Christmas on tap

From Vaudeville to the Astaire-Rogers movies to the penguin footwork in the animation Happy Feet, the intricate artistry of tap is notched into the North American cultural mindset.

However, the capital region has always been a tough market to present dance unless it’s the Nutcracker – much less tap with built-in preconceptions of spangles and smiley faces.

Every generation brings a saviour. Savion Oliver, the Broadway darling who was nominated for a Tony by the time he was 12, is redefining the art across the world and setting the bar for future tappers.

Here at home, a trio of St. Albert hoofers is integral in assisting the tap renaissance sweeping the continent. Jenna Werhun, Haley Humphreys and Paige Tirs bring together 14 tappers and three live musicians for the inaugural production of Christmas with Edmonton Tap Collective on Monday, Dec. 22 at the Mercury Room.

“Part of the reason we’re doing this is that there hasn’t been a lot of tap shows in the Edmonton community. It could spark an interest for future shows. And living here in St. Albert, I want to keep doing tap shows,” said Tirs, the ensemble’s driving force.

The tap collective is a new generation of hoofers who tell their stories with spunk, energy and novelty. Fancy costumes are limited. The focus is on the dance where it should be.

The one-hour show is slated to run as 10 Christmas carols with tap dances – solos, duets, and groups – accompanying the music.

“The idea is that we are like musicians. The tap is a musical instrument.”

Originality is a keystone of this show. Tirs, for instance, is performing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy with a hip-hop vibe. Werhun reshapes Irving Berlin’s classic White Christmas into a reggae chart and Humphreys ramps it up with Michael BublĂ©’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

“They’re all traditional songs with a bit of spice added to them.”

Two special guests are also expected to fly in from far ports. Riley Skworoda, one of the 2012 ensemble founders, is currently in Spain, but will return for the show.

“She gets in the night before and will hopping right into the show the next day with Cool Yule.”

And Barbara Vargas, now furthering her musical education on the West Coast, is coming home to tap away a medley of My Favourite Things and Auld Lang Syne. Vargas was for years a leader in the Edmonton-area tap community.

“This is going to be a unique and different show people have not seen before. It combines tap and music and it will jumpstart the Christmas celebrations on a high note.”