Tappin' In St Louis Hoofers Clubs Expand to Eight States
Robert L. Reed started the first 'Hoofers Club" at St. Louis in 1993. He chose a select group of elite tap dancers and formed a club that he taught and directed in performances. As his reputation and prestige grew, and the fame of his St. Louis Hoofers Club spread, more and more dancers traveled to St. Louis for the St. Louis Tap Festival that Reed has produced for 16 years.
Hoofers girls in Performance Showcase
In many cities where Reed would teach master classes, students would ask him where he would be teaching next. Reed realized that it was sometimes impractical for large groups of dancers to travel to St. Louis from all over the country. So Reed has formed St. Louis Hoofers Clubs throughout the United States. By grouping together in a Hoofers Club, the dancers can reduce the cost of the classes to them, have more classes for less money, and have a mentor who visits regularly, guiding and watching their progress and development.
To form a club, Reed holds auditions from dancers in a specific city or area. From those auditions he chooses some to be members of that area's St. Louis Hoofers Club group. Membership in the club gives them the privilege of taking regular masters classes from Reed in their hometown and other places. Reed regularly travels to them for classes, performances, and auditions for performance combinations with members of sister clubs. Today, the St. Louis Hoofers Clubs have expanded to eight different states, gathering in Missouri, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, New York, and California.
St. Louis Hoofers Club classes are more intense and rigorous than the typical tap class. Members range from children of nine years of age to adults. Many are prodigies, and all are highly talented and aspiring tap dancers. The home club format makes it possible for many to receive instruction from a tap master at a level that they would not otherwise be able to experience.
'I try to teach them how to create and how to find their own voice, not to copy me, but to create their own style...the essence of who they are," Reed explained. 'The rules are that they have to be clear and have to say something, develop some musicality and personal stylizing, not clones of me."
Reed also believes that dancers need a mentor. 'That's how I did it with the Step Brothers," Reed continued. 'With the philosophy of one person, they will have a complete vocabulary and a foundation in addition to a reason for doing it."
'They need to know the ABC's of tap: the vowels, the lower and upper case letters, sentences, paragraphs, and eventually novels to build to. They need to learn all the fine points until it becomes a part of them. They will begin building a foundation and once they learn it, they can go anywhere."
Most of the St. Louis Hoofers Club hoofers attended the St. Louis Tap Festival this summer where they all carried the spirit of tap into the classrooms. A select group will travel to Finland in a school cultural exchange in December. They will be in Oklahoma in February, Detroit in June and St. Louis in July. Despite the youth of many of them, they are an articulate, mature, and dedicated group.
Reed In St.Louis Festival Class
Amanda Sprague, age 9
'I enjoy being in the Colorado Hoofers because it is a fun and exciting experience. First, you get to meet Professor Reed who is a great and wonderful teacher. I think he is a wonderful professor because he is funny and strict at the same time. He makes jokes about you when you mess up, but not in a mean way. His classes are always fun and can never be boring. He cares for everyone like he is part of your family. My future goals are to become a professional dancer and to help Professor Reed teach some of his classes"
Dario Natarelli, age 9
Dario is in the process of moving from Colorado to New York. "I like to tap because it makes people smile and I like learning dances from before I was even born," Dario said. 'When I grow up I want to be on Broadway and be a performer."
MaKenna Rogers, age 14
'Tap to me was addictive. Once I got it, I couldn't stop. Then it was about honing my skills. It will be a life long process because there is always something to add or change up it can be stylized and turned into your own. Tap is part of me. As tappers we all have our own personalities that are displayed through our use of phrasing and rhythm patterns. The St. Louis Hoofers aren't just dancers. They are young adults working toward the preservation of tap history through the direction of a truly great historian, Mr. Robert Reed."
Logan Miller, age 18
Logan plans to attend Hofstra University in New York. 'I plan to continue the St. Louis Hoofers Club with the New York chapter. Robert Reed's classes are unlike others because he breaks everything down so that everyone can get it. He makes the class fun with his energetic teaching style. I plan on tapping for the rest of my life."
Devan Watring, age 19
'I wanted to be a part of a group that recognizes and continues the heritage of our tap masters. Studying from Mr. Reed has dramatically developed my technique and style. I love working with other kids who have the same drive and dedication in dance....tap is unlike any other types of dance. The rhythms coming from our feet are making music all on their own. Being a percussionist, I like to refer to drum rudiments and apply them to my feet. The two go hand in hand."
Alyssa Davis, age 15
'I loved being a St. Louis Hoofer because of Professor Reed. He is the most amazing mentor I've ever known. He has exposed me to a new world of tap. I love tap and love traveling to new places. I'm getting to meet legendary tap masters from all walks of life. Prof. Reed is not an easy instructor. If it's not perfect you have to do it again and again. My mom says it's building character. I am sure that after I'm done, I know I've accomplished something."
Andrew Merrigan, age 17
'Mr. Reed conducts each of his classes like a master composer does a song. He is supportive and constructively critical when need be, and when he speaks to you in class or shares some information with you, you really take it all in because you can feel his level of tap knowledge is off the charts. I hope to assist in getting the Hoofers Club further across Canada and honor as many tap legends as I can in the process."
Kaleah Allen, age 10
'I have been dancing since I was two years old and my first love in dance was Shirley Temple. The first time I met Robert Reed, I liked him because he could pronounce my name correctly. I soon came to love the challenges he offered us as dancers and his belief in my ability to do great things. Robert Reed's classes are different because he teaches about the heritage of tap dance."
Natalie Rossi, age19
'Working as a dancer/choreographer in sold-out audiences is my dream. Tap dancing is my passion. It is a beautiful art form that is full of rhythm and emotion. Tap dancing takes me to my highest level of happiness. It is one of the most significant parts of m life and soul. Being the newest member of the New York Chapter of the St. Louis Hoofer's Club is going to be a great experience for me. I am looking forward to being mentored by a great tap master, Professor Robert L. Reed."
Paige Story, age 16
'The Hoofers Club gave me an immense appreciation for tap that goes so much deeper than the steps. You realize there are other tap dancers that love the dance just as much as you do. They have become a second family to me, supporting me in my school functions, work and even in my recent crowning as Miss Colorado's Outstanding Teenager. Professor Reed always has one more step to teach me, one more style to show me, one more joke to tease me with. I always have a smile on my face in his class, not only because of his humor, but he is giving me the greatest tap education."
Karina Eyre, age 12
'I've always loved tap and even though I had no idea what Hoofers was going to be like, I find it even easier to love tap now. I wanted to improve my skills and I enjoyed Mr. Reed's classes. I could never exactly predict what he was going to do, and the technique of the classes was so different plus a lot harder than what I usually got through regular instruction. The same thing applied to the St. Louis Tap Festival. Everyone had a different style and different manner of teaching. I may not become a professional tap dancer, but for the time being, I would like to remain a St. Louis Hoofer, continue to expand my skills and get as good as I can."
Eliza Ohman, age 16
'I want to be a member of the St. Louis Hoofers because I want to grow as a tap dancer and turn tapping into a living. I love that we're able to connect as a group, no matter the age difference because we all have one major thing in common...we love tap. To me, the [St. Louis Tap] Festival was absolutely brilliant. I have never worked so hard, felt so confused, sweated so much, been absolutely spellbound by the talent surrounding me, and felt like I had all the potential in the world. That's what tap is...feeling defeated and overcoming it. Professor Reed's classes are different from any other master classes I've taken because instead of focusing on learning a ton of choreography his sole purpose is to help you grow as a tapper, or a musician no matter how long it takes. I want to make tap my life and now I know that it's possible. Tap is what I do, what I love, what makes me, me."
From the Clubs members' shared love for the art of tap, and desire to learn more and perform at ever higher levels, Robert L. Reed has not only taken the Clubs' members to new levels of enthusiasm and skill, but has extended the reach of the Clubs nationwide, from coast to coast, and south to north, broadening the reach and depth of this unique American art form throughout the country. Reed, and his protégés, are passing it on and leaving tap bigger and better than ever.
Check the website www.stlouishoofers.com for current information on St. Louis Hoofers events.
See Robert L. Reed's website at www.tapheritage.org for information on Robert L. Reed's activities.
Read more of Melba's columns at www.melbasdance.com.