'Rockin' in Rhythm' Youth Tap Showcase Comes to Symphony Space Tonight

The American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) presents "Rockin' in Rhythm" tonight, February 16th, at 7:30 pm at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Tony Waag, Artistic/Executive Director, announced that the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy will be joining the Concert.

Approximately 20 young musicians will be playing, and members of the Tap City Youth Ensemble will be dancing in a collaborative piece called 'Niger Mambo.' "The American Tap Dance Foundation is excited to embark on a new collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

To purchase tickets click here: General Admission $22 - Day of Show: $25; Children 17 & under/Symph. Member/College Student/Senior: $15 - Day of Show: $25. Box Office: 212.864.5400, Hours: Tues - Sun from 1 - 6pm. or online at:

Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy and the Tap City Youth Ensemble join forces to bring talented young musicians and dancers together to share their musical and rhythmic ideas and explore jazz culture. They will inform, inspire and expand the horizons of each other as developing young artists."

The dynamic show is part of The Rockin' in Rhythm Teen Tap Intensive weekend (February 15-17). This event brings together dynamic and diverse youth ensembles from across the country (and this year Solvenia) to perform their best works on a New York City stage. They include: Capitol Tap of Washington, Washington, D.C.; Legacy Dancers, Lexington, MA; Lukec Tap Team, Krsko, Slovenia; Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble, Washington, D.C.; Monroe Dance Academy, Monroe, CT; New Jersey Tap Ensemble 2, Bloomfield, NJ; North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, Chapel Hill, NC; Tap City Youth Ensemble, New York City, NY; Tapology, Flint, MI, and others!

The show will include choreography by Frances Bradley, Ayodele Casel, the Copasetics, Michelle Dorrance, Roxane Butterfly, Ryan Casey & Thelma Goldberg, Susan Hebach, Nicole Orr, Bakaari Wilder & others. Guest artists for the evening are Brenda Bufalino, Kazu Kumagai and Tony Waag. The musicians are: Jess Jurkovic on piano, Bernice Brooks on drums/percussion, and Bob Sabin on bass.

Artistic/Executive Director Tony Waag stated "The future of tap dance certainly looks bright if you actually get to see, and hear, these young people in action. It gives me great pleasure in knowing that tap dancing youth ensembles are now practicing, performing and yes perfecting this unique American art-form all over the world. I am very proud to host such a gathering that brings some of our top tap ensembles together so that they can share with each other, and with the general public, the amazing joy that tap dance brings to people no matter where you live or who you are. To think that tap dance was once in serious danger of extinction from the late 50's and up until the tap dance revival of the 1970's seems now impossible. A concert such as this gives those of us who have been around awhile, promoting and producing tap events year after year, a great sense of accomplishment."

The American Tap Dance Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to establishing and legitimizing Tap Dance as a vital component of American Dance through creation, presentation, education and preservation. American Tap Dance Foundation, Inc. was formerly the American Tap Dance Orchestra. It was founded in 1986 by master tap dancers Brenda Bufalino, Tony Waag, and the late Charles 'Honi' Coles. From 1986-1999, the Orchestra performed in hundreds of concert, stage, and film projects and thrilled audiences around the world. From 1989 to 1995, the company also operated Woodpeckers Tap Dance Center in NYC, and presented year-round programming of performances, workshops, daily classes for adults and children, tap jams, lectures, and film presentations. In 2002, with a new generation of tap dancers and enthusiasts, the organization was renamed, and under the direction of Tony Waag, renewed its vision of establishing the first-ever Center for Tap, -- an international home for dancers, based in NYC. They are located at 154 Christopher Street #2B NYC, NY 10014. Contact: 646-230-9564 and Fax 646-230-7777; Email: info@atdf.org or visit the website at http://atdf.org/ for more information.

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