Seriously...this is SOOOOO not about me and my students (who I will protect their anonymity and my studios as well!) I do not have a salute therefore I cannot post pictures or videos of myself here. This post is about you thinking that tap dancers should copy the Nicholas Brothers, and Gene Kelly. It is about you having no real knowledge of modern tap and not actually seeing a tap show which means you have no clue what you are talking about. You have an opinion based on nothing.

You are judging tap based on SYTYCD, and other youtube videos. You aren't currently engaged in the tap community in the United States or anywhere else are you? I've produced a tap show that Marty danced in along with Nico Rubio, and Sara Reich. I know what these people are doing for tap and how they are dancing and promoting the art form.

I still argue that Sonya couldn't choreograph a tap number if she has never tapped. I don't know her background, but you can't take a non-tapper and have them choreograph a piece because they have no idea what the steps are or the technique.

I believe that we can copy or build on the traditional tap-dancing skills that legendary tap dancers, such as the Nicholas Brothers and Gene Kelly, clearly developed. These legendary tap dancers were experts at combining artistry with entertainment—which I consider a good thing. If tap dancing evolves the way most other dance genres have evolved, the young tap dancers coming on the scene today will be even better than the ones in the past.

Even though I have seen tap shows and I have performed in tap shows, what people see on SYTYCD and on YouTube will have a greater impact on the popularity of tap dancing than what happens during tap shows that only a very small percentage of the people in this country (US) ever attend. By contrast, millions of people watch SYTYCD, and having a tap dancer, such as Matt Flint, win first place will have a very positive effect on the popularity of tap dancing.

I think it’s likely that the future of tap dancing will be determined by young tap dancers and choreographers who were not widely know a few years ago. Matt and Nick were not widely known in the US before they appeared on SYTYCD, but now their names are almost synonymous with tap dancing. Since you mentioned George Balanchine, I suppose you also know that he choreographed tap-dancing routines even though he was not a tap dancer.

I respect your right to anonymity in the same way I respect someone’s right to invoke the 5th amendment. On the other hand, I have wondered for a long time what credentials or experience you have that gives you the right to say that some of the comments made by other people who use this website are wrong or dumb.

I believe that we can copy or build on the traditional tap-dancing skills that legendary tap dancers, such as the Nicholas Brothers and Gene Kelly, clearly developed.

If you want to get really really technical...the Nicholas Brothers and Gene Kelly didn't really develop certain tap skills. Maybe tap style, but shuffles, buffalos, and other tap steps were around far before they were. Give Bojangles some props, and John Bubbles progressed the slow smooth rhythms of tap. I still don't understand why you want tap dancing to be what it was SEVEN DECADES ago! Name me one style of dance that would be better if they went back 70 years. NONE.

If tap dancing evolves the way most other dance genres have evolved, the young tap dancers coming on the scene today will be even better than the ones in the past.

In my opinion they are. Go see the kids at the tap festivals going on in the United States and they are far better than when I was growing up. They aren't going to be like the Nicholas Brothers for the 1000th time. There are some amazing tappers out there.

Even though I have seen tap shows and I have performed in tap shows, what people see on SYTYCD and on YouTube will have a greater impact on the popularity of tap dancing than what happens during tap shows that only a very small percentage of the people in this country (US) ever attend. By contrast, millions of people watch SYTYCD, and having a tap dancer, such as Matt Flint, win first place will have a very positive effect on the popularity of tap dancing.

When is the last time you saw a professional tap show and what company did you see? I don't doubt you have performed in a tap show...would you consider yourself a professional tapper as in getting paid for gigs, teaching, choreographing etc? I think people thinking that Matt Flint's style of tap dance as being the only thing out there is actually NOT a good thing for tap. I'd like to see it showcased as a much more diverse buffet of styles. I agree seeing it him on tv is better than nothing, but I think there are far better tap dancers out there and he isn't the one really representing tap in the tappers community.

I think it’s likely that the future of tap dancing will be determined by young tap dancers and choreographers who were not widely know a few years ago. Matt and Nick were not widely known in the US before they appeared on SYTYCD, but now their names are almost synonymous with tap dancing.

Isn't that kind of true of any art form that the future of it is determined by the people coming up? However, tap is the one art form that loves its history, loves the traditions, loves having their members around dancing in their 80's. Again, if you actually visited a tap festival you'd know this. I've taken from Diane Walker more times than I can count, Arthur Duncan, Fayard Nicholas, Jimmy Slyde...they bring these guys out to represent and promote tap to the younger generation. I can tell you that my kids at the studio wouldn't know Matt Flint's name. I don't think synonymous.

Since you mentioned George Balanchine, I suppose you also know that he choreographed tap-dancing routines even though he was not a tap dancer.

I'm not sure what tap-dancing routines you are referring to. Granted, I had dance history in college, and taught ballet...Balanchine is not my area of expertise so I'd love to know the names of those routines. The director of the ballet company in my city actually danced for him and one of my former students now dances in the company and they both know I tap and that subject has never come up.

There is a scene in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" that has tap steps in in. (Which is my favorite Balanchine Piece), but he collaborated with Herbie Harper, who was a pretty good tap dancer, to add authentic tap and jazz dance movements to the show's ending ballet.

On the other hand, I have wondered for a long time what credentials or experience you have that gives you the right to say that some of the comments made by other people who use this website are wrong or dumb.

Condensed version of my credentials and experience: I've danced for 34 years, ballet, tap, jazz, and passed my pre-professional graded Cecchetti student exam for ballet. I had a scholarship at Chi-Town dance, and Giordano's in my teens. I went to college on a performing arts scholarship and was in a company during college, I got my Cecchetti teacher's exam, started teaching, moved to pursue another city for a dance opportunity, was artistic director at a studio, judged for a national competition, performed in 2 tap companies, and a jazz company, toured the United States with the jazz company, performed at the Mirage in Vegas, danced with the Beach Boys, James Brown, Diana Ross, and have been teaching/choreographing for 18 years. I feel my experience is more than adequate to have a strong opinion and can back it up.

Thank you. I thought your response was polite and you presented some valid observations.

Dave

Tappercise wrote:

The choreographer I was referring to is Christopher Scott, who is an actor, dancer, and the choreographer for the LXD (Legion of Extraordinary Dancers). He is probably better known for choreographing “Step Up 4” than for choreographing tap routines. I didn’t say he never tapped.

Sonya Tayeh choreographed the Quickstep routine that one of the tap dancers (Nick) did on SYTYCD. Ballroom dancing, like tap dancing, is not considered one of her specialties, but all of the judges and probably most of the audience thought the routine was spectacular.

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about tap, but in the interest of presenting factual information I have to say you were mistaken above^.

Christopher Scott is a tapper. I know nothing about tap, and even I know that. From this interview:

CNN wrote:

We love to combine different styles. For example I'm a tap dancer and I like mixing in tap with hip-hop.

articles.cnn.com . . .

On this artist management website he's listed as a tap dancer, alongside Chloe Arnold and Jason Janas. You can Google 'Christopher Scott tap dancer' and come up with 700 000 links that talk about his background and extensive contributions to the tap community.

Also, Jason Gilkison (a professional ballroom dancer) choreographed that quickstep. Sonya Tayeh has only choreographed jazz and contemporary numbers on that show.

These are clips of people I know, have danced with, or have had in my own personal shows...the last video are 15 year old kids:

www.youtube.com . . .

www.youtube.com . . .

www.youtube.com . . .

www.youtube.com . . .

www.youtube.com . . .

www.youtube.com . . .

This is all really different styles of tap. All are relevant, all move the art form forward, and are EASILY seen all over the United States right now. I got people from one coast to the other with these videos.

If Marty gives me the okay I'll post video from him at the show I put on for charity, but felt he needed to give me the go-ahead first.

There is footage from the show? I'd like to see that haha. I don't know if it best represents my capabilities or where I'm at now.... but maybe shoot it to me in a pm first if you don't mind.

Thank you for the correction.

As you stated, Jason Gilikson was the person who choreographed the quickstep. I had him correctly listed as the choreographer for the quickstep in the first part of this thread, and then incorrectly listed Sonya Tayeh as the choreographer for the quickstep near the end of the thread.

This is what I said in the first part of the thread:

“The final dance of the night was the “dreaded” quickstep. Every single dancer who has ever performed the quickstep in SYTYCD history has been eliminated. Tapper Nick and world quickstep champion Iveta may have changed that trend. Jason Gilikson’s choreography was dynamic and fun, two words I never thought I would use to describe the quickstep….Despite never having danced ballroom before, Nick’s tap training had to help, as both dance styles have fast footwork….

Chris Scott…received dance training at Colburn School of Performing Arts, in Downtown Los Angeles, where he mastered the art of tap dance. Chris later received a scholarship to dance with the Jazz Tap Ensemble, which gave him an opportunity to tour and perform on a professional plateau. Since then, he has taught tap in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, including studios like the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood….”

After you brought this mistake to my attention, I realized that the routine I was thinking of was the cane routine that Sonya Tayeh choreographed for Nick and the other dancers. What stuck in my mind after I watched the cane routine was how much I would like to see the “combat jazz” cane routine converted into a tap routine.

On the subject of SYTYCD... I took the kids from my studio to see the road show this past weekend and although it is a different kind of show, there were two tap numbers.

This is the 6th time we've done the road show, and last year, for the first time, there was one tap number. This year, two.

Perhaps there will be a revival of public interest, after all.

Keep On Dancing*