The Tap Love Tour Podcast

This a companion piece with the previous episode titled 'Rename Tap Dance'. It's taken me a minute to process this. I'm still processing things. In this episode we're going to talk about the name Hoofer as an alternative to Tap Dancer. Supplemental Audio: Henry LeTang - Tappin': The Making of Tap The Movie (1989) Sandman Sims - Tappin': The Making of Tap The Movie (1989) -Check out the full behind...

In this week's episode, host Travis Knights proposes a strategy to begin to shed the relationship that tap has with blackface minstrelsy, by changing the name of Tap Dance itself. Send your feedback to taplovetour@gmail.com Supplemental Music: Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud - James Brown Check out the full interview with Nicholas Payton here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuBRcxfY6I Join...

This week I share a major revelation that will affect the rest of my life as a tap dancer. This podcast features The First Lady of Swing, Sarah Petronio and a very special surprise at the top of the episode. Supplemental Music: Jason Moran Plays Thelonious Monk's Town Hall Concert. Check out the full concert here: https://www.npr.org/2015/10/08/446866440/jason-moran-plays-thelonious-monks-town-hal...

This week we are joined by the powerful LaTasha Barnes. She is a dancer, educator, mentor and all around heavy weight in the world of jazz dance. We discuss her new relationship to discipline, the values of jazz culture, and the significance of the names we answer to. To connect with LaTasha follow her on instagram: @tasha_b_va Supplimental Music: I Need You To by TOBE NWIGWE Pickin' The Cabbage b...

This week we are joined by multidisciplinary artist and traditional healer Makhosi Ingwe yaMabala also known as Samson Brown. Samson went viral last year in a touching Gillette commercial where his father guides him through his first shave. Samson Brown is a black trans man. Our conversation is rich and varied food for the soul. This is the first podcast after the murder of George Floyd so my intr...

This week we are joined by celebrated tap dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur, philanthropist Chloe Arnold. The founder and artistic director of the tap dance sensation Syncopated Ladies, shares her account of the sharp pivot that saved the DC Tap Festival amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This conversation reminds us that we always have two choices. Connect to Chloe and Maud Arnold here: https://www.ch...

This week, we reflect on the wake of COVID-19 among tap dancers and swing dancers around the world. The episode features Maud Arnold (USA), Roxane Butterfly (France), Meghan Gilmore and Anaïs Sékiné (Canada), Mika Komatsu (Japan), Junior Laniyan (Chile), Tasha Lawson (Canada), Ted Louis Levy (USA), Thomas Marek (Austria), Jonas Nermyr (Sweden), Leela Petronio (France), Nico Rubio (USA), Grant Swif...

Spike Lee's film 'Bamboozled' puts Tap Dance on trial and condemns it to death. Condemn minstrelsy, yes please. Condemn blackface, all day. Condemn Tap Dance... big problem! This week we unpack Spike Lee's film 'Bamboozled' on its 20 year anniversary and rediscover a deeply painful part of the history of Tap Dance. Supplemental clips: Denzel Washington in Spike Lee's film 'Malcom X' Youtube clip:...

Heather Cornell is celebrating 30 years of doing her essential Tap Labs in Valley Cottage, NY. The luminary Tap Dance artist joins us to talk about this year's tap labs, and the overall need for a deeper focus on process in the tap community. To register for Heather's Tap Labs visit: https://www.manhattantap.org/tap-labs Supplemental Music: Youtube clip: Chuck Green "Take The A Train" 1977 Photo c...

This is Part 2 of our conversation with the Tap Goddess of the Lower East Side, Jane Goldberg. We dive into the ins and outs of her stage act and discuss comedy and tap dance. Supplemental Music: Clip from youtube - Jane Goldberg's Take on The Origins of Tap from the 2019 Soul to Sole Tap Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0CmP2jafrE&t=1s Clip from youtube - John Bubbles 'Me And My Shadow'...

This week we are joined by tap dance cultural heavyweight, producer, performing artist, teacher, and author of 'Shoot Me While I'm Happy: Memories from the Tap Goddess of the Lower East Side', Jane Goldberg. This is Part 1 of our conversation. We discuss the impact of the first tap festival she produced in 1980, and the game changing attitude of tap dance icon Gregory Hines. Supplemental Music: Cl...

Fresh off their incredible appearance in the award winning Amazon Prime show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jaden and Ellis Foreman share their experience playing the role of the Hines Brothers and dancing at the Apollo. Supplemental Music: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Apollo scene from Episode 8 Subscribe to the Tap Love Tour Podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-tap-love-tour Subscribe to...

We are extremely excited to have Tap Dance royalty, Maurice Hines on the show. Taped a few days shy of his 76th birthday, Mr. Hines shares a fundamental secret to performance past down to him by John Bubbles and Henry LeTang, his biggest inspirations in tap dance, and his love for his brother Gregory. Mr. Hines is the focus of a new award winning documentary by filmmaker John Carluccio titled, Mau...

This week we are joined by the owner and operator of Art Beat Dance Center in Cedar Park, Texas, Tap Dancer and my former colleague at Tapestry Dance Company, Brenna Kuhn. Brenna and I talk about her teacher, the legendary Lloyd Storey, we expose the secret to cultivating a healthy community, and uncover the intense goodness that comes from realizing and then pursuing your calling. To support Art...

This week we are joined by the #OriginalHackneyHipster, celebrated U.K. based Jazz Dancer, Angela Andrew. We laugh a lot, discuss responsibility to the elders of the form (including Franky Manning, Norma Miller and Ethel Bruneau), and put Whiteness under a microscope. Connect with Angela Andrew here: https://about.me/angela_andrew Supplemental Music: Billie Holiday - Swing Brother Swing Kendrick L...

We are joined by the director of the new film Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, John Carluccio, and two multi-talented features in the film, John and Leo Manzari. The film explores the incredible journey of legendary tap dancer, singer, actor, director, Maurice Hines and premieres this Sunday, Nov.10th, 2019 at Doc NYC. For tickets visit: https://www.docnyc.net/film/maurice-hines-bring-them-back/ Co...

Today we are joined by NYC based tap dancer and artistic director of The Dolo Project, Dolores Sanchez. We discuss the inspiration behind the new works being created in The Dolo Project, NYC tap dance culture, knowledge of self and the dangers of seeking validation. Keep up with The Dolo Project on Instagram: @thedoloproject Supplemental Music: Dry Soul - Bud Powell Subscribe to the Tap Love Tour...

This week Travis is joined by tap dancer, Annette Walker, to discuss her experience dancing the iconic Duke Ellington composition 'David Danced Before The Lord With All His Might' at the BBC Proms. Connect with Annette here: http://annettewalker.co.uk/ Supplemental Music: When The Saints Go Marching In - Mahalia Jackson David Danced Before The Lord With All His Might' - Duke Ellington Subscribe to...

In this episode, Travis talks with the 2019 recipient of the Tap Preservation Award by the American Tap Dance Foundation, Hank Smith. They dive into the controversial topic of blackface and expose the complicated brilliance of silent film star, Bert Williams. Catch up on Hank Smith's Blog here: http://storyoftap.blogspot.com/2019/ Supplemental Music: The Story of O.J. - Jay Z Subscribe to the Tap...

In this episode, Travis reconnects with Tap Dance musician Sandra Kluge. They discuss the balance between tradition and innovation, and how to cope with the loneliness of pursuing your craft. Connect with Sandra here: https://www.sandrakluge.com/ Listen to Sandra's music here: https://soundcloud.com/user-297599712 Supplemental Music: Fields - Sandra Kluge Alone Together - Benny Golson Quartet Subs...

With the support of the Ontario Arts Council, we brought in Tap Dance luminary Heather Cornell to mentor the Toronto Jazz community with the express purpose of reconnecting the music with the dance. This podcast is the first hour of the six hour master class held at Lynx music studios. The master class was open to dancers, singers and musicians alike. It features an open dialogue that reintroduces...

This week we are joined by world class tap dancer, co-owner of Foundation House and artistic director of Commit Dance Company, Jason Janas. We talk about his origins, his approach to practice, his experience in Tapestry Dance Company, the show Imagine Tap and much more. To connect with Jason visit: https://www.thefoundationhousellc.com/ Supplemental Music: Epistrophy - Thelonious Monk All Blues -...

This week we are joined by celebrated dancer and choreographer, Tilman O'Donnell. I recently took his dance workshop where we spent a significant amount of time in a sitting meditation practice... Yes it was a dance class, and I loved it. In our conversation, he shares the process, benefits and impact of his contemplative meditation practice. To connect to Tilman visit: http://www.tilmanodonnell.c...

This week, we are joined by the Slaight Family Director of Music at Soulpepper Theatre Company, Mike Ross. Ahead of the premiere of his latest concert 'The Promised Land: Steinbeck Through Song' (July 12th-27th, 2019 at Soulpepper), we discuss his artistic process and begin to crack the code of how to put 'bums in seats'. Get your tickets at: https://soulpepper.ca/ Supplemental Music: America - Mi...

This week we are joined by harm reduction counselor, tap dancer and fellow psychonaut, Kylie Somerville to discuss the benefits and stigma of plant medicines. For more information about psychoactive plant medicines visit: https://www.erowid.org/ Supplemental Music: A Message To Artists - Terence McKenna - Youtube Boundary Dissolution - Terence McKenna - Youtube It's Time To Educate You About Drugs...