The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble is thrilled to announce their upcoming spring concert, On Tap, at Independence Seaport Museum in Penn’s Landing on Saturday, May 13th. This concert marks the ensemble’s first spring performance in three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Tap will feature live jazz and three world premieres showcasing the choreography of Princeton University Arts Fellow Michael J. Love, Philadelphia’s own Robyn Watson, and the ensemble’s Managing Director, Katie Budris.
“We’re excited to be back on stage on the Philadelphia waterfront,” says Artistic Director Kat Echevarría Richter. Throughout the pandemic, the ensemble continued to rehearse and give free performances in a variety of spaces, including Cherry Street Pier and Bartram’s Garden. As such, they are thrilled to be performing at Penn’s Landing.
Comprising approximately 35 professional and pre-professional dancers from PA, NJ, and DE, The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble is dedicated to performance, mentorship, and community outreach. They present two mainstage productions each year, in addition to free community performances, a residency in North Philly, and master classes with renowned tap dancers.
Every year, the ensemble commissions a new work from a guest artist. Past choreographers have included Caleb Teicher, Lisa La Touche, and Robyn Watson, who set her work on the company just before the pandemic began. Watson’s work will make its long-awaited mainstage debut in this year’s spring concert.
The ensemble is also proud to premiere a new work by interdisciplinary tap dance artist Michael J. Love, drawing inspiration from Nina Simone. “I’m excited and honored to set a new work for The Lady Hoofers,” says Love. “My research explores the Black American foundations of house and techno music, and I’m looking forward to thinking about the relationship between these and other Black genres alongside The Lady Hoofers.”
On Tap promises to challenge both the dancers and the audience’s expectations of tap, providing a fitting finale for this year’s concert.
The ensemble is supported in part by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
The Lady Hoofers ON TAP
Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 7:00pm
Independence Seaport Museum
211 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106
Tickets: $30 – $35
Available at: https://the-lady-hoofers.ticketleap.com/on-tap-2023/
