The Sensational Seven Produce Powerful Tap Harmony
Harmony happened at the November 2008 Tradition In Tap workshop in New York. Planning a festival is the beginning, but producing one that has total harmony with a staff united allows tap to take a giant step forward. The energy of this year’s festival was contagious. Producers Avi Miller, Ofer Ben and Germaine Salsberg deserve another standing ovation for this year’s event.
Tradition In Tap honors special tap hoofers two times a year in New York City. Started in the year 2002, the festival has grown into a world-renowned event. This year’s festival honored Professor Ardie Bryant.
“The Tradition In Tap organization has a very active advisory committee that continuously sends the board suggestions about elderly tap masters who have contributed to the art form while having a large volume of work, thus deserving to be honored,” says Avi Miller. “The idea for honoring Professor Ardie Bryant came from Robert L. Reed. We [Salsberg, Ben and Miller] were not familiar with Professor Bryant’s work and Robert directed us to Melba’s website [www.melbasdance.com] to read the articles she had written about him through the years. Then we called Melba to get more input and references. After the warm comments, we decided to dedicate the entire workshop to Professor Bryant.”
Because Bryant had lived in the Los Angeles area for a long time, he left the choice of the New York workshop faculty up to the producers. “We wanted to have a diverse faculty, from all ‘walks of tap’ that could have an input on bebop music and bebop tap, the style for which Ardie is well known,” says Ofer Ben.
“We were looking for teachers who could complement each other and work as a team. We feel that the Professor Ardie Bryant Tap Experience faculty team was a winner! There were seven and could be called, ‘The Sensational Seven’: Andrew Nemr, Bril Barrett, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Germaine Salsberg, Lynn Schwab, Robert L. Reed and Shea Sullivan.” Each of The Sensational Seven had these comments.
The one and only Dormeshia demonstrates
Photo by Melba Huber
Lynn Schwab
If the first honor was to be asked to participate in this workshop, the second was to be included as part of such a diverse faculty. It is occasions like this that makes me proud to be a tap dancer.
I wanted to be able to teach something of Ardie’s in my classes, but wasn’t able to “steal” anything off the Internet because it was so fast! I did know he was a bebop dancer so I decided to use a tune from Charlie Parker, one of his favorite musicians, and took the opportunity to discuss rhythmic and harmonic complexities that helped define bebop, its revolutionary jazz improvisations and things to listen for while dancing with it. It was interesting watching advanced dancers struggling to keep time during the solos of “Billie’s Bounce.” I think it gave all of us a real appreciation for bebop dancers such as Ardie.
Bril Barrett
The highlight was just to listen to Ardie’s stories. He is walking history and it is always a pleasure and an honor to hear that. The entire faculty was very friendly and all seemed to share respect for the dance and for Ardie. My hat is goes off to Ofer, Avi and Germaine for wanting to preserve and present the history. After learning about Ardie’s work and contribution, it made me want to dig a little deeper into my bebop bag.
Robert L. Reed
For the workshop I decided to do a bebop type combination within a jazz style rhythm with a different flavor in honor of Ardie. The entire workshop had a warm giving feeling. Both Ardie and Anne (Ardie’s wife) were wonderful.
Ardie has lots of history to tell and is one of, if not the first, truly bebop dancers out there. He had a lot to say about bebop music and style. We never knew what it meant to dance to bebop until he explained it. I never knew his background with Charlie Parker. Most danced jazz style to it and not actually bebop. It is going to take me another year or two to master it and get the rhythms in there. I never really got into it that much. Plans are for Ardie to be honored in St. Louis in 2009 where bebop and hip hop will meet. July 27-Aug 1. www.tap.heritage.org.
Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards
I had a great time at Tradition in Tap. It was my first time participating in this festival and it was special for me because we were honoring Ardie Bryant. He's watched me grow up, as a woman as well as a dancer. From about 8 years old, whenever he'd see me dance, he'd tell me, "Continue dancing. Don't ever stop...because you've got it!" He was proud of my growth as a dancer and I was and still am honored and humbled by that. I had the opportunity to present Ardie Bryant with an award. This was special because I was finally able to honor him directly. Not with a song or dance, but an award. His presence is greatly appreciated. The words of wisdom that he has shared with me over the years are so precious to me.
Germaine Salsberg
I conceived the Participants Showcase as an opportunity for participants of all levels to be able to perform in a non-competitive, supportive and informal environment. Since our honoree (Professor Ardie Bryant) shares aspects of their performance, their philosophy and their lives with us during the workshop, it seemed fitting that the participant have an opportunity to dance for the master, as well as their peers and teachers. An important aspect of tap dancing in general, and specifically what we at Tradition In Tap encourage, is self expression. We emphasize that each honoree is different, that their experiences and performing careers are different, and thus each participant is not expected to dance like anyone else, but to feel free to express themselves in their own way.
Having the teachers dance is also an inspiration for everyone. When one of the best tap dancers in the world performed, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, their faces made it clear that it was a moment they would not forget.
Andrew Nemr
To meet Ardie was a very special experience for me. He is a shining example of an artist who held steadfastly to his ideals even in times when that was not always beneficial. His willingness to give of himself is a gift to those who have been educated by him. To add, and not to be overlooked, is the fact that he has been able to maintain a successful relationship with his wife over the course of his life. Meeting a tap dancer that has made these kinds of decisions gives me strength to continue to be headstrong and fight for what I have been taught and believe to be right in all aspects of my life. I will be ever thankful for the example that Ardie is and the opportunity I had to spend time with him.
Shea Sullivan
I always love being a part of the Tradition In Tap workshops. It gives me the opportunity to reconnect with the roots of Tap and channel the amazing talents and abilities of the masters of the golden age of tap dancing.
As a working tap teacher and choreographer, I am the product of the tutelage of another great master, Henry LeTang, and deeply feel the importance of keeping alive the traditions of those who came before us. The tap community is united in their deep commitment to pass down the history, the artistry and stylings of this great American art form.
Ardie Bryant believes that the Tradition in Tap event was one of the most pleasant in his career. He is proud to have been honored for his life work and pleased to have seen the quality of the young dancers and is appreciative of the dedication of Avi, Ofer and Germaine in keeping the tradition alive.
“As I observed each of the faculty doing their thing, I was comforted to know that the masters can rest assured that there is a group of dedicated, beautiful young people of all races who care about our magnificent American art form,” Ardie stated. “Every day of my life, I feel the hand of those who went before me on my shoulder giving me the strength to stay fit and keep telling their stories. I know that these young masters will continue that tradition on after we are all gone and it will become their story to tell.”
In addition to the Sensational Seven, a special team of teachers presented creative warm up exercises every morning. The team included Clare O’Donell, Shea Sullivan, Germaine Salsberg, Avi Miller and Ofer Ben.
Many scholarships are given at each workshop. All applications are considered and one-day and three-day scholarships are presented based on the economic needs and the enthusiasm expressed to study with the masters. All funds are from private donors and fellow participants in the workshop. The next Tradition In Tap workshop is Memorial Day weekend in New York (www.traditionintap.org).