Jacob's Pillow Celebrates National Tap Dance Day 6/28-7/11

In celebration of National Tap Dance Day, Jacob's Pillow announces multiple opportunities to experience tap dance during Festival 2010, ranging from free public performances to book signings. All of the events below are free and open to the public.

The School at Jacob's Pillow Tap Program
June 28-July 11
The Tap Program will be led by the United States Artists Rose Fellow of 2008, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker. Faculty includes vaudeville tap legend Harold Cromer, with teaching assistant Sarah Reich; original company member and dance captain of Bring In da Noise, Bring In da Funk Derick K. Grant; Juilliard faculty member Ray Hesselink; and Artistic Director of Tri-Tone Productions and Tri-Tone Body Rhythm Quintent Tasha Lawson. Students will explore the traditions of this American art form in styles ranging from rhythm tap to musical theatre tap. Dancers spend their time in the studio learning how to communicate effectively with musicians, develop strong musicality, and work as an ensemble, along with concentration on footwork techniques and use of the full body as an expressive medium. Participants will learn the history and evolution of tap from artist faculty and from Jacob's Pillow archival film and video collections.

Observation of The School at Jacob's Pillow Tap Program
June 28-July 11, Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9am-5pm
Sommers Studio
The public is invited to stop in to watch distinguished artists work with dancers of The School. Pre-arrangements should be made for parties of more than four people, call 413.243.9919 x169 to arrange.

PillowTalk - Tap Dancing America
Thursday, July 1, 5pm
Blake's Barn
Constance Valis Hill has written Tap Dancing America, a comprehensive cultural history of this quintessential American art form, tracing with verve and grace tap's origins and its recent and vibrant resurgence. Legendary tappers Harold Cromer and Dianne Walker, artist faculty of The School at Jacob's Pillow, will be on hand with Hill to sign this new book.

Inside/Out: The School at Jacob's Pillow Tap Program
Saturday, July 3 & 10, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Tap students will have the opportunity to perform a range of tap styles in public showings as part of the Festival's free Inside/Out series. A Q&A session with dancers and faculty will follow the showings on July 3 and 10.

Free Community Event - Let's Dance!
Sunday, July 4, 10am-1pm
Boston Tap Company will perform as part of this new community-wide event aimed at encouraging participation in dance. Let's Dance! includes free performances; open dance classes and workshops especially well-suited for adults and teens in a variety of movement styles; a free master class with Doris Duke Theatre artist Camille A. Brown; a free raffle; food and drink; and other attractions. All performances, classes, events, and workshops are free.

National Tap Dance Day occurs every May 25 and is a celebration of tap dance as an American artform and its cultural influence on other genres. Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval, and Linda Christensen designaTed May 25 as this day in honor of the birth date of the legendary Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. On September 15, 1988, National Tap Dance Day was presented to the U.S. Congress and was signed into American law by President George H.W. Bush on November 7, 1989. Many cities throughout the world now celebrate this day with tap performances, workshops, and other special events.

Jacob's Pillow celebrates its 78th anniversary in 2010 and is home to a renowned international dance Festival, presenting and commissioning works of artists and companies from throughout the world. The School at Jacob's Pillow encompasses a professional training program in the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Tap, Contemporary Traditions, Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, and a Choreographers Lab, as well as an Intern Program in arts administration and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public free of charge, chronicle more than a century of the often ephemeral art form of dance in photos, print, video, and more. Jacob's Pillow's year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults including Jacob's Pillow Curriculum-in-Motion® a nationally-recognized program for educational settings, and the Creative Development Residency and commissioning programs support artists as they create work. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was declared a National Historic Landmark and is the first and only dance entity in the U.S. to achieve this honor.

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