tap dance: black-led tap organizations

see also: tap dance films & documentaries // tap dance books

Music From The Sole

 

Music From The Sole is a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap's Afro-diasporic roots, particularly its connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, and its lineage to forms like house dance and passinho (Brazilian funk). Led by Brazilian choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and by composer Gregory Richardson, their work embraces tap’s unique nature as a blend of sound and movement, incorporating wide-ranging influences like samba, passinho, Afro-Cuban, jazz, and house.


Nj tap ensemble

 

Founded and under the direction of Deborah Mitchell, New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble's mission is to preserve and promote the American art form of rhythm tap dancing. NJTAP is a nonprofit professional tap dance company founded by Deborah Mitchell in the state of New Jersey in 1994 and accomplishes its mission through public concert performances, artist development, new works, special programs, and arts education. The Company is based and rehearses in Bloomfield, NJ.


M.A.D.D. Rhythms (Making A Difference Dancing Rhythms)

 

M.A.D.D. RHYTHMS is a phenomenal TAP dance collective whose “SOLE” purpose is to spread the Love and Joy of TAP worldwide. What started as Bril Barrett & Martin Dumas III’s formula for giving back, is now a full-fledged performing arts company, quickly gaining a reputation for representing the true essence of tap: RHYTHM! The company is composed of young, versatile tap dancers from all over Chicago. Their ages range from 15 to 44, and their backgrounds are equally diverse.  The one thing they all have in common is a love for “the dance”.

M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ mission is to preserve, promote and contribute to this art form called tap. We will teach its history, represent its culture and advocate for its future. We will use this beautiful dance/music form to make a difference in the under-served communities of this world by connecting and caring for the youth of this world. We believe that having access and options gives a child a greater chance at a positive life. Therefore, we will spread the joy, love, discipline and expression of tap to as many children as we humanly can!


Northwest Tap Connection

 

Founded by Artistic Director, Melba Ayco, Northwest Tap Connection is a race and social justice oriented dance studio. Our mission is inclusive of providing quality dance and job opportunities to under-served communities, and also to raise a generation of socially conscious artists who produce works that fosters change.Our philosophy is that dance enriches the lives of the students while also helping to develop self-discipline, instill self-confidence, and encourage achievement.We train, Inspire, and nurture young dancers towards artistic excellence, perform works by emerging and master choreographers. Our goal is to bring the art of dance to multi-cultural and inter-generational audiences through dance instruction, innovative community partnerships, cultural events, and arts in education programs locally, nationally and internationally.


Tap.ol.o.gy

 

In 2001, under the direction of Alfred Bruce Bradley, the Tapology Festival was born to bring together legendary dancers from all over the world, with dance schools and underprivileged youth in the Flint area. The festival includes classes from the masters, lectures, luncheons and culminates with unforgettable concert performances by Tapology Youth Ensemble students and the masters who give their time and talent to instruct them. Originally founded as a way to give back to the community through teaching, Tapology has become much more, teaching hundreds of youth how to interact with their past, present and future, all while maintaining the highest standards of entertainment quality in productions like the Annual Tapology Concert. The Tapology Festival has expanded beyond being an annual event, and is moving toward a vision of becoming a movement through programs like the Tapology Youth Ensemble, Walker-Collins Project, Visting Schools Day and our Tapology Summer Tap Intensive.


Chloe and Maud Foundation

 

The Chloe & Maud Foundation was founded out of the necessity for black children to have equal opportunity and access to high quality education in the world of Dance, Entrepreneurship, and Self-empowerment.  We have been fighting for justice by providing exceptional educational opportunities, and creating healing works of Art that celebrate our culture, build self-esteem, and empower our voices.  As we continue to expand our programming, we need your help.


tap family reunion

 

Produced by Elka Samuels Smith (Divine Rhythm Productions) & Tamia Santana (The Brooklyn Arts), and Directed by tap dance luminaries Dormeshia, Derick K. Grant, and Jason Samuels Smith, Tap Family Reunion is an annual celebration of National Tap Dance Day & Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's Birthday. Events include workshops, performances and so much more! Programming is meant to highlight the intergenerational importance of our culture; celebrate our elders, and make our history accessible to youth and everyone in between. Come together for the dance! (Supporting organizations have included: Debbie Allen & The Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Joyce Theater, Maurice Hines Movie producer John Carluccio & CINQUA | Creative Documentary Agency, TapTakeOver, Dance NYC, and Fractured Atlas).