Savion Glover Honors Fifteen Tap Friends on National Tap Dance Day
On May 25th, Savion Glover hosted a "stealth" event honoring fifteen "Tap Friends" that he selected. The event, a formal reception and dinner on National Tap Dance Day, was held at the beautiful New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. The invited guests were a group of three hundred or more who love the art of tap dancing.
Yvette Glover contacted each of the honorees with a mysterious message that "Savion wants to honor you on National Tap Dance Day." She gave the date, place and time, and added that it was formal. Nothing else. Savion followed up with a few more details in the mail.
The honorees were: Marshall Davis Jr., Hannah Lee Dunn, Jane Goldberg, Al Heywood, Megan Haungs, Melba Huber, Delilah Jackson, Pete Ktenas, Sali Ann Kriegsman, Deborah Mitchell, Cobi Narita, Frank Owens, Carl Schlesinger, Hank Smith, and Sally Sommer.
At 7:00 p.m., people began arriving and were ushered into the lobby area of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Waitresses and waiters served drinks and elegant hors d'oeuvres. The reception served as a reunion for many friends who had not seen each other for some time. At 8:30 p.m., the guests left the reception to move upstairs to the seated dinner. The honorees were seated up front.
Savion introduced the manager of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center who welcomed everyone. Film clips of Chuck Green were shown early in the evening. After dinner, Savion called each honoree to the podium and presented each with a beautiful plaque, custom designed for the individual with a special sentiment from Savion engraved on it. The presentation had special meaning to each of the honorees.
Carl Schlesinger from the New York Committee to Celebrate Tap, described the event: "For 17 years the New York Committee to Celebrate Tap has given awards to people who helped to raise tap to a new level of respect. Now Savion has turned the tables and thanked us for helping him climb the slippery slope of fame. I am deeply honored by his action and greatly respect his emerging leadership as one of the world's new spokesmen for the tap profession. By his hard work, he has truly earned this title. May he continue to contribute new ideas and challenges that will once again make tap or "hoofing" the exciting dance of America that it was meant to be."
Al Heywood, also from the New York Committee, thought the evening was significant, because by honoring him, Savion also honored Heywood's family. Heywood's mother attended with him and passed away a month later.
Savion acknowledged Marshall Davis, Jr. as a special tap dancer and friend and explained that he wanted to keep the connection through Davis back to the work of the late Steve Condos. "It was great of Savion to put the entire evening together to honor people who consistently and sincerely contribute to the art form of tap dancing," Davis said. "Those who really know him know that it is not a surprise that he would invest the time and energy needed to make such a lovely celebration happen on National Tap Dance Day. That's just his being who he is -- A hoofer."
Writer, Sali Ann Kriegsman agreed. "How many young men and women--or for that matter persons of any age--will pause for a moment in their busy lives to thank those who have stood with them in small and large ways? Savion's generous and beautiful gesture was to honor some of us who've been lucky enough to be in the wings while he dances. It's humbling to be praised for something that has given me so much joy by someone I love and admire, and to be in the company of those from whom I have learned so much."
The jazz music world was represented by Cobi Narita who exclaimed, "Savion's night was one of the most pleasurable evenings I've ever enjoyed. Savion was an absolute delight, full of happiness and the joy of giving. To receive an award from Savion was one of the highlights of my life. To be included with the crème de la crème of the tap community was another."
It was interesting that there was no music at the event because the fantastic tap pianist, Frank Owens, was honored and not working at a significant tap event for one of the first times in his life. He felt very grateful to be included because he is not a tap dancer.
Delilah Jackson, a tap historian, explained that most of the people Savion honored knew him as a young boy. "I saw him when he was ten in "The Tap Dance Kid." He used to do events in New Jersey that I attended. I also went to Black and Blue every week." She enjoyed the evening.
A popular choice was Pete Ktenas, the shoe cobbler from the Capezio New York store who builds up and takes care of almost everyone's shoes, including Savion. "I was very happy that I was acknowledged for the work that I have been doing for so many years. I appreciate Savion having me and hope to see more of these gatherings in future years."
"It was a wonderful moment in time," said Hank Smith who collects tap film. "For Savion to be so generous to set this whole thing up to pay tribute to some of us in the tap world shows what he is really all about. He knows where he has come from and knows the importance of giving back to those who have helped him. I was touched, not only to be honored but to be in such fine company of the other honorees. I also completely enjoyed seeing the family of friends who showed up at the banquet. It was just a warm evening that all involved will not forget."
"To me it seemed he cares about the past and the future of tap, by all the people he chose to celebrate, not only the 'present' and his own dancing," said writer, Jane Goldberg. "He sees himself on some level in service to the art and he wanted to recognize others who also have been playing that role."
Sally Sommer, writer, recalled events of Savion's career. She expressed her appreciation of, and interest in, his career, and appreciated being honored.
The youngest honoree was 11-year-old Hannah Leah Dunn, who began dancing for Buster Brown at Swing 46 when she was 3-years-old. Savion praised her dancing and she was delighted to be seated next to Savion during the evening. She can't miss with a mom like Wendy Levine. "I'll always remember the evening," Hannah said. "Savion was so nice, happy, and funny the whole time. I enjoyed every moment, and I love the beautiful plaque that Savion presented to me."
After Savion introduced Deborah Mitchell, Maurice Chestnut, a former student, thanked her for all she had done for him. Mitchell described how the late hoofer, Bubba Gaines, had helped her. "The evening with Savion was one of the most gracious, loving and unselfish acts by an artist that involved me personally that I can remember," Mitchell stated. "It sparked me to continue to do my small part in preserving this great legacy. It truly made me proud to be a tap dancer and part of the tap community,"
"The deep and lasting lessons that were taught by the tap elders--the importance of generosity of spirit and love--were truly demonstrated by Savion that night," said Megan Haungs.
Melba Huber responded to the honor with a rap:
Savion Glover is the man of the year
Doesn't like honors, but at least he's here
I have watched him grow from the Tap Dance Kid
To a teen age star. watching all he did
With the rolled up pants and the cool white sox
Now Armani clad with those hot dreadlocks
He's the best tap dancer I've ever seen
If you don't count Slyde, then he is the king
Their styles are different and you can't compare
They can out dance Kelly and Fred Astaire
In the movies they film till no mistakes
When these two guys dance, it's a one time take
We need all of them to make tap dance move
It's the finest art with the greatest groove
Receiving this honor is just sublime
But I'm to fat to tap in triple time
My wings have flown with all my toe stands too
But I still tap dance in my old tap shoes
Grew up tap dancing, just doing my thing
Now I'm way to fat, it's my top that swings
Thank you Save for all you have done for me
You have made me part of tap history
A wonderful clip of the late Gregory Hines, singing ballads, concluded the evening.
Savion hinted that this might be the first of an annual event. We are all ready for the next one. Thanks Savion, from all of us, for this beautiful, elegant event in appreciation of tap that showed your love, honor and respect.
Read Melba's 19 years of columns, www.melbasdance.com