Now don’t get me wrong – great things have happened in the tap world for a number of years. Notably, Savion Glover, Jason Samuels Smith and many of my other tap friends have pioneered all KINDS of crazy. But given the recent tragic tap sequences on So You Think You Can Dance, I really appreciate a recent post I read from Terica, aka the “Dance Pundit”. Before I get to that though, let me share a clip to explain why I am encouraged by what I saw of the esteemed Penn State tap icon, Joshua Johnson, on Dancing With the Stars a bit ago.
So exciting! I would love to hear your thoughts. What do you think about the presentation? I think the sound wasn’t optimal, but the visual component and fun factor more than made up for it. What a great way to show the world how entertaining tap still can be!
That leads into the article I promised you. Here is the link to the Dance Pundit article, my latest addiction in blogs. (All the best dance videos in one place? Yes, please!) Tap: The Underappreciated Dance Style.
If you don’t have time to read the entire article, here is a direct link to the wild new video of The LXD (Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) – it blew my mind. Talk about narrative tap! I bet my old friend Mark Yonally of Chicago Tap Theatre would really dig this. I wasn’t sure how to react when I first opened this video. It rhythmically was a little elusive, but then the artistic vision of it completely overwhelmed me and made me realize that hoofers “get it” just like the angst-filled lyrical and contemporary dancers that are so regularly highlighted on public television. You tell me what YOU think!
Related articles
- Harlem’s Tap-Dancing College Student (harlemworldmag.com)
- College Student Tap Dances On Subway Trains To Earn Tuition Money (keptup.typepad.com)
- On Subway Cars and Now TV, New York’s Tap-Dancing College Student (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Cat paying dues: Fellows Friday with Andrew Nemr (ted.com)
I am so honored that you love my blog and were inspired by it. I loved the video. The personal story was both heartbreaking and endearing. The performance itself was pretty dynamic. I especially loved it towards the middle when the music and other dancers faded away and Joshua really had the spotlight to do a complex tap/improv sequence. It was great. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! I’m really looking forward to checking out many more of your videos and posts. Great to hear your thoughts.