FIDGETY FEET | TAP DANCE VANCOUVER

Fluffles

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:15:21 -0700

Mumbles.

Ironically, the name of the fast footed, tap dancing penquin in "Happy Feet". It's something I'm on a mission to cure. Mumbling feet. Would you want to hear a singer sing and have them slur all their words and not quite hit the notes? If you went to see Bard on The Beach, would you feel ripped off if the characters didnt enunciate any of their words? Well, we need to educate people about tap dancing the same way.

Tap dancng has this universal appeal that makes anyone watching instantly giddy and appreciative, but in no way should we conidtion people to accept pablum. Like fine classical music, tap is music that, whether understood by it's audience, should be treated with the same respect and approach.

If you took singing or piano, would the teacher just say "oh, close enough" when you were flat or playing the wrong rhythm? Exactly! Whether an audience really understands what we are doing with our feet, unless we treat them to the musicality we can all learn how to share, they don't quite get what they are missing. All they know is it was "good", when the other feeling they could have would be something indescribable. It will sock them in the gut it feels so right.

If the shoe fits….

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:14:55 -0700

…..that's not all that matters.

Every so often I feel the need to let students know, you get what you pay for. (in many different instances, but I'm talking about shoes here) When you go to buy tap shoes and you ask for the cheapest tap shoes, that's what you get - chiclet sounding shoes. Indulge me for a moment and imagine the clicky, plastic-like sound of chiclets hitting the floor……………………………are you done? Good. Moving on:

In my opinion there are few lower priced shoes that actually sound good. Adjudicating this week really reminded me of how good dancers can be at a definite disadvantage when they are poorly equipped. I heard (well, I DIDN'T hear them, that's the point) some really poor sounding tap dancing this week and I don't think it's for lack of the kids busting their butts to have themselves heard.

To really understand the subtlety of tap dancing, we shouldn't have to POUND our selves into the ground, except for moments of exclamation or emphasis. We've lost the melody somewhere by brushing over this simple fact. Buy good shoes. BUY GOOD SHOES!!!! Yes I have heard it a million times "we want to wait until her feet stop growing" or "I don't want to spend too much money. What if I decide I don't want to do it anymore?". Here's a good answer:

Alberchewan

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:13:43 -0700

Here I sit, in Starbucks in Lloydminster, AB. Just a 5 minute drive from Lloydminster, SK. Yesterday I had coffee in Saskatchewan. Today, Alberta. We are in border town, folks!

I'm here adjudicating a dance competition and I have the mornings off so I can actually get caught up on some of this stuff (blogging, actually returning emails and perhaps some sleep?)

The dancing in Alberta and Saskatchewan is always pleasantly surprising. The standard is great and the students are super passionate. It's a pleasure to watch. However, I forget how that many hours in a theatre each day, straining to really critique dancing well, your eyes feel like you've had SAND thrown in them. (I know, sitting at a computer screen doesn't help)

I was here teaching last summer and will return again this summer with my new friend, Paula Giroday. If you've never seen this woman, you need to catch her in action. She's one of those beautiful, talented people who actually have substance and a wicked sense of self and humour. Her project with Joel Sturrock HERE

Tappy New Year

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:13:00 -0700

2012 HERE WE COME! February 14, 2012

Some exciting things are happening at The Rhythm Room. In addition to a handful of fanatical new tap students, we have a teachers' collaborative/class that has been running succesfully since September. This is something I have wnated to make happen for a long time and I'm so thrilled to be dancing with this gang. We have shared, taught, listened laughed, and laughed till we cried. (well crying most recently from Danny Nielsen's cardio flap warm up and the thigh burn it caused) It's inspiring to have this group of people meeting every week just to hang out. Nothing but good can happen from this. Stay tuned as you will be hearing more about this seed.

TAP JAM: Congratulations to Dayna Szyndrowski and Danny Nielsen on the success of their latest tap jam at Kino Cafe. It was great to go and see/hear some live tap with great live music. My own little munchkin, Olivia even insisted on getting up and doing a short rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider". It was fun to hang out with a tap enthusiastic crowd and I hope they do it again soon.

Testing 1, 2,3

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:11:49 -0700

November 10, 2011

Check, check, check....is this thing on? In the endeavour to feel more in control (ha, what's that?) I have created my own site this year. Along with that, I hope to be able to blog about all of the funny, poignant and random things in and around my world of tap dance. Check back often to catch up with me and my adventures in tap dancing. I can't promise to get here often, but I will do my best! : )