DanceArt - My Story
I was four when my eight-year-old sister, Julaine started taking tap dance
lessons. I wanted to learn, too. So Daddy put a piece of plywood on the floor and
Julaine taught me how to step-shuffle-ball-change-step, -- or whatever it was
she learned that week in tap class.
That was the beginning of my life-long love of tap dance.
I spent lots of years studying dance, -- ballet, tap, jazz, modern, ballroom. I was
a free-lance choreographer for a bunch of years working mostly with show-
choirs. During that time, I discovered how much I enjoyed telling stories through
interpretive movement.
Several years ago I choreographed a tap dance for a performance that
showcased choreographers of a wide range of styles. The music I used was a
floor-stomping shuffle tune by Huey Lewis and the News that says, “All I want is
a Couple Days Off.” So I choreographed a story about an overworked business
woman who throws down her briefcase and busts loose. I had a blast creating
that dance and the audience loved it.
While choreographing it I began to notice the marks my tap shoes were making
on my tan-colored dance floor. And then it hit me . . . what if I made my feet into
brushes and danced the dance in paint? As the process of discovery continued I
knew what to do next.
So here I am, telling a story. And what better way to tell a story than to paint a
picture!
