Celebrating National Tap Dance Day with Tap Family Reunion
Company:
The Super Villainz, Divine Rhythm Productions & The Brooklyn Arts
The Super Villainz, Divine Rhythm Productions & The Brooklyn Arts presents
TAP FAMILY REUNION
Celebrating National Tap Dance Day in NYC
May 21- 25, 2020
Directed by tap dance luminaries Dormeshia, Derick K. Grant, and Jason Samuels Smith, the 3rd annual Tap Family Reunion is a 5-day virtual celebration of National Tap Dance Day & Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's Birthday. Events include workshops, performances, discussions and so much more! All event programming is intended to highlight the intergenerational importance of our culture; celebrate our elders, and make our history accessible to youth and everyone in between. Executive Producers Elka Samuels Smith of Divine Rhythm Productions in association with Tamia Santana - The Brooklyn Arts, and Debbie Allen Dance Academy with special programming and content made possible in part by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Joyce Theater and Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back produced by John Carluccio of CINQUA | Creative Documentary Agency.
Programming kicks off on Thursday, May 21st from 12pm-5pm with a Free Viewing party of curated Bill “Bojangles” Robinson footage and the movie “Bojangles” starring Gregory Hines. On Friday, May 22nd the first set of masterclasses runs from 11am to 2:30pm featuring special guest artists. The day culminates with live streaming of the critically acclaimed 2018 and 2019 original productions that were both choreographed and directed by all three of the festival directors and a cast of featured soloists with a dynamic chorus line.
Additional Tap classes take place on May 23rd including one featuring all three artistic directors. The day culminates in an original Tap Family Quiz Challenge where all participants can play against each other in real time for prizes. On May 24th, the Tap Family Jam runs from 2pm-5pm and gives participants the opportunity to watch or join in the action with an improvised performance as well as connect with fellow tap dancers from around the world. On the final day of festivities there will be two special curated screenings both with live artist talks: at 2pm catch scenes from Maurice Hines’ documentary Bring Them Back, and at 5 pm The Joyce Theater releases a limited viewing of excerpts from the critically acclaimed production of Dormeshia’s And Still You Must Swing through their new virtual platform JoyceStream.
Tickets are available at www.Tap-Fam-Reunion@Ticketleap.com
***Anyone who needs a scholarship can request the code via email. No one will be turned away: TapFamReunion@gmail.com
This event is made possible in part through support by the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The New York Public Library - Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, TapTakeover Harlem, Jazz Roots Dance Company, Onstage Dancewear, Fractured Atlas, and Dance NYC.
DAY BY DAY Overview:
***All Festivities are Virtual this year.
Thursday, May 21st
12 pm - 5 pm (estimated): Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Footage Party with private viewing of the movie “Bojangles” starring Gregory Hines. Moderated by Special Guests
*Look out for content from previous Tap Family Reunion events to be re-released by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture social media pages @Schomburg Center (IG, Facebook).
Friday, May 22nd
Tap Classes:
11:00 am: Beg - Derick K. Grant 12:15 pm: Int - Dormeshia
1:30 pm: Adv - Jumaane Taylor
Live Streams:
3:00 pm-5:00 pm: “Raising the Bar” Screening & Talk
5:30 pm-7:30 pm: “Happy Birthday, Bill!” Screening & Talk
Saturday, May 23rd
Tap Classes
11:00 am: Beg - Josette Wiggan
12:15 pm: Adv - Jason Samuels Smith 1:30 pm: Int - Jason Janas
2:45 pm: Open Level - Super Villainz
5:00 pm-6:30 pm Tap Family Quiz Game Sunday, May 24th
2:00 pm-5:00 pm The Tap Family Jam
Monday, May 25th
2:00 pm: Special Screening of Maurice Hines documentary “Bring Them Back” with Artist Talk featuring Tap Family Reunion producer Debbie Allen
5:00 pm: (viewable for 24 hours): In collaboration with The Joyce Theater - Free Screening of excerpts from Dormeshia’s And Still You Must Swing with Artist Talk
EVENT DESCRIPTIONS:
Tap Family Reunion presents #QuarantineShuffle, revisiting the 2018 and 2019 debut performances celebrating the birthday of tap icon Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the timeless relationship between Tap Dance and Jazz, two of the most popular original African-American art forms embraced worldwide. Happy Birthday Bill! (2019) features performers from film, stage and screen, and a stellar chorus line of dancers. Raising The Bar (2018), is a revue reminiscent of great American Vaudeville with a contemporary feel. Solo acts feature some of the tap community’s own leading voices across styles and generations. The performances are under the direction and choreography of award-winning tap dancers and collaborators Derick K. Grant, Dormeshia, and Jason Samuels Smith. The productions were originally presented and recorded in the Langston Hughes Auditorium at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
“The Tap Family Quiz Game”
In the style of some of your favorite game shows, we have created an original quiz show that will put your knowledge of Tap Dance to the test! Participants will play against 8 players at a time with real-time technology and scoring.
“Dormeshia’s And Still You Must Swing on Joyce Stream”
Enjoy excerpts of this original show the NY Times deemed “Best of Dance” in both (2016) and (2019) followed by an Artist talk. The screening will be available for up to 24 hours and will promote ahead of the company’s return this coming December.
“The Schomburg Center’s Open Archive”
Catch the first year’s specially curated open archive in video and in pictures along with the after-party footage from Tap Family Reunion 2018/2019.
“Tap Family Jam”
Honoring the legacy of Buster Brown's Tap Jam with live music, tap dance, and good times, the event goes virtual this year.
Link to more information for Tap Family Reunion weekend of events: www.tap-fam-reunion@ticketleap.com
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