By Winston Morrison of MelbourneTapDance.com.      

Renowned tap fanatic Chloe Arnold is a co-director of the LA Tap Festival and DC Tap Festival.  She makes a living from tap dancing professionally all around the world, and has been a guest in Australia for our tap dance festival. 

In a half hour interview, walking and cabbing through New York City, I asked Chloe about the defining moments of her dance life, advice for aspiring tap dancers, and what goes on in her brilliant tap mind. Follow Chloe’s advice and you will get results.  Besides her skill, it is the person that Chloe is that has made her a success. Tap dancers who want a career in tap can model Chloe’s mindset, priorities and lifestyle to help them become a professional doing what they love.

Tell us about your training and experiences.

When I was 6, I started dancing in this regular dancing school doing jazz, ballet and tap. There was this one particular tap duo that my friend and I really worked on to make better. That’s my first recollection of making a stronger commitment to tap.

One day my mom saw an audition for an all-tap company. I made it on probation; contingent upon the idea that if I improved within three months then I could be in the company.  The teacher in that company sought out information from the masters and hoofers and brought in master classes with Lavaughn Robinson, Eddie Brown, Buster Brown and Harriet Brown. He exposed us to a lot of people.

Savion Glover came to D.C. and did a one month residency  – Savion Glover’s DC Crew.  I auditioned for that and got in. I was 10, and that really changed my life because we were having professional experience with him training four hours a day, learning choreography and then performing it in a large scale show.

One of the years he brought us to New York for a Broadway Showcase.  That changed my life again because I decided I had to move to New York. So at 11 years old I decided I was moving to New York when I grew up and that I was going to be a tap dancer.  I trained really hard and surrounded myself with people that inspired me, really pushed me to get better and didn’t baby me, but demanded excellence.

What other training do you do to support your tap?

I jam about 5 times a week, run and lift.

When dancing professionally how important is business?

Business, although it doesn’t help your tap dancing skills, is how you’re going to help your tap dancing career.  You’re not going to have a career if you don’t do business. Business is how you expand, and do what you want to do.

What advice do you have for tappers in Australia with access to comparatively fewer teachers and peers?

Tap footage, and maybe the new wave that Jason Samuels Smith is talking about -  Skype privates. The great thing with Facebook is that you can shoot a line to someone who you get inspiration from. You’ve got to find your peers that maybe aren’t teachers but just want it as bad as you. Push your peers to be better so they can inspire you and get together with them.   

What’s your vision for tap?

I just want to see more tap.  I want to see it on TV, in film, in music as music, on Broadway and on tours in a way that celebrates the art, the music, and the diversity of it.

What’s important to Chloe in her life and career now? 

CHLOE ARNOLD’S TOP 5 LIFE VALUES

1) Love.  Love for tap and love for life.  Love is what gets me out of bed and to work for 14 hours.  I love walking down the streets of New York feeling alive and excited. I’m driven by love.

2) Friends and family are very overlapped in my life and they come under love.  I value my friends like family. I’d do just about anything for my family, and we work as a team.

3) Respect.  I have a great deal of respect for myself, for other people, for my work and other people’s work.  That allows for an environment of peace, as opposed to war where you don’t have respect for other cultures, ways and views. Treat other people the way you want to be treated, that’s real. 

4) Fun falls under the love factor because everything I’m talking about is just fun to me too.

5) Culture.  For example, today I came across a kid from Tokyo who didn’t speak English, and the idea that I can try to speak his language and try to connect is invigorating to me.  I get excited by differences. 

CHLOE ARNOLD’S TOP 5 CAREER VALUES

1)  Respect yourself, your art and that of others.  If you become a star who only respects your own work and not others, you’re going to find yourself on an island (isolated).   The great thing about art is it’s communication, and you’re able to connect with others.

2)  Work ethic and discipline.  Discipline yourself, like do I really want this salad right now? Maybe not, maybe I’d love a cookie but after working six hours this is how I replenish.  It’s about having the discipline to do that or putting on my shoes for the 4^th hour when I’m tired and don’t want to.  Everything you do in life requires sacrifice, anything you really want in this life will not come without sacrifice.

3)  Perseverance.  No matter how hard you get knocked down, you just stand back up. No matter how mean someone is to you, no matter how someone makes you feel like you should quit…NEVER give up.  And all this should be driven by your:

4)  Love and passion. That should really be the root of it – you’re only doing this art because there’s a passion for it.

5)  Be yourself as an artist.  You have to at some point.  The more you are yourself, the more unique you become because there’s no one like you, and the more effective your art will be.  You are relaying your art, not just imitating. 

By Deborah Searle.

Tap Extraordinaire Jared Grimes is a performer with heart. I recently met Jared at a New York dance competition he founded called ‘Run The Night’ where he gave young dance hopefuls a chance to perform in front of their peers and industry judges for feedback, encouragement and a cash prize. His heart for the next generation of dancers is evident as he strives to give artists a chance to shine and develop their talents.

Producing his own shows and performing across the US, Grimes is making his mark in the tap and hip hop dance scene with an infectious charisma on stage and off. He has danced alongside legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Hines, Ben Vereen and Jerry Lewis, has toured with  Mariah Carey and danced for Common, Salt-n-Pepa, Envogue, Busta Rhymes and the Roots. Jared’s theater credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s, Banana Shpeel, Twist, Scottsboro Boys, Pure Country, Babes in Arms, Sammy, Vaudeville and Broadway Underground, a show he directs himself. Grimes has also appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, Subway and MTV, along with several television shows and films.

Jared performs at Run the Night by Broadway Underground

So who is Jared Grimes? What are his passions?
I am a performer.  My passion is tap.  I feel my greatest strength is the ability to connect with people.

What are you proud of?
I’m proud to be a person who has lived by all the morals and principals instilled in me by my parents. They gave me the everlasting gift of never giving up on people.

Tell us about your dance background
I moved to NYC in 2001 for college and had no money after tuition.  My feet conjured up food and rent for about four years.  The subway is where I built my performing stamina, drive, and execution in tap.  If I couldn’t connect with a crowd they didn’t stay and watch.  Relating to different cultures, races, genders, and ages is what I had to do to last a day in the subway.
I started dancing when I was 3.  My mother was my first teacher.

What is your favorite dance style? Tap or hip hop?
Tap is my favorite style of dance.  Hip hop is second.

What is your career highlight?
My career highlight is regularly performing with Wynton Marsalis, whom I call my professor. He has a wealth of knowledge and his perspectives on music send me to the stars and back with every performance and every conversation.

Tell us about your show ‘Broadway Underground’.
Broadway Underground is a culture in the making of performers who have the ability to do it all. We are a culture of triple threat performers much like Fred Astair, Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly, the Nicholas Brothers and Gregory Hines. We are like them, but for our time.  Broadway Underground is how we put a twist on old ideals of performing. Broadway Underground will soon be a television show fusing dance and comedy!

How do you keep inspired to perform, teach and create?
I stay motivated! I don’t know why or how I keep pushing forward, but there is something inside me that is never satisfied with the moment.  I’m always seeking perfection outside the box and it is an obsession that I have learned to live with. It never stops. When I was little I can remember challenging my image in the mirror [laughs]. In life I never want people to figure me out.  My brain is always trying to stay ahead of itself and I am just trying to keep up with it by feeding it my heart and soul.  It’s a crazy thing. Teaching is an outlet for what is constantly going on in my head.

What is your advice for young street dancers?
My advice to all dancers is to know your history. There’s nothing worse than a dancer that does not know who paved the way for them.

What are your current projects?
I’m currently doing the musical TWIST at the Pasadena Playhouse directed by my friend Debbie Allen.  We will be doing shows from June- July 25.

What are your dreams?
I want to take over the world in a way that hasn’t been done since Sammy Davis Jr!

Video: Courtesy of youTube.
Dance Informa/Dance News International takes no responsibility for the content of any videos viewed through youTube.

By Nicole Saleh.

To all the tap dancers who’ve wanted the rhythmic precision and brilliant feet of Jason Samuels Smith, you’re now one step closer!

In a highly innovative collaboration, the Australian brand Bloch, who are experts in technical dance footwear, have partnered with Jason Samuels Smith, one of the world’s greatest tap dancers, to create a professional tap shoe to meet the needs of today’s tap dancer.

It’s taken over four years to perfect, countless hours of research and testing to develop the Jason Samuels Smith Professional Tap Shoe SO313. This beautifully crafted tap shoe is not only comfortable and stylish, it also produces an amazing sound like a well tuned instrument… but don’t take my word for it. You can now try it out for yourself!

On his recent trip to Australia, Jason officially launched the SO313 at Bloch’s flagship store in Sydney. I caught up with him during his whirlwind visit to learn more about this uniquely crafted tap shoe.

As a Tap Dancer, how important is it to have good tap shoes?
The tap shoe is your instrument and it’s an extension of your foot, so it’s very important that it’s made well and has a decent sound that you prefer. It needs to be comfortable enough to wear for a long period of time and stylish enough to be presentable on stage. Tap dancers deserve a good shoe to accompany the art form. Tap dancing is too amazing not to have an instrument that can deliver.

How did your relationship start with Bloch?
Some Bloch representatives approached me four or five years ago at a national tap dance event. They had been keeping track of me and were very aware of my career, and were interested in developing a professional tap dance shoe. I knew I wanted to create a shoe but I didn’t know how I was going to do it, so when Bloch approached me it was perfect timing. They were really open to the idea of allowing me to have full creative say over the design of the shoe, and were willing to make whatever changes I asked.

Jason Samuels Smith shows off the tap shoe at Bloch York Street, Sydney

How involved were you with the design of the tap shoes?
I was completely involved. In the beginning Bloch sent me a model of their top professional tap shoe that looked more like a steel-toe boot than a dress shoe. I gave them a shoe that I liked in a classic Hollywood 30’s or 40’s style and once they had the core design we kept altering it.

I had seen a clip of Coles (Honey Coles) and Atkins (Cholly Atkins) tap dancing and they’re wearing shoes that have a straight cut across the toe and the toe is in a different colour to the back of the shoe. I always liked how this looked and so we have done two versions of the stitching for our shoe. One has the hard cut that goes across the toe – that’s the ladies version. The other one cuts across and has a sharper cut that goes to the back. So there is slightly different stitching on the shoes, which gives more options in terms of customisation.

So you have a female version and a male version of the shoe?
Right now we have a basic design for a male and a female shoe, where the sole, the leather and interior are all the same. The female shoe has slightly different stitching but it’s not necessarily gender restrictive. I know guys that have bought the female shoe because it’s a narrower cut of the male shoe. My foot is naturally wide and Bloch designed the shoe based on my foot, so the male shoe that comes out of the box is wide.

What was the most important thing for you working on this project?
The main thing was to create a professional high quality tap shoe as a complete package which to me means a shoe that is a total entity and lasts the distance. We worked on the durability of the shoe and the style, and it was also important that the shoes have their own distinctive sound.

The shoe also needs to be comfortable. If you’re teaching three or four classes a day, your feet are just throbbing by the end of the day. Bloch really attacked this, even before I approached it. Their shoes are some of the most comfortable dance shoes in the world, so I was really happy about that.

Sound is an important aspect of tap. What process did you undergo to ensure the shoes produced an exceptional quality sound?
At the beginning of the whole process Bloch did a focus group. They called in a bunch of tap dancers: Derrick Grant, Michelle Dorrance, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Chloe Arnold, Dianne Walker, and myself. They had taps from the past and the present and we tested the sound independent of the shoe, and also on the shoe, and every dancer would say which tone they preferred. I was really feeling confident with the shoe and we were at the end of the process when Bloch wanted me to try these new bigger taps that covered the entire surface of your toe to the ball of your foot. The sound was really unique and the tone produced by the bigger tap was so rich, deep and base heavy that I loved it immediately! The sound I can produce with the taps is actually my favourite part of the shoe.

Jason Samuels Smith signs autographs at Bloch York Street, Sydney

Are the shoes designed only for professional dancers? What are some of its unique features?
It’s a comfortable shoe that any level tap dancer can use. If you’re buying a tap shoe it should come as a tap shoe with taps on it already. With our shoe it’s ready to use straight out of the box, and it doesn’t have a long break in time. It also comes with optional pieces of rubber for the sole of the shoe. I don’t particularly like the rubber because it limits your ability to slide, so we have given this as an option.

The shoe comes with a build up (additional half soles on the toe and heel), which changes the tone giving it a deeper base and helps to balance the bottom of the sole. The build up also gives a richer sound and more versatility, so if you want to use the top edge of the toe, you have more surface area to create that sound or to do a toe stand.

My mission was to develop an instrument that can withstand the force that we use to create our sound. When we’re tap dancing we’re destroying our shoes and tearing them to shreds. My goal was to create a long lasting shoe. We’ve really tried to reinforce the stitching over and over again so people will get the most life out of it. It won’t obviously last forever but I believe in business, if you do the job right the first time, people are going to come back the second time. I also think the shoe will make a lot of tap dancers happy because it’s made for tap dancers by a tap dancer. 

What is your hope for the Jason Samuels Smith Professional Tap Shoe?
One of my dreams for the shoe is for every tap dancer on the planet to try them once, and hopefully they will like them and continue to support them. Personally I want to continue to make the shoe better like we have done over the last four years. I want people to give me feedback because it’s not about what I want, but about what we (the tap community) want.

To get your pair of Jason Samuels Smith’s Tap Shoes SO313, contact your nearest Bloch retailer by visiting www.blochworld.com

Jason Samuels Smith’s tips on buying Tap Shoes
1. What are you are trying to accomplish in your tap shoes?
Are you buying them to perform, teach, practice, or because they look nice?
If you’re a teacher and you teach sixteen classes a week you need something that is comfortable and immediately feels good. You should never have pain when you start wearing a pair of shoes and you don’t want to have to break them in. If you can feel your toe at the tip of the shoe and it’s uncomfortable, then it doesn’t fit and you need another size. It’s got to be comfortable!
2. It has to produce a sound you like, so you need to test it out on a wood surface to get a feel for the sound.
3.  It needs to look good. But it doesn’t matter how it looks, if it doesn’t sound or feel great.

Top photo by Michael Higgins

Spring Dance 2010 

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
Sept 2^nd 2010

By Nicole Saleh 

Savion Glover does not lie. He promised bare  sounds, and that is exactly what he delivered at the 2010 Spring Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House.

Bare Soundz is 90 minutes of pure tap: no narrative, no props, no fancy sets. On stage there are simply three wooden platforms amplifying the beats of Glover, Maurice Chestnut and Marshall Davis Jnr. Reminiscent of a traditional jazz trio (bass, drum and keys), Chestnut and Davis start Bare Soundz by creating a consistent strong backbeat with their heel and toe taps, simply tapping with one foot to provide the strong bass. Glover takes centre stage, and with clearly articulated footwork he delivers a smooth melody, punctuated at times with strong staccato beats. When it comes to his performance it is evident that Glover’s rhythms permeate from within. At times he was clearly focused and performing in his zone, with eyes closed and a smile on his face that expressed sheer joy in the music he was creating with his feet. He captivated the audience to not only see the visual element of dance but to intently listen to the dance and be transported by the musicality of his rhythms.

Savion Glover’s rhythmical journey started when he was a young musician playing the drums. Growing up in a musically gifted family, Glover applied his skills to tap dancing. He is the talent behind the animated tap dancing penguin Mumble, in the film Happy Feet and is widely recognised today as the world’s greatest tap dancer. Privileged to have learnt his craft from revered tap legends such as Lon Chaney, Jimmy Slide, Chuck Green, Honi Coles, Bunny Briggs and Gregory Hines, Glover carries on today the legacy of these pioneering hoofers through his own works that push the boundaries of tap dance. 

What makes Glover’s show extraordinary is that it is never performed the exact same way twice. Glover calls this, Improvography; a combination of choreography and improvisation. When all three dancers are tapping in unison the timing is impeccable, as if you are hearing one tap dancer. When each dancer in turn takes the lead, they show their own unique style through improvisation. Chestnut has a distinct groove where he performs with strength and conviction in his solo, while Davis is reminiscent of the legendary hoofers tapping with speed and control, letting his feet do the talking. Glover is a brilliant technician who wowed the audience with his power and fast footwork, delivering clear intricate beats that are performed effortlessly. Wearing traditional Capezio black tap boots, and not his usual trademark green, he made sounds using every part of his boot from the inner and outer edge, to the soles, heels and toes. His boots are his musical instrument and there was not one part of his boot that he did not use to create a soulful tune.

A highlight for me was the jam session, when each dancer in succession took 16 counts to improvise and outdo the performance of the dancer before them. Trying to impress, Glover, Chestnut and Davis pulled out all stops with complex wings, riffs, shuffles, toe stands, slides and turns while never missing a beat. It brought out their competitive side as they stole each other’s steps and did it one better than the last dancer, which had the audience amazed.

Feeling inspired by the show, I had the opportunity of honing my own tap skills at an exclusive Tap Master Class with Glover, and this is when it became really interesting!

Glover didn’t position himself at the front of the class and lead a traditional warm up, nor did he teach a combination as we had expected. He opened the class by explaining that he no longer taught ‘steps’ as we all have a vocabulary of steps. He challenged our thinking and approach to tap dance, which became the premise of the 2 hour workshop. Glover walked around the class weaving in and around the dancers as he posed philosophical questions in relation to tap. He explored the theory, technique and musicality of tap dance, discussing timing, accents and the structure of steps, all of which are important technique tools for improvisation. His class was a journey beyond the realm of a combination. It was unlike any tap class I‘d ever been to, and I was left to consider whether we approach tap as musicians, dancers or both. What I enjoyed most was when Glover demonstrated musical concepts such as half time, single time and double time, and taught us how to create our own combination using the structure of “3 and a break”.

Everything I learnt from the class became more apparent when seeing Bare Soundz for the second time. It is extremely rare for me to see a show twice in one week, but I could not help going back for more to experience the brilliance of Savion Glover – 90 minutes of nothing but tap dancing and wonderful rhythmic sounds at its best.

A true creative genius, Savion Glover is an artist dedicated to his craft. He not only delivered an incredible performance to Sydney audiences, but has also embraced the responsibility of carrying forward his art form, sharing the musicality of tap dance to the next generation of dancers and reminding me of what the Bare Soundz of tap dance is all about….creating music with your feet!

Hear from George Miller, Director of Happy Feet, on Savion Glover
Click here

Photos: James Morgan

Published by www.danceinforma.com

Sansha’s world famous TA88 T-Bojango tap shoes are filmed in action, featuring internationally acclaimed performer Paul Davis and dancers.

By Nicole Saleh.

Tap dancing is where it all began for the talented Adam Garcia. With his first big break on London’s West End performing in the acclaimed Australian musical Hot Shoe Shuffle, Adam has since gone on to achieve success not only on stage but also in film and television. Garcia showed off his hot dance moves in the movie Coyote Ugly, created the lead role of Fiyero in the hit musical Wicked, was a dance teacher in the drama Britannia High, and most recently appeared alongside Kimberly Wyatt (former Pussycat Doll) and Ashley Banjo (Hip Hop crew Diversity) as a judge on UK’s popular television show Got To Dance.

Ready to return to his roots, Adam is hitting the West End stage but this time in Blundstone Boots, leading the cast of Tap Dogs.

In rehearsals on the eve of their upcoming UK and Australian tour, I got a behind-the-scenes preview of Adam in action. Not only does he bring his own charm and humour to the show, I was amazed at the footwork of this highly skilled tap technician. Intrigued to learn more, I caught up with Adam Garcia in between his busy rehearsal schedule.

How did you start Tap Dancing?
I started doing ballet from about the age of seven for no particular reason, other than my friend Morgan O’Neil asked me to come with him to his dance class. The class was a bit too far away and he left and I wanted to continue, so I went to my cousin’s dance school which was Dumbrell Academy (now Capital Dance). Glenn and Kerrie Dumbrell’s strong point was tap. I did ballet and jazz, and everyone did tap, so I started doing tap dancing.

Did you always want to be a dancer?
I didn’t ever think I’d be a career dancer. I simply did it because I enjoyed it as a hobby. When I was 15 or 16 I started getting jobs, but I still never thought that this would be a career, even when I went to London with Hot Shoe Shuffle.

Hot Shoe Shuffle was supposed to be a six month deferment from university and it turned into a year and a half. Then in London, I thought I probably wouldn’t get another job, I’d just backpack for a year and come back to Australia, but I ended up getting more work and so it sort of developed.

So do you think Aussie dancers need to move overseas for a career in dance?
Not necessarily. There are more opportunities over there, but equally there are good opportunities in Australia. Obviously the pool of jobs is much bigger in Europe or even America, but as the percentage of jobs increase, the percentage of people competing for them increases as well, so it’s never going to be easy. You have to be on top of your game!  

Is it true that this is your first season of Tap Dogs?
It is! I’ve never done Tap Dogs, so I’m not officially a Tap Dog until it opens.

What is it like to be once again working with Dein Perry (Tap Dogs Creator/Choreographer) since working together in the musical Hot Shoe Shuffle and the film Bootmen?
I grew up with Dein and he was a mentor of mine. My first big experiences in my life away from home were with Dein. He was a real father figure to me and we’ve been very good friends ever since. It was kind of odd, as I didn’t know how we were going to operate again, but we just know how each other works and we found it really easy, so it’s a delight.

How did you get ready for this role in Tap Dogs?
I hadn’t been tap dancing a great deal, so I had an extra two weeks tapping in London before starting rehearsals in Sydney. You need fast feet for this show and I thought “Oh my, are my feet going to be ready at all?” But they seemed to have mostly come good.

I did a fair bit of fitness work when I was in Los Angeles – lots of sprint training and a bit of muscle work. I played football two or three times a week and one of those games was a 90 minute full field soccer match. You’re constantly sprinting and never stop, and so it’s kind of the equivalent to doing an 80 minute show. It’s certainly challenging, but I’m getting there.

How important do you think Tap Dogs is to championing the art form of Tap around the world?
I think it is incredibly important, and not because I’m intimately attached to the show. There aren’t tap shows of this nature that are still continuing today. There are ballet companies and contemporary companies and their expression and narrative is done through dance. Tap shows don’t exist like that. Savion Glover obviously has his shows, but then there’s 42^nd Street and musicals where suddenly there is some tap dancing and then it ends. There is not a show that I have seen that is just a tap show, and that’s all it is. Tap Dogs is really the only one on an international scale. There’s no speaking, its music and tap for 80 minutes and that’s that!

The Tap Dogs trademark is the Blundstone Boots. Was there a need to adjust your tapping style for these shoes?
Actually in London when I was starting rehearsals I knew I needed to get some boots on because they are a lot heavier than tap shoes. I dug around in my cupboard and found the first boots we wore for the original Tap short for ABC TV (this short film launched what was to become the Tap Dogs and the concept of tapping in Blundstone boots). It takes a lot more deliberate dexterity to make the sounds. I had to remember how to use them, and it took about a week and a half to get really used to the boots.

What’s been a career highlight for you?
Definitely the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony (Adam led over 1000 tap dancers performing to a global audience), and opening in the musical Saturday Night Fever in London (Adam played the lead role of Tony Manero). Even just opening in Hot Shoe Shuffle was kind of weird and crazy back in 1992. I had no idea about openings and I didn’t realise it was such a big deal. I even asked Dein if I could have it off as I had tickets to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and they were only playing one gig. We had another 30 shows after that and I couldn’t see what the big deal was!

You’ve been a judge on the successful UK reality television show, Got To Dance. What qualities do you believe make a great dancer?
Obviously feet are pretty important, and musicality. Musicality is not only about keeping time and doing the choreography, but it’s feeling the music and where moves should be. I think dancers learn that music carries with it an inherent rhythm, tone, style and nuance and that’s why people have different styles. They hear the music differently or feel the dance moves in a different way. When people really explore and give into what they feel and express it through the music, it makes a good dancer and a very watchable dancer.

The ability to let go is very important. There was a 10 year old boy on the show who is autistic and literally the music moved him and that’s the only way I could describe it. He just stood there and the music went, and he just went. That was one of the most beautiful things in the show.

Do you see yourself as an actor or a dancer?
Even though I’ve got acting, dancing always reels me back and I realise “oh yeah, you’re a dancer – deal with it”. For all my protestation about being an actor, people recognise me as a dancer, so I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I love making movies, I like making TV, I love doing live theatre, I love doing musical theatre, I like doing dance shows and I like being a judge, so I’m just trying to do as much as I can.

What are your future plans after Tap Dogs?
A new season of Got to Dance (UK) starts at the end of the year so I’m excited about that. Chris Horsey (Tap Works Director) and I have been working on a show which we’re about half way through choreographing. He’s got his tap company up and running and we’ve got ambitions to complete the show and put it on stage finally, that’ll be nice!

Tap Dogs is now showing at the Novello Theatre London until 5^th September 2010, and returns to Australia at the Capitol Theatre Sydney from 5^th January 2011 for a limited 5 week season. For details visit www.tapdogs.co.uk

Photos: Ralf Brinkhoff

HOT OFF THE PRESS – JUST ANNOUNCED
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE  RUNNER UP CHARLIE
Will be performing with THE NEXT STEP!

Multi-talented, all male crew, The Next Step, is set to rock Luna Park this November. Directed by Dein Perry, The Next Step is the creation of brothers Jason and Kris Lewis. From humble beginnings in the Lewis brother’s garage, The Next Step has exploded into a phenomenal, action packed, high energy show.

The Next Step are said to be bold, innovative and unique. “The whole concept of The Next Step is fresh and exciting”, says the team. “A group like this has never been done anywhere else in the world before. There are three different dance styles, two vocalists and a three piece band all working together to bring the audience great music and a cool performance. It’s both a visual and sonic treat that has to be seen.”

On Saturday November 21st the crew are bringing their new show to the Big Top at Luna Park. The group will bring their edgy fusion of hip-hop, tap and break dancing to the stage, and a live band teamed with the group’s talented vocalists will perform their original score, including their debut single Do It On The Dance Floor.

This team of dedicated performers aims to take dance, choreography and music to the next level. “The Next Step strives to not be ordinary. We always try to better each and every performance and show we do”, explained the group. “With an industry such as entertainment, it’s constantly evolving and growing so we continue to look for new ways to keep all the different elements of the show current.”

The Next Step enjoyed a successful sell out season in 2008 at The Metro Theatre, Sydney. But what can audiences expect this year? “People who came to watch last time will see and hear some of The Next Step favourites as well as some surprises”, we are told. “The show has now been re-crafted by the infamous Dein Perry (creator of Tap Dogs) who has taken on the role of Director for the upcoming shows. Dein is thrilled to come onboard and help take the show to the next level. Our performance at the Big Top is going to be the first time audiences get to see the new show”, they shared excitedly.

The Next Step has rightfully earned a reputation for cutting edge performance, and finely honed talent, comprising of artists from Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs and contestants featured in the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance.

With rehearsals in full swing for November, it seems that the upcoming performance is only the start of things to come. “We are currently releasing an EP in October with our new single Do It On The Dance Floor accompanied by an awesome new music video, and we are working towards a season of shows in Sydney starting in February 2010. We also plan a second single and album release followed by a national tour”, they shared. It seems that it is full steam ahead for the talented team. Good luck guys!

Get your tickets to The Next Step at The Big Top Luna Park.
It’s street and stage, dance and music at its finest!
Date: Saturday November 21st, 7:00pm
Venue: The Big Top, Luna Park
Contact: www.thenextsteponline.com  www.bigtopsydney.com  
or 1300 Big Top www.ticketek.com.au  or 132 849