News & Events
A Word from the Director:
June 2010:
The last 2.5 years have been a bit crazy since I took 2008 to go to Teachers' College and 2009 to teach full time and have a baby and 2010 being a full time mum. All of the students have been understanding and motivating throughout these busy days and teaching dance is such a joy. Thank you to all of the performers who "did it" at International Dance Day this year at Te Papa. It was another great opportunity to show people what tap dancing is all about. I will use this space to keep you up-to-date on dance happenings in the USA while I am there.
Whenever I come to Wellington I plan on hosting a Tap Jam and I hope to see you there. Keep tapping!!!
April 2008:
Wow!! Term 2 2008 is on its way. We've had a very exciting start to the year with a performance at the Newtown Fair at the start of March (Thanks Chloe!) and most students are getting ready to strut their stuff at International Dance Day on 3 May at Te Whaea. We hope you come along to the FREE class and enjoy our performance at 4:45pm. There are heaps of different classes throughout the day and groups from all over Wellington will be performing from 3:00pm onwards. Go to the International Dance Day website to find out more about what's happening that day: http://idanceday.blogspot.com/ We hope to see you there.
October 2007:
I can't believe 2007 is coming to a close so fast. It has been a fantastic year and we still have some events lined up: Come see some students of the TAP perform at the JAM Danceworks end of year recital at the Wellington Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, 11 November at 2pm and 6pm. Tickets available at the door ($10 full, $8 unwaged/student, $5 ages 10-17, $3 ages 2-10 cash or cheque only).
Also, the end of year Tap Jam and Toast brunch will be held on Saturday 15 December (last day of term 4) at Otari School Community Hall from 11:30am to 1:00pm. This is a great chance to meet the other TAPpers and jam with students in other classes as well as show off the dances learned in class. See pictures from 2006 Tap Jam and Toast at the bottom of this page.
Thank you to everyone who supported Dreams of the Lost Tribe - it was a smashing success and a fantastic experience!! We still have cd's of the music for sale for $25 if you just can't get the songs out of your head. DVD's are nearly complete and will be available for purchase for $10 if you'd like to add a copy to your dance video library and support the Tap Arts Project.
Please also note: the Thursday Dance for Fitness class in Newtown and the Tap/Jazz combo class for ages 6-8 has been cancelled for the rest of this term. These classes will hopefully resume in Term 1 2008.
Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you tapping those toes soon!!!
May 2007:
Term 2 is well underway with a great turn-out to all classes; rehearsals for Dreams of the Lost Tribe going great as the dancers get ready to audition for September's Feet with Heat Dance Extravaganza; and an adult Dance for Fitness class starting in Week 3 at the Newtown Community & Cultural Centre (Thursdays, 5-6pm - all abilities welcome).
Awesome job to those who performed at International Dance Day (28 April at Te Whaea) - it was great to see everyone have fun and show your stuff - even those who've only been dancing for a few weeks. I couldn't be more proud.
Pre-school classes are off to a great start this term with the Saturday, 9-9:45am class FULL!!! A 10-10:45am Saturday class might be added starting 19 May. I really appreciate parents encouraging their children to participate throughout the entire class without their observation. This allows them to focus on the dancing and activities we're doing in class and work on something special to show at "watch-week". We will be having one or two "watch-weeks" per term where students can show off their dancing to parents and siblings during the last 10 minutes of class.
All in all it is a very exciting time for the Tap Arts Project and everyone involved in classes and Dreams of the Lost Tribe are bringing their best dancing and making it a really fun time.
Check back soon for pictures from International Dance Day.
March 2007:
Wow, March already - time is just flying by! Term 1 is off to a great start with huge interest in the Intro/Level I tap class and lots of new faces! It is so invigorating to see young and old interested in making music with their feet.
A couple of important news items to note:
1. Reminder: there is no class on Saturday, 24 March because the hall is unavailable.
2. Easter Weekend: There will be no classes on Saturday, 7 April because of Easter.
3. International Dance Day: Anybody interested in taking part in this performance on 28 April, let Wendy know. All levels are welcome to participate and we get 10 minutes to showcase what the Tap Arts Project is all about and show others how much fun tap dancing can be. Because of the school holidays and a really full schedule, rehearsals for this performance will take place during classes in the first week of Term 2. Don't worry - it is not a stressful, formal performance!!
4. Donations: The production team has been working hard to prepare for the Tap Arts Project's first full length dance show: Dreams of the Lost Tribe (combining tap and contemporary dancing to tell the stories of the often forgotten in the deep south of the USA). If you would like to make a donation to go towards the costs of putting on such a show, please contact Wendy. Donations over $30 will receive a TAP shirt.
5. And don't forget to put the audition for Dreams of the Lost Tribe in your diary
15 April 2007.
I hope the weather treats you fine and your feet keep tappin'
See you on the dance floor.
February 2007:
Summer is almost over, although nobody tell the weatherman. February is a busy month in Wellington with heaps of great shows in the Fringe Festival. There are two in particular that I know will have some tap dancing in them: Urban Condition by the Raw Arts Corporation (9-11 Feb, Wellington Performing Arts Centre) and Get Entangled by the FERN Dance Theatre (1-3 March, Gryphon Theatre).
I hope you have a great February and I'll see you in March when classes resume.
Keep Tapping!
January 2007:
Happy New Year! It is fantastic to get back into classes so early in the year - Summer Term is in full swing, with new and old students finding and refining their rhythms.
Over the holiday, I realized that everyone already knows the essence of tap dancing...classes provide an opportunity to clarify, practice, share and perfect the internal rhythms that we make with our bodies every day. It's true that if you can walk, you can tap dance.
The pre-school classes are coming along. It is wonderful to see the shapes and hear the sounds of young ones finding their sense of timing and exploring the space around them. It is about finding a balance between learning the skills to "dance" and providing the space and guidance to let the heart dance freely.
2007 should prove to be an exciting year for the Tap Arts Project with continuing classes, busking opportunities, monthly tap jams and its first full length show: Dreams of the Lost Tribe.
I wish you and yours a wonderful 2007!
December 2006:
What a year! It has been full of performances, jams, new classes and students and lots of busking on Courtenay Place, Cuba Street, Frank Kitts Park and of course the living room.
Tap Jam & Toast on 9 December 2006 was a huge success! It was a fabulous opportunity to share everything everyone has been working on all year and get to know our fellow tappers. See pictures at the bottom of this page.
On 16 December 2006 Wendy performed at the Argentine Tango Ball at St. Mark's Hall in Wellington. Thank you to the Wellington Argentine Tango group for their donation for this performance.
There will be a Summer Term in January 2007 with classes in Newtown & Wilton for preschoolers through adults. See the timetable page for more information.
Remember, if you can't make any of the class times on the timetable, talk to Wendy about scheduling a private lesson. If you bring along a friend or your private lesson turns into a class, save on fees!
Photos:
Tap Jam & Toast 2006:
(Photography by Tim Hackett)
