Pandemic Times, Tap Dance Matters

In my last blog post, over a year ago, I talked about my tap family. These past eight months of unusual living circumstances has made me even more aware of this "family" and also the folks outside of tap, whom I love as my extended family. It has been a major source of stability and grounding for me, as I figure out how to navigate this time we're experiencing.

Online tap jams, who knew there could be such a thing? Don't know if it was the first, but early on in the pandemic I checked out one of the first. It was hosted by Dormeshia, Jason Samuels Smith and Derick Grant. What I enjoyed most was getting to see the cross section of people out there into tap. The London Tap Jam has been online and I popped in briefly when Michela Marino Lerman hosted. My other streaming excursions have included; My friends Toes Tiranoff and Megan Haungs doing tap meditations for the Church in the Village, Ayodele Casel's ongoing project, Diary of a Tap Dancer, produced by City Center, Dormeshia's And Still You Must Swing, via The Joyce Theater, Tap Family Reunion, L.A. Tap Festival, Marshall L. Davis Jr's Revelations in Rhythm, directed by Savion Glover, Nico Rubio's, Tap Footage Nights, Heather Cornell's conversations with tap dancers, Tap City's Copasetic Boat Ride, and most recently, Laraine Goodman's annual tap contribution to the Theater of New City's Halloween Night. I also have gotten involved, created some fun videos that I've posted.

This time has me also thinking about time in general and age and legacy. I find myself listening/meditating more. I'm choosing to engage in conversations with younger artists often, to pass on whatever I have to offer, but also to learn from them. There have also been conversations about race and the arts, which continue to enlighten me in my continuing exploration into my role on the planet. One thing that I learned from listening to folks, who are more into certain segments of popular culture than I am, is the fact the tap dance is still seen negatively by many folks, and particularly by some Black folks. Travis Knight addressed this recently and I have seen some things that piss me off, like a stupid Fanduel commercial (I didn't even know what Fanduel was while watching) that used tap dance as a comic "payoff". I even had to post a comment on a YouTube clip, where this young Black man used the term "tap dancing around the issue". I explained, gently, that I didn't disagree with the content of his clip but that using that phrase diminishes the art, in the opinion of some of us dancers. He actually replied, thanking me for illuminating him on the issue.

I continue to feel much has to be done. Tap is a foundation for me in my Blackness. It also in my sense of being American, because it's a creation of African Americans in this country that many, from all backgrounds love. So, I will continue to tell stories, create space for stories to be told and channel those that went before me. I began doing some Stories Hank live events on Facebook and will do more events, now under the auspice of Zenobia-Jay Productions, so please subscribe here to my new mailing list (it's in the right hand column) to stay informed on my goings on....well, not ALL of my goings on!

Peace,

  Hank