Article Contributed on: 11/26/2006 12:30:45 AM
On Nov. 17, over 30 area kids were "knockin' on wood" - with their feet. They were attending an audition class for a national youth tap dance club, The St. Louis Hoofers Club (SLHC,) directed by
Robert L. Reed (founder and executive director of The St. Louis Tap Festival) and they knew it would take more than luck.
Parker Dance Academy was filled with tap students, all concentrating on Reed's rhythm patterns and step execution. Reed watched each dancer and determined his or her learning style. After two hours, Reed finally had his newest chapter of the SLHC, The Colorado Chapter.
"The kids have to have the desire to learn, and the passion in their hearts," Reed made the parents understand. If they thought the hard part was the audition, they quickly learned with their first three-hour rehearsal just two days later just what being a Hoofer entails. But the kids never thought twice about dancing for three hours - "It was fun!" said
Lauren Waldvogel. Even little
Kaleah Allen, whose feet were covered in blisters after the first rehearsal, never once asked to be excused - she just didn't want to miss anything.
The following dancers will comprise the 2006-2007 St. Louis Hoofers Club-Colorado Chapter:
Kaleah Allen, Meghan Conley, Karina Eyre, Gigi Golden, Landan Kellim, Breanna Leinweber, Leah McCall, Ariana Marsh, Daniel Mont-Eton, Dario Natarelli, Eliza Ohman, Amanda Sprague, Paige Story, Rachael Szymanski, Bailey Vastine, Sammy Vastine, Cassidy Wagner, and Lauren Waldvogel. Mr. Reed's local teachers will be
Beverly Pinkerton and
Megan McDaniel. Colorado Dance Coalition was instrumental in finding area students to be a part of this organization.
The SLHC's mission is to teach the dance to the next generation, so that they may pass it on. Mr. Reed brings the history of the dance, which was passed to him by his mentor,
Maceo Anderson, of the Four Step Brothers, to his teaching and will instill the importance of perpetuating the tradition of tap dance to the young hoofers. By teaching about rhythm, history, shading, and musicality, Mr. Reed hopes to keep tap strong and thriving for future generations to enjoy.
The SLHC members have enjoyed experiences nationally, as well as internationally. They have been a great presence at Reed's St. Louis Tap Festival, now in its 16th year. Mr. Reed is instrumental in providing young dancers with the tools they need to reach their goals. He believes that once the children respect the dance, they will live for it.
Reed will be coming to Colorado monthly starting in January for Hoofers rehearsals and will also be teaching two different level master classes. Please visit www.ColoradoDanceCoalition.com or call 303-482-1846 to find out more or to sign up for the classes, which are open to the public.