Philadelphia’s premier all-female tap company, The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, is pleased to present their annual spring concert “On Tap” on May 6, 2017 at the Performance Garage. The 75 minute family-friendly concert will include the premiere of five new works in an exclusive, one performance only event.
The ensemble will premiere CMYK, a new work by visiting choreographer Dolores Sanchez of New York City, as part of a special project supported by a Project Stream grant through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts. Sanchez, a current member of Chloe Arnold’s tap ensemble Apartment 33, is trained in a variety of dance forms including modern, capoeira, and hip hop.
In CMYK, Sanchez pushes the boundaries of traditional tap. She says of the work, “I am exploring how movement can coexist in an environment of rhythm that is at times open and fluid and other times is speaking to us in grooves that are upbeat and rapid. Simply using both the taps and the body through movement to develop a relationship and tell a story, your story perhaps.” Sanchez’s choreography, set on The Lady Hoofers during just three rehearsals this past winter, requires full body movement in an intense four-minute piece. She describes it is as “an opportunity for the tap dancer to step outside of the boundaries of just being a musician or of just being a mover.”
“On Tap” will also feature the choreographic debuts of dancers Kimberly Davidow and Katherine Moore, as well as new works by directors Katie Budris and Kat Richter. In Richter’s Medusa she draws inspiration from Greek Mythology to give our all-female company the chance to perform their femininity in multiple ways. Richter says, “I seldom incorporate narrative into my choreography and wanted to try something new with this piece. Thankfully, a commission from Stockton University gave me the time, studio space, and dancers I needed to start developing these ideas.” Set to the siren’s song from O Brother Where Art Thou and the music of Damien Escobar, who Richter describes as “a hip hop violinist,” Medusa explores both the flirtatiousness and militant strength of femininity.
About The Lady Hoofers
The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, founded in 2011, provides educational resources and professional performance opportunities to promote the art of rhythm tap. Under the direction of Katie Budris (Managing Director) and Kat Richter (Artistic Director) the ensemble brings together local dancers and musicians to create both original choreography and improvised works. The company was selected to perform at the 2013 DanceUSA Conference, has performed at The Kimmel Center, The Wilma, The Forrest, and City Hall. Support for the ensemble provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
On Tap
May 6, 2017 at 7:30pm – At the time of publication we have been advised that this performance is SOLD OUT.
Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street, Phila
Tickets: $25 General Admission or $18 Child/Student/Senior
https://www.artful.ly/store/events/11416
