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Do your feet have the beat?

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Contributed by: Michele Natarelli on 10/8/2006

Tap dance is an art form with deep and far-reaching roots. It's much more than a shuffle, ball change. It's music. It is much more than a top hat and tails. It's heart. It is much more than the metal taps on the soles. It's soul.

When it's done right, it's delicious. So...What's the best recipe for a successful tapper?

Ingredients:

The right teacher
The right shoes
A dash of confidence
A drop of Blues
1 Part Rhythm
1 Part Soul
some jazz, some funk,
some rock and roll

Take the heart of the tapper and mix it with the mind. Teach the dancer about the steps, don't just teach the steps. If the tapper knows where the steps came from, then he can start to feel the steps not only with his feet, but also with his heart.

The most important ingredient in the recipe is the teacher. The lessons taught are what determine whether or not a dancer will become good or great. A good dancer can learn whole steps quickly. A great dancer can learn quick steps wholly. A good dancer will show you perfect choreography with no mistakes. A great dancer will fall because he is trying to go beyond perfect. He's trying to perpetuate history by reinventing it to fit today. Teachers need to inculcate that surviving in the dance world takes confidence and humility; honesty and integrity; discipline and courage. Good and great dancers possess all these characteristics. The difference is that great dancers don't lose humility, integrity, or courage once the tap shoes come off.

This recipe serves: generations and generations

by Michele Natarelli, 2006

_______________________________________________________________
So, if you're looking for that great tap teacher, this is your chance...

LEARN TAP DANCE FROM THE MASTER OF FLASH...
PROFESSOR ROBERT L. REED
COMING TO COLORADO OCTOBER 13-14!!!

FRIDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY JAM
PARKER DANCE ACADEMY
7-8:30 p.m. ($10/person)
SATURDAY: MONTHLY MASTER CLASS SERIES BEGINS
PARKER DANCE ACADEMY
BEG./ADV. BEG. 9-10:30; INT/ADV. 10:30-12 ($30/Class)
SIGN UP TODAY...SPACE IS LIMITED!

Robert L. Reed is a much sought after tap teacher, producer, choreographer, and performer. He received rave reviews for his teaching at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. For several years he served as Professor and Artist-In -Residence at a performing arts university. Mr. Reed is proficient at teaching many styles of tap and is the protégé of Maceo Anderson, a founding member of the Four Step Brothers dance act. Three of his young students, the St. Louis Hoofers reached the semi-finals on Star Search. He was with Riverdance as dance captain and toured as a principle with Incognito in Europe. Reed was a featured artist at the Peg Leg Bates Resort and has toured with Cab Calloway. Mr. Reed has opened for such Luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, Redd Foxx, Cher, the Smothers Brothers and David Hasselhoff, just to name a very few. He is the founder and executive/artistic director of the internationally renowned St. Louis Tap Festival, which is now in its 16th year. Reed is also the founder of the Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization, working to preserve the history of the dance form by passing it down to students through educational opportunities. He appears in the critically acclaimed Peg Leg Pates documentary "Dancing with the Peg." As two of the Six Feet of Rhythm, he performed with his daughter, Robin, and his son, Robert L. Reed III, who toured with Savion Glover in the international tour of "Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk". Robert hosted his own television show in Japan named for him, Robert Hall, which recently featured Quentin Tarantino and Brittany Spears as guests. The Mayor of St. Louis, The Honorable Francis Slay has declared July 30, 2005 as Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Day.

Visit: www.ColoradoDanceCoalition.com (fill out info on Contact Page) or call 720.851.8507 for more information or to sign up for classes.
Parker Dance Academy is located in Parker, CO at 19503 E. Parker Square Drive (behind Vitamin Cottage off of Parker Rd and Hilltop.)

Where: Parker Dance Academy, Parker CO
When: Fri Night Tap Jam: 7-8:30p.m., Sat. Classes 9a.m.-12p.m.
Event Dates: This event takes place Friday, 10/13/06 and Saturday 10/14/2006.

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Showing 1 of 1 comments

Submitted By: Constante Avecilla

posted on 10/14/2006 @ 8:40:42 PM

(Not Rated)

Excellent write up. Her very Excellent write up. Her succinct but very accurate description of Prof. Reed is remarkable. I rate this a 5-star. Dr. Avecilla Wisconsin

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Michele Natarelli

Parker , CO

Michele Natarelli has posted 38 stories and 2 comments since joining on 6/13/2006. Michele Natarelli 's average story rating is 5.

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