It’s no secret that we at Dance Spirit love us some Jason Samuels Smith. Exhibit A? His holy-throwback May/June 2004 cover: While DS‘s look—and Samuels Smith’s hairstyle!—have transformed over the years, the hoofer’s killer improv has always been all kinds of #goals. To get tap-happy this hump day, check out the vid he recently filmed for Houston Public Media. Four words: […]
Ahh Memorial Day Weekend is just three weeks away. We can almost smell the budding flowers, the fresh-cut grass, the charcoal grill…It’s the first real taste of summer freedom. But what could make this three-day weekend even better? Um, National Tap Dance Day, of course! Bill “Bojangles” Robinson teaches Shirley Temple the stair dance in […]
Ten years ago, the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, declared April 23 “Jason Samuels Smith Day.” (It’s also the 10th anniversary of Dance Spirit‘s May/June 2004 cover with none other than the hoofer himself.) To get the celebrations started, here are a few videos of the tap master working his magic. We’ll begin with a clip […]
Every tapper has go-to improv moves, but the key to staying fresh is switching up the steps you lean on and finding new ways to think outside the box. Remember: You can always take new risks within the steps you already know. Dance Spirit spoke with five pro tappers who have found unexpected treats in […]
Imagine this: You’re an understudy in a great new musical at a regional theater. It’s just days after opening night—and the leading lady is suddenly sick. You’re prepared to go on, of course, and you step in to rock the show. A few days later, the director calls and asks you to take over the […]