October 02, 2016
They are everywhere. Fancy pullback combinations, 5 count wings, triple over the toes, toe stands. I don't know a single tap dancer today (including myself) who has never had any aspiration to do these things. And it's not surprising, since trick steps are not only displaying a great amount of body control, but also catch everyone's eye. I remember after accomplishing my very first pullback I felt like “Now I'm an advanced tap dancer!”
September 04, 2016
There are already many articles around that discuss the relationship between dance and music, and I have to say I really enjoyed reading up on this topic. In this month's article, I would first like to present some of the discoveries that have previously been made by others. Then I would like to share my own contemplations about it, giving examples and illustrations from the world of tap dance, in order to ultimately apply it to all art forms existing.
August 07, 2016
Whenever somebody asks me the typical question “What kinds of music do people tap dance to?”, I say “Usually jazz, but also funk, hip hop, soul, maybe even classical music. Basically you can tap to anything!” And this answer implies everything and nothing at the same time. Which made me think about something. Ballet dancers are associated with classical music, Indian dancers with classical Indian music, hip hop dancers with hip hop music. But tap dancers? The picture is kind of blurry....