Dance when it has a clear usage of passion, dedication and experimentation can be a fascinating exploration of how various rhythms and technique can conjure up colour, feelings not felt in a long time and more. Tap is not just a dance show, but a celebration of some of its origins through various countries, cultures and music that influences todays contemporaries. It is a fusion of rhythm, jazz and soul music respectively and freestyle improvisation that creates a new and exciting sound that brings back memories of original tap dance show Tap Dogs.
Not just a dance show, but a celebration of some of its origins
Whilst Tap Dogs back in the day had a more lavish theatrical set the dancers used to experiment with to create their own style, today Tap through the talents of Lee Payne, Simeon Weedall & Lorraine Le-Blanc have their creativity, tap shoes, no set and musical instruments accompanying the action. What sets them apart from a lot of the dance shows today is their ability to at any given moment trust each other to subtly and seamlessly fuse one solo routine into a strong collaborative expression of trust, support and connection between one another. It becomes playful, with fun moments of comedy and silliness through verbal and physical banter, keeping everyone engaged and entertained.
Lee Payne brings the relaxed and laid back approach to dance, as well as soulful jazz singing and playing a small trumpet reminiscent of Louis Armstrong's style. He has a natural way of making tap look easy, yet the rhythms created are tight and intricate with one or two surprises thrown in along the way. Payne's positive approach to his performance is one that ripples through the cast and audience through his warm smile and engaging eye contact and connects with everyone well
Simeon Weedall in contrast is a dancer and drummer who loves a more experimental approach to his work. Although Weedall says himself that he is a slow learner, he delights all watching him with sounds that can be quite difficult to even the more experienced dancer is a journey in itself. He creates dance fusion sounds that are reflective of the past and present with a hint at what the future could be like for tap dance. A highlight of his is a composition he calls Indian Rhythm, which brings aspects of Bollywood drums, stamping and more in both a solo and a group context which becomes intrinsically slick to listen to and watch.
As for Lorraine Le-Blanc, she brings the soulful aspect to her dancing and was confident with her playfulness in style. She brings images of Spain to the routines presented through flamenco style rhythms and becomes almost child-like when she gets into her groove. Le-Blanc shares her joy in music not just for herself, but in supporting others and steps into her own style well.
Tap strips dance back to the heart of where it needs to be and shows great respect and appreciation of all greats before them.
