s Caravan Project, is a current
member of Jason Samuels Smith’s “Anybody Can Get It”
company, Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies, and serves as
the Dance Captain for the LA Ironworks Youth Company as
well as contributing choreography for the group. Sarah has
performed at many venues around Los Angeles including the
Getty Museum, the Ford Amphitheatre, the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion, the Madrid Theatre, the Temple Bar, the African
Market Place and was asked to dance for promotional events
for the movie Happy Feet. She is featured on two
instructional tap DVD’s with Mike Wittmers. Sarah was
featured in an article titled “20 Hot Tappers Under 20” in
Dance Spirit Magazine and received an award for Performing
Artist of The Year at the 2005 OMNI Awards.
========================
*WORLD-WIDE *
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
Last call !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rennes Tap Intensive is starting in a few days …All details
in the attachment. (or if you want the French version,
check our website www.tapbreizh.net)
All about the Rennes Tap Intensive with Heather Cornell,
Leela Petronio, Isabelle Girault for tap and/or body
percussion, Julien Vasnier for rhythms, Julien Fihey for
African drums.
And all about our jams, and the Tap Breizh 10th anniversary
tap session !
We’ll be glad to welcome you,
All the best,
Christophe Ligeron
Tap Breizh
ITA rep for France
===============
Hello ITA Members,
Attached is our fourth online issue of the time-sensitive
portions of On Tap as we work behind the scenes on our new
Website. We encourage you to take some time to look
through the companion On Tap Online Ad Supplement. We hope
you enjoy it!
Marda Kirn
Director
To sign up for ON TAP, visit:
http://www.tapdance.org/tap/ita/
==================
The ROXANE BUTTERFLY's TAP BOOTS are out!!!
Custom made!
Leather that lasts, ankle protection, double-soles... No
more tendonites, arch failures nor changing shoes 4 times a
year...And your orthodics will fit!
''I have spent the last seven years going from one
shoe-maker to the next, trying to find a way to better
protect my feet until I decided to create my own model. I
wanted a ''tool'' that looked elegant, sounded good, felt
light and could endure my daily hours of practice. I
finally found the ideal shoes.'' _Roxane Butterfly
cost: 240 euros / $370 (+ airmail expenses)
delay: 2 to 3 weeks
to order: scan a drawing of your feet to
transeurotap@hotmail.fr
paiement: by wire transfer
to request an order: email transeurotap@hotmail.fr
--------
DANCER MAGAZINE - JULY
Roxane Butterfly and World Dance
by Carrie Stern — Jun 27, 2008
INTRODUCTION Her mentor, master tapper Jimmy Slyde who died
on May 16, dubbed her "Papillon (butterfly) because…she
flies!” She’s also called a “maverick in her field.” A 2006
Guggenheim choreography Fellow, Roxane Butterfly is the
only woman tap-dancer to receive a New York Bessie Award
(Outstanding Creative Achievement, 1999). Not shy with her
opinions, Butterfly the activist participated in a peace
tour with Palestinian and Israeli performers.
Born in the south of France, her Mediterranean town of
Toulon was a crossroads. Five blocks from the port,
American sailors, European military, and immigrants from
Viet Nam, Senegal and Morocco, packed the market where her
parents had a craft-wares store. Roxane grew-up inside this
cultural whirlwind.
Her unorthodox tap training—her first teacher in France
didn’t know you were supposed to tap with heels as well as
toes—augmented by sports as a teen, gives her dancing a
unique character.
After touring the world with her all women dance-music
show—"BeauteeZ'n The Beat"—Butterfly recently launched a
new show—"Djellaba Groove," named for the rhythms of the
Near Eastern countries she heard growing up. By her own
account, no longer an “emerging artist” but not yet an
“elder,” in a several-hour conversation we explored what
lead to her life in tap and her current thinking about her
art.
This picture says a lot about life as a female
hoofer....NYC Photo by Leslie Lyons
What inspired you to combine tap with world music? I’m from
France. I’m not black. I needed to understand my attraction
to jazz, to tap, to the black culture that comes with it. I
left France when I was 18 because I felt different, and I
haven’t always felt accepted in tap.
I needed to find my roots. My mother is Moroccan, my father
Swiss, and in some ways I’m more American than I am French.
Being in New York allowed me to be everything I am, but
it’s not my roots. I found them in my old neighborhood - in
the Arab and Egyptian music I heard when I was young.
Tell me about your choreographic process? I don’t have a
space. I have 2 pieces of plywood I dance on. I construct
everything doing mathematics. I choreograph in place what
will move across the floor. Final decisions wait until
musicians and dancers are together in the theatre,
sometimes on the day of the show. Then we unfold our wings.
I had an accident. Not being able to dance triggered
thoughts about what I’ll do when I can’t perform. I tried
to imagine what people see, what makes up my language, what
defines my dancing as me. I realized I dance to what my
body retains of rhythm. Choreography is a long process. I’m
an improviser so it’s frustrating to set things I can dance
a million ways. I spent 2 months choreographing the
movement of the head for my first piece - so many options.
Recently, I decided to choreograph less familiar,
traditional music, new rhythms, things I’ve never danced
to. I discovered that if I created different, simple,
rhythmic patterns for several dancers, together we
replicated the polyrhythms of the music. Some patterns are
very structured; rhythms, steps, patterns are set. But the
melody, the relationships are open, improvised.
Jazz musicians mostly read music, but ethnic musicians
often don’t. I work alone with the musicians helping them
learn how to react to my body moves. The more we set, the
more we may mess up. This structure allows both precision
and freedom. [See David Michalek’s "Slow Motion "]
How much input or freedom do your dancers have within the
choreography? The choreography has to leave room for
improvisation, for the dancers to dance like themselves.
Tap is individual, not mimetic. I want you to show your
personality. What I spend time on with the dancers and the
musicians is interpretation. Is the movement cold, hot,
blue, green, a frame for the action. I set the mood, the
time of day, then I let them trip.
How has working with world music changed or influenced your
tapping? It’s like being a kid, a rediscovery. I’ve gained
knowledge, authorized myself to break the rules. I studied
ancient Andalusia music in Morocco. The musicians told me
to study flamenco. It’s foreign, but I can see how it
informs my tap. Flamenco’s like tap, not because of
pounding the floor, but because of its relationship to
music, to improvisation, because you make music with your
body. I became more and more interested in it. I lived
there so I could study real flamenco. When I went back to
tap things had shifted, my skills were enhanced, I danced
and taught differently. I don’t use my heel the same. I use
more silence, more stop-and-go. In jazz you always arrive
at the 32nd bar, but in flamenco it’s not set, instead you
guide with your energy.
Collaborating with Moroccans and Nigerians, learning how to
work with their rhythms, I realized that this is the first
time in my life I can really hear music. I’ve been
experimenting with trance dance music from Morocco,
flamenco rhythms, mostly in 12. I’m dancing to 7s and
4s—rhumba, Gitano (gypsy) music, tango, bolero. Flamenco
has palmas, clapping patterns with accents in different
places. I’m introducing those subdivisions into my rhythm
spending hours in the studio searching for tap patterns
that are syncopated but match the musical dynamics and
rhythms; new steps but still faithful to what tap is. I
don’t want a fusion that makes me forget who I am.
Musically, I love how tap swings, but we’ve only danced to
jazz and that didn‘t allow us to grow. Jazz has become
intellectual, the body-mind connection has been cut, people
don’t dance to jazz anymore. World music doesn’t separate
movement, gender, and genre. Flamenco musicians get up and
dance. I’d love to see a bass player dance.
I get criticized for what this choreography is not, but I
don’t care if you don’t call it tap, if it’s not pure. I
think the best way to honor my form is to create my own
music. *(Roxane improvising with musicians “Tap dance after
party in Reus”
Tell me why you decided to change the name of your company
to World Beats?
I‘ve always been an individual artist. I don’t have a
company, only a flexible collection of artists who work on
my projects. My technique is very elaborate. It doesn’t
look good on men; I’m too light and fast. I use my hips a
lot. Originally I thought only women could dance my work.
But, after a while I realized the best I could do for women
in tap was to be the best artist I could be, no matter whom
I was dancing with. I didn’t want to create a reverse
separatism. That’s when I changed the project name to
Roxane Butterfly’s World Beats. "Djellaba Groove," the
journey of the migrating sole, developed when I realized
the gypsy trail leads through India, Morocco and Andalusia
into Spain. It’s my first attempt to reconnect with Africa
through my Mediterranean connection to France. When you
travel, do you learn new dances, movement styles, in the
countries you travel to?
I want to learn the real thing, onsite. I exchange lessons.
In Sevilla I went to flamenco jams and tapped. I put myself
on the spot by going where music is being pl ayed, where
dancers are.
I received an Arts International grant to go to
French-speaking Africa. I approached girls, mothers, and
teachers in schools. “We [Westerners] don’t have any ritual
that marks passage to womanhood. I’m interested in your
music and songs.” I never mentioned circumcision. I asked
to them to sing a song in both Malinke and Sousou. “Do they
have the same meaning? If this is supposed to make you
happy, why do you look sad?” Then they talked. I used my
ability to dance, my knowledge of music to jam with them
and that helped open them up.
What do you do best as a teacher? I teach endurance,
breathing, and stretching. You need strong abs, backs, and
arms in order to free your movement. And I teach time, how
to be a musician so you can create movement musically, as a
narrative. Many young teachers have no lyricism, no clue of
what it means to be a bandleader. That part of the process
has been amputated by the lack of live music.
What do you think you could do better? I have to have more
patience. I’m demanding; I want results. I [only] have two
ankles and I don’t want to waste them.
Tell me about working with handicapped children? I was
invited to an event in France. I thought I was teaching
mentally handicapped teens. I decided I’d work with
sensation, emotion, lights, music. It turned out they were
physically handicapped, in wheel chairs. I felt silly with
my tap shoes.
“Well, I didn’t expect this,” I told them. “I guess you’re
sitting on your interesting instrument. I can’t go through
space as fast as you.” Based on the capacity of their
chairs, I found ways for them to cross space focusing on
time. When I tried to have them do it on tempo some were
too handicapped and couldn’t. So some of them pushed or
pulled each other. They all wanted to keep on tapping!
It was a real tap class—music, re-inventing space, working
together, creating possibilities, creating a story—this is
the essence of my art form. And I didn’t under estimate
what the students could do, that they could do things I
couldn’t. We mixed our capabilities. It was hard, but it
made me connect back to tap’s essence.
What has it meant to you that you have been able to have
the life of an artist? Ups-and-downs. You have to know how
to be alone, be strong. I’ve chosen this and I can’t back
up. This is the only way I’ve ever lived. I have no
children, no health insurance, no regular living. Some days
I regret it. With time passing it gets harder. As a woman,
the choices you’ve made, you think of them as sacrifices.
It’s not easy so you have to know why you do it.
There are rewards—being on stage, generating art—and I have
other interests, you live for the ups. You keep nurturing
your art. I go to the studio every day. You keep ready for
what comes, and the universe provides.
Clips of Roxane Butterfly’s new movie, Hoofologies, as well
as performance footage, and tour and class schedules can be
accessed fromwww.myspace.com/roxanebutterfly. Also see
http://worldbeats.free.fr/index_bis.html.
Roxane Butterfly's Worldbeats
Spain: +34 651 684 430
USA: +1 212 636 9584
http://worldbeats.free.fr
Watch our last videos!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=23832553
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=21532320
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