Knock On Wood LogoKnock On Wood News
Tidbits for Tappers
July 2008
IN THIS ISSUE
-Knock On Wood Studio News
-Tappers With Attitude News
-TWA Alumna: Lucia Henderson
-Click 'n Clack, the Tap-It Sisters
CALENDAR

July 2-3, 2008
TWA at Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre


July 8-31, 2008
KOW Summer Session

July 14-18, 2008
JRJP Teen Tap Intensive

July 19, 2008
JRJP Master Classes


July 21-25  &  August 4-8, 2008
KOW Summer Camps


August 3-24, 2008
Sophisticated Tappers Program


DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
DONATE NOW
Thank You!
KOW penguin
Join Our Mailing List!
KNOCK ON WOOD Studio News
Vicki, Lisa & Yvonne in red, white & blueHave a whiz-bang 4th of July, and then head on over to Knock On Wood for our 4-week Summer Session! Classes start July 8, and registration is still open.

The 50+ crowd will have the spotlight this August in a new 4-week class series at KOW called Sophisticated Tappers. Learn the art of rhythm tap, meet new people, enjoy some exercise, and improve your coordination and balance, all while listening to great music! (Tap shoes are recommended, but not required.)

Knock On Wood Spring Break CampDancin' Days Summer Camps
Both sessions of last year's summer camps were not only a huge success with the kids, but extremely popular choices with the parents. The camps were filled to capacity several weeks prior to the start date.  As of right now we still have a few spaces available, but time's a-wasting...don't delay, enroll now! Once again, under the fabulous direction of Ms. Shannon Quinn, 2008 promises to be another hit! Dancin' Days camps are July 21-25 and August 4-8, with full-day sessions for ages 7-12, and a half-day option for ages 4-6. (You can check out photos from Spring Break Camp here.)

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 fantastic opportunities for kids (ages 11 & up) and adults. We're very excited to be offering this amazing dance opportunity; enrollment is still open, so sign up soon!

Give this "sneak peek" link a little tap to see some of the great things in store for everyone at Knock On Wood in 2008-09!
TAPPERS WITH ATTITUDE News
TWA at Atlas TheaterTWA NOTED FOR TAP PYROTECHNICS! We'll be painting the town red (not to mention white and blue) at the Metro DC Dance Awards, on Monday September 8! TWA is a finalist in 2 categories, for our "Syncopated Sensations" concert at Dance Place December 15 & 16, 2007: Outstanding Youth Performance 2008 and Overall Production - Small Venue. Also, Artistic Director Ms. Vicki is a finalist for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. We get a Big Bang out of these nominations - it's a thrill and an honor to be nominated, let alone to make it to the finals. These acknowledgements of our achievements, whether we win or lose, certainly help us move forward with vigor and energy into the next season. Tap here for more info!

Auditions for aspiring members of Tappers With Attitude Youth Ensemble will be held on July 16, 2008. Tap dancers ages 10-and-up, currently working at an advanced beginner/ intermediate level are eligible to audition.For more information, contact Ms. Lisa at 301-495-0395.

Upcoming Performances:

  - Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre (July 2 & 3)
         Link to Discovery Theatre tickets
TWA ALUMS - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?  Lucia Henderson
Lulu HendersonLulu Henderson, a Washington D.C. native, began tapping when she was 8 years old and joined TWA at age 11. Later on, while at Harvard, Lulu split her time between dancing and archaeology. She became the head choreographer for TAPS, the university's tap dancing ensemble, teaching the mostly Broadway-style trained members the art of rhythm tap.

Lulu is now working on her Ph.D. in Art History at the University of Texas at Austin as a Harrington Doctoral Fellow, specializing in the Precolumbian Mesoamerican world.

To read more about Lulu, and see photos of her in the field, visit the TWA alum section of our website.
CLICK 'N CLACK, the TAP-IT SISTERS - Trivia Corner
James CagneyHe's a Yankee Doodle Dandy!

OK, so maybe he wasn't actually born on the Fourth of July, (d.o.b. July 17, 1899) but in many ways this hoofer was a "classic" American success story. Born in NYC's Lower East Side, above his father's saloon, from a very early age he worked at a number of trades to help support his family.
 
He took tap lessons as a boy, but thought of his skills as rudimentary; he perfected one difficult, flashy combination, but didn't think of himself as "a dancer."

He was, however, a terrific amateur boxer, and was good enough to turn pro - except that his mother wouldn't let him.
James Cagney
He didn't turn his focus to the stage until he learned that a vaudeville troupe was paying performers $35 a week. He auditioned - although he admitted he could neither sing nor dance - and he got the gig, his first big break, performing as a female dancer in a chorus line.

Always a hard worker, he improved his acting and dancing skills and went on to great acclaim, both onstage and in films. After many "tough guy" flicks, in 1942 this multi-talented Irish vaudevillian from New York was hired to play George M. Cohan, a multi-talented Irish vaudevillian from New York. The film, "Yankee Doodle Dandy," won him an Oscar for Best Actor.

The artist always said this was his greatest role, and the critics agreed, while noting the many parallels between this artist and Cohan: the early vaudeville career followed by years of hardship and struggle, the deep bond to family, an early marriage, and more.

QUESTION: What song-and-dance man first did the Moonwalk as part of a dance performance? If you really need another hint, don't dawdle, Doodle! Check out this YouTube performance.

LAST MONTH'S ANSWER: What tap legend danced his signature interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" with disarming ease and shimmering speed? In his performances with pianist Joan Hill, Leon Collins created a blend of classical music and jazz unique in the history of tap dance.  One gem in their repertoire included Collin's signature piece: Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," which segued into Porter's "Begin the Beguine."  Leon Collins died on April 16, 1985; his piece "53" is in the repertoire of TWA.

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.
Knock On Wood Newsletter Logo