August 21, 2007

Interview with Tap City's Tony Waag

I'm convinced that Tony Waag is one of those people put on earth to help me find my smile when I most need it, and I'm not alone in this feeling. Everyone who has ever seen Tap City loves Tony, its producer, director and often goofily-charming MC.

As artistic and executive director of the American Tap Dance Foundation, Tony has a broad perspective on all facets of this art--from its rich history to its modern revival, dynamic present and future possibilities. Recently, I ran into Tony at a Lincoln Center Out of Doors show where we watched Roxane Butterfly and her tap company, Worldbeats. We agreed to meet again and talk tap.

Listen to audio interview with Tony Waag (MP3 - 32 minutes)

Tony Waag Bio

Tony Waag is currently the Artistic/Executive Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation and the Producer and Director of Tap City, the New York City Tap Festival which features an extensive training program for adults, numerous premiere performances, city wide events, tap jams and student showcases, panel discussions, film screenings, annual tap dance awards, and innovative children and teen programs. [Continue reading...]

History of Tap

Tap dance was born in a multicultural, volatile corner of downtown Manhattan called the Five Points. To learn more about its colorful history, see Tyler Anbinder's Five Points: The 19th Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum.

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