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By Word of Foot I: 12 Tap Masters Pass On Their Tradition / Jane Goldberg [festival]

Title

By Word of Foot I: 12 Tap Masters Pass On Their Tradition [Festival]

Performers

Goldberg, Jane

Bubbles, John

Cook, Charles "Cookie"

Brown, Ernest "Brownie"

Bates, Clayton "Peg Leg"

Gibson, Al "Gip"

Hillman, George

Coles, Marion

Gaines, Leslie "Bubba"

Collins, Leon

Brown, James "Buster"

Kelly, Fred

Published/Created

1980-10-13

Genre

Festival

Venue

Village Gate

Abstract

October 13-18, 1980
Organized by tap dancer, producer, writer Jane Goldberg, the first week-long tap festival billed as "a rare gathering of tap's leading dancers to pass on their tradition. Twelve [turned out to be 17] of America's foremost innovators of jazz tap dancing will be talking about the tradition and teaching their own evolved styles to dancers from throughout the country. Jazz tap dancing, an improvisational musical art, has never been taught in a formal sense. This will be a unique opportunity to learn some of the important elements of "tapology" directly from its creators.

The festival also included a daily "cocktail hour" interview with John Bubbles Sublett.

Teachers included: Charles "Cookie" Cook, Ernest "Brownie" Brown, Peg Leg Bates, Albert "Gip" Gibson, George Hillman, Marion Coles, Leslie "Bubba" Gaines, Leon Collins, James "Buster" Brown, Fred Kelly, Howard "Sandman" Sims, Alfredo Gustar, Charles "Honi" Coles, and Mable Lee, Bunny Briggs, Brenda Bufalino, Gregory Hines.

Musicians Jim Roberts, Ram Ramirez, Dick Hyman (piano); David Yoken (drums). Technicians and organizers: Goldberg, with Katherine Kramer and Melina Mousouris.

The Jazz Tap Ensemble from California attended. Goldberg's welcoming speech "We intend to prove this week, that contrary to widespread opinion, tap dancing is not just a novelty, it is not old fashioned or nostalgic, tap dancing is not dead, in fact we at Changing Times think that it is the liveliest of the lively arts." Honi Coles said "Tap dancing is dead. It's dead right for everybody!"

Highlights from the festival (and which were recorded) included:
Interviewer: Jane Goldberg. Interviewee: John Bubbles.
In the third "Cocktail Hour with John Bubbles" a conversation with Jane Goldberg, John Bubbles discusses various aspects of his long career as a tap dancer, including his work in motion pictures and television, how he developed and improved his style of dancing, the contrast between "uptown" (African American) and "downtown" (white) dancers in the heyday of tap, how he learned the sand dance, and other topics. Videotaped at the Village Gate, New York on October 17th 1980.

Marion Coles, wearing purple pants and a red headband teaching a careful breakdown of an Apollo chorus line precision routine "For Dancers Only."

Leon Collins, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a huge shoe, incorporating his boxing and jazz background into a lesson devoted to both flash and class tap.

James Buster Brown, the "snakes hips" pro, getting the whole room hula-hooping around to a wild rendition of ‘Ballin' the Jack."

Elegant Leslie Bubba Gaines talking about gimmicks (dancing on ice skates, on dice, or with a jump rope) and explaining how to transform one basic rhythm into a number of styles.

George Hillman offering a crystal-clear example of the Bill Robinson style and beautifully demonstrating a buck and wing and over-the top.

Fred Kelly driving his class through an array of traditional styles and cracking a lot of jokes.

And the younger generation, modern-jazz influenced Brenda Bufalino and sexy, funny Gregory Hines sending heir troops into improvisatory exercises.

Honi Coles' 11:30 am class. Informal dance performances, including a soft-shoe to the song "Taking a Chance on Love" danced by Honi Coles and Brenda Bufalino and a solo by Bufalino, followed by candid footage. Coles reminisces about his "class act" with Cholly Atkins and describes how Ethel Waters inspired his dance to "Taking a Chance on Love." (22 mins. VHS. Videotaped at the Village Gate, New York, on October 18 1980. Directed by Brenda Bufalino. Produced by Jane Goldberg. )

Footage of a party held on the final evening of the workshop on October 18, 1980.
Includes informal performances by Charles "Cookie" Cook, Jane Goldberg and others. Duet by Bunny Briggs and Gregory Hines (ca. 7 mins) recorded on October 15, 1980 during a class given by Bunny Briggs.

Morning and afternoon classes taught by Albert (Bert) Gibson (ca. 24 min) recorded on October 14 1980. Gibson discusses his early career and teaches a soft-shoe and the tango twist.
Class taught by George Hillman recorded on October 14 1980 in which Hillman reminisces about his early career, answers questions from participants, demonstrates virtuosic steps from the 1930s and 40s and teaches.
Class taught by Mable Lee (ca. 3 min.) recorded on October 18 1980 with footage of Lee and her former partner George Hillman dancing a duet to "Tea for Two."
Class taught by Peg Leg Bates (ca. 15 min.), recorded on October 13 1980. Bates tells how he learned to dance on his "peg" dances the shim sham with Charles "Cookie" Cook and Ernest "Brownie" Brown and "I Got Rhythm" with Cook, Brown, Bunny Briggs, Albert Gibson and others and talks about his long association with Ed Sullivan. 61 mins. VHS. Videotaped at the Village Gate, New York, in October 1980. Directed by Brenda Buffalino. Produced by Jane Goldberg.

For the completed documentary on this workshop, see*MGZIC 9-5600 By word of foot 1 (New York Public Library).

(Dance Scope, New York v 15, no 3, Autumn 1981, pg 62-68, illus.; Pamela Sommers, "Tappin' at heaven's gate" The Soho News, October 29, 1980, p. 65; Beverly Scott, "A Tap Revival "By Word of Foot'" Los Angeles Times October 25, 1980, 14).

Source

New York Public Library: CATNYP: Dance Collection: Tap Dancing. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Gregory Hines Collection of American Tap Dance ().

Last Updated: 12-16-2015