PREVIEW
A Funky Tap Christmas
Rhythm Motives with special guests DanceCo
Sunday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.
Theatre Lab
MacEwan University Allard Hall
11110 – 104 Ave.
Tickets: $15 to $20. Email [email protected]
Remember White Christmas, the quaint 1954 movie where Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen tap dance through some of the era’s most spectacular choreography while Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney croon Irving Berlin hits?
Time to switch the dial and join Rhythm Motives for a live performance of A Funky Tap Christmas taking place at MacEwan University’s Allard Hall Lab Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 16.
“This 90-minute show which includes an intermission is structured around funk music. I found funky Christmas songs and we are going to showcase different dances,” said Paige Tirs.
St. Albert tappers Paige Tirs in concert with Lana Thom and Madelyne Coughlan are local tap luminaries trying to keep the art form alive. As tappers, the trio is a rare breed and they’ve paired with Annie Wachowich and Mikayla Newhold to create Rhythm Motives.
In addition to performing, the five-woman professional group also nurtures the aspirations of Rhythm Motives Youth Ensemble, a younger performance troupe ranging from 10 to 17 years.
Not as precise as ballet or as popular as hip hop, tap dancers nevertheless develop an uncanny dexterity and unfailing sense of rhythm. They memorize thousands of notes, yet have the plasticity to go off-script.
“We’ll be doing traditional pieces that have been paired down through generations and are now world dances,” Tirs said.
One of the highlights is choreographer Buster Brown’s Laura, a great tap routine in the paddle-and-roll style of the Afro-American tradition.
“He was known for his uptempo dances. This piece speeds up the tempo and it’s a really good crowd-pleaser.”
And then there’s Leonard Reed’s Shim, Sham, Shimmy, an anthem for 1950s jazz dance.
“It’s a traditional dance piece. You can go anywhere in the world and it’s danced the same way. Dancers don’t have to speak the same language and they can perform it universally.”
Tappers are also hoofing and tapping through a contemporary medley of Christmas variations as well as Snarky Puppy’s groovy Atchafalay and The New Mastersounds modern funk Tantalus.
St. Albert’s DanceCo is the evening’s special guest as 36 dynamic dancers from the school’s performance group revitalize the stage with three jazz dances.
“This show will continue to set a mood for Christmas. It’s a good opportunity to see a full group of high-energy dancers loving what they do.”
