Press Releases
Broadway Tap Dancers come to Jordan
April 22, 2008
Amman – Direct from New York City’s famed theater corridor -- Broadway – The New York Tap Ensemble is coming to Jordan this week. Seven talented and versatile Broadway performers will perform a free show of high-energy tap dance at 7:30 p.m. at Al Hussein Cultural Center on Wednesday, April 23. In their performance of “Singin’ and Dancin’,” developed especially for their visit to Jordan, they will explore the language of tap dancing in American culture. Using rhythm as a common denominator, the New York Tap Ensemble combines old style “hoofing” and theater dance throughout the century. Led by one of Broadway’s most experienced young actors and dancers, Noah Racey, The New York Tap Ensemble will display dazzling footwork and entertaining stories sure to enchant audiences and get them tapping their toes.
Tap dance developed in the United States during the 1800s, and is popular today in many parts of the world. The name comes from the tapping sound made when the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes touch a hard floor. Tap dancers make frequent use of syncopation and improvisation, and many consider themselves percussive musicians first, performers second. Tap dancing has roots in the traditional dance forms of West Africa, Spanish flamenco and Irish step. Common tap steps include the shuffle, the flap heel, the cramp roll, the buffalo, the Cincinnati, and the shim sham shimmy. The New York Tap Ensemble will perform in the tradition of well-known American tap dancers like Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ginger Rogers, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Temple, Savion Glover, and Gregory Hines.
The New York Tap Ensemble’s performance is sponsored by the Cultural Section of the American Embassy and is the opening act of “Zakharef In Motion: Dance Performances From Around the World,” which will feature dancers from France, Spain, Holland, Japan, Germany, Jordan and Belgium. Sponsored by Dawzan Wa Awtar and the Ministry of Culture, “Zakharef In Motion” will bring world-class dance never before seen in Jordan to the Al Hussein Cultural Center. In addition to their opening night performance, The New York Tap Ensemble will also perform a special show for schoolchildren on Thursday, April 24, at 5 pm at Al Hussein Cultural Center.