Knock On Wood LogoKnock On Wood News
Tidbits for Tappers
March 2008
IN THIS ISSUE
-Knock On Wood Studio News
-Tappers With Attitude News
-Think Green!
-Dance Is The Answer!
-Getting to Know Us: Meet Gigi Buscaglio
-TWA Alumna: LeeAnet Noble
-Click -n Clack, the Tap-It Sisters
CALENDAR

MARCH 14 & 16
Master Classes with Barbara Duffy

MARCH 15
KOW Open Mic Night
(With Special Guest Barbara Duffy)

MARCH 17-20, 2008
KOW Skip Week (make-up classes)

MARCH 23, 2008
Master Class with Baakari Wilder & Michela Marino Lerman

MARCH 24-28

Spring Break Camp

MARCH 31, 2008
KOW Spring Session Begins

APRIL 6, 2008
Professional Tap Teachers Workshop

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KNOCK ON WOOD Studio News
Knock On Wood classTap on into spring! You don't need a lucky 4-leaf clover (or the luck of the Irish!) to save $5 off on class fees. You just need to act fast! Knock On Wood's Spring Session brochure has been mailed to everyone on our "snail mail" mailing list. Spring Session runs from March 31 to June 7; earlybird registration ($5 off class fee) goes through March 10.

Spring Break Camp "Dance Passport" still has some space, but don't delay! It's a 5-day camp for ages 7-12, from March 24-28.

"Dancin' Days" Summer Camps are also now open for registration. The camps will run July 21-25 and August 4-8; full-day sessions for ages 7-12, plus a half-day option for ages 4-6. These camps are expected to fill up.

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project will be at Knock On Wood in July for some very special activities this summer: a Teen Tap Intensive (July 14-18) and 2 Master Classes (July 19). These are fantasically exciting opportunities for kids (ages 11 & up) and adults. Check them out!

4-leaf-cloverReminder! "Skip Week" for Winter Session will be during the week of March 17th. "Skip Week" allows you to make up classes that were missed due to Studio closings on Thursday, January 17th (inclement weather); Monday, January 21st (MLK Birthday), Tuesday, February 12th (inclement weather). Make-up classes will be on Monday March 17th, Tuesday, March 18th, and Thursday March 20th, following the same time schedule as Winter Session.

Part-time Administrative Assistant Needed at KOW
Hey folks! We're looking for an administrative assistant to our Studio Director. Here's the scoop. The successful candidate must be able to handle a wide variety of tasks, 10-12 hrs per week. There may be some flexibility in workdays, ranging from two-to-three partial days, Monday-Thursday, mid-afternoon into the evening. If you are interested in dance and/or nonprofit arts management, and want a congenial work situation, this is a great place to be. So if you have excellent communication skills, professional telephone manner and good computer skills, contact Ms. Yvonne Edwards, 301-495-0395, vox #2.
TAPPERS WITH ATTITUDE News
          Gigi Buscaglio

Lots of great shows coming up! And don't forget, if you're interested in auditions (to be held on April 9), contact Ms. Lisa.
 
   - BlackRock Center for the Arts (March 8, 2 shows)
          Both shows sold out!
   - Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (April 26)
          Link to B-CC tickets
   - Library of Congress (May 23)
   - Atlas Theatre (May 31-June 1)
   - Wolf Trap Theatre-in-the-Woods (June 24-28)
   - Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage (June 26)
   - Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre (July 2 & 3)

(Photo by Jay Williams)
THINK GREEN!
Leprechaun dancingHAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY...and while you're thinking green, here are a few ways that you can join us in our efforts to go GREENER:
  • Please make sure that you bring a refillable water bottle with you to class.
  • If you use disposable water bottles, please recycle them in the bin in the lobby by the door.
  • Please use the two "mixed paper" bins located in the lobby for recycling of magazines and other paper.
We have begun to think about how to cut back on the volumes of paper that we use at the Studio...more on that later.
DANCE IS THE ANSWER at Knock On Wood
Dance is the AnswerDance/MetroDC is proud to present for the 2nd year a collaborative marketing initiative that celebrates the local dance industry of the Metro DC area. During National Dance Week - April 25 to May 4 - area dance companies, dance studios, and dance presenters will offer free classes and performances to energize and excite the public about the benefits of dance. Whether you are new to dance or have been dancing since childhood, Dance Is The Answer is a great way to take part in a physically and emotionally enriching art form. We hope you'll find that Dance Is The Answer for you! For more information visit www.dancemetrodc.org or call 202-778-1190.

ACTIVITIES AT KNOCK ON WOOD include Visitors' Week from April 28 to May 3, and an Open House on Sunday, May 4 from 2:00-4:00 pm, where we'll have a special class on tap improvisation, FREE and open to all ages and skill levels. Come one, come all! Leave your inhibitions at home and join us for a fun afternoon at "Jammin' Without Jitters."
GETTING TO KNOW OUR FACULTY: Meet Gigi Buscaglio
Gigi Buscaglio
Ms. Gigi Buscaglio's favorite thing to do in the world is tap dancing, although she has many other interests such as singing, acting and performing. She currently takes tap dance lessons from her original teacher, Miss Mary Lou Peters, who taught her when she began taking dance lessons at 5 years old. Gigi loves to choreograph and direct people for variety shows and musicals. She recently co-choreographed 42nd Street with the illustrious Ms. Nancy Newell. She teaches singing and music to babies and mommies/daddies at Musikids in Bethesda. She also is a member of the high-energy performance group,The 3 Divas, presenting an Andrews Sisters and disco show. (She reports, however, that she does not do windows.) Ms. Gigi loves Knock on Wood!
TWA ALUMS - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?    LeeAnet Noble
LeeAnet NobleTWA graduate LeeAnet Noble set out to pursue her dreams of becoming a performer, with much success. She is a multi-talented actor, dancer and drummer whose unique style of mixing tap dancing and masterful drumming has won her critical acclaim.

LeeAnet has held leading roles in the New York casts of the international hit shows Stomp and Drumstick and has performed along with such artists as Harry Belafonte, Hugh Masekela and Danny Glover.

To read more about LeeAnet, click here.
CLICK 'N CLACK, the TAP-IT SISTERS - Trivia Corner
Ms Vicki & Ms Yvonne celebrate St. Patrick's DayIt's Not Easy Being Green...

In 1919, a young boy was born in Georgia; he won his first dance contest at the age of 6, and toured the South as a child dancer. He became part of a juvenile tap-and-comedy team, fashioned after the famous duo "Buck and Bubbles." The great John "Bubbles" Sublett, sometimes called "the father of rhythm tap," took him under his wing, teaching his protege the revolutionary tap style Bubbles made famous, involving rapid-fire heel work in addition to more traditional footwork.

This brilliant dancer toured internationally throughout the '30s and '40s, sometimes doing as many as 5 shows a day. But in 1944, the stress had taken too great a toll, and he was committed to a mental hospital. Upon his release, some 15 years later, he resumed dancing and teaching, performing with the Copasetics, and as a soloist. This brilliant, fluent dancer can be seen in both No Maps On My Taps, and About Tap.

QUESTION: Can you name the gentle giant who died in 1997? (Look for the answer in next newsletter.)

LAST MONTH'S QUESTION: "Ann Miller had a particular claim to fame' as a tap dancer. What was her special tap skill?" In 1942, Ann Miller was listed in Ripley's Believe It or Not as the world's fastest tap dancer. A speedometer attached to her feet recorded 598 taps/minute.

DanceMetroDC logoKnock On Wood and Tappers With Attitude appreciate the work of Dance/MetroDC in its efforts to unite and support the DC area's dance community. Dance/MetroDC is the only comprehensive source for dance performances, events, master classes, workshops, jobs, auditions and more in the DC metro area. Check their website for more information or to subscribe to their newsletter.
Knock On Wood Tap Studio
8700 Georgia Ave., Suite B
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-495-0395

Our programs are sponsored in part by funding from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County,
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Dallas Morse Coors Foundation, and the Washington Post.
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