CALENDAR
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October 5, 2008
Master Classes with Andrew Nemr
October 5, 2008
Boyz Bustin' Loose with Baakari
Special "Boyz Only" series
October 5, 2008
Professional Tap Teacher Seminar
October 25, 2008
Tap Into Silver Spring
@ The Round House Theatre
November 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2008
Sophisticated Tappers Class
November 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2008
Don't Sweat the Technique Class
November 21, 2008
Master Class for Kidz Only
With Tony Waag
November 21, 2008
Kidz Only Friday Night Tap Party
Special Guest: Tony Waag
November 22, 2008
Master Class for Ages 13+
With Tony Waag
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DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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DONATE NOW
Thank You!
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KNOCK ON WOOD Studio News
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 Tap Into Silver Spring!
Join us on Saturday, October 25 for our first production at the Silver Spring Round House Theatre! Hosts for the evening will be KOW faculty members Gigi Buscaglio and Baakari Wilder. Featured performers will include a wide array of tap dancers from across the DC Metro area. Invited guests include: Tappers With Attitude, DCDC's Nancy Newell, Rita Wilson Dancers, Christian Dance Academy Dancers, Young at Heart, and more. Special featured guest will be Shawna Frey, former KOW faculty member. Seating is very limited; tickets will be available at the door starting at 6:30pm. Tap here for more info on location and ticket prices.
 Back by popular demand...
Sophisticated Tappers! In August, Knock On Wood debuted a new class designed specifically for the 50+ crowd. Our Sophisticated Tappers series was a great success, and so much fun that most of the participants expressed an interest in signing up for Adult Tap 1 classes in the fall semester! This class not only teaches the art of tap, but also provides those over the age of 50 with the opportunity to meet new people, enjoy great exercise, and improve coordination and balance, all while listening to fantastic music! Sign up today for the next Sophisticated Tappers series: November 2, 9, 16 & 23, from 2:30-3:30pm.
Don't Sweat The Technique! Get clearer, better tap sounds with this new 4-week series exploring the FUNdamentals of tap. We'll go over everything from shuffles and flaps to rhythmic syncopation. Each week will be a different review to enhance specific skills, so sign up today, bring your tap shoes, and let's practice, practice, practice! All levels are welcome, however you must be age 13+ (younger students may attend with prior permission from the studio director). Sessions will take place November 2, 9, 16 & 23 from 1:00-2:00pm. Tap here for more FUNdamental info!
Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Weekend with TONY WAAG!
 * Friday, November 21 - We're excited to offer our first-ever Master Class For Kidz Only! Our first guest in this series is the incomparable Tony Waag, about whom dance critic Eva Yaa Asantewaa says, "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." The fun kicks off with a 1-hour master class (7-8pm) for tappers ages 8-12 with minimum 2 years experience.
* Then, stay around from 8-9pm for our first Kidz Only Friday Night Tap Party, featuring tap jams, rhythm games, and more, hosted by Tappers With Attitude. Tony will bring his ukulele - that's a promise, not a threat - and a terrific tap time will be had by all!
* Saturday, November 22 - Tony will also teach a fun-filled Master Class for Tappers 13+, with minimum 2 years tap experience, from 11:30am-12:30pm.
We're pleased to announce the return of the Jump Rhythm Jazz Project's Teen Tap Intensive. They will be joining us April 6-10, which is spring break for Montgomery County schools. What a great way to stay busy and have a blast during spring break! The Intensive will run five full days, 10am-4pm, and is designed for ages 11 & up, with intermediate or better tap skills. More info will be available later, including our Early Bird Registration Discount, but be sure to mark your calendar now.
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| TAPPERS WITH ATTITUDE News |
 CALLING ALL TWA ALUMS...
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
Ms. Vicki, Ms. Lisa and Ms. Yvonne would like to invite all TWA alums to send us an email, so we can catch up with you. We'd love to know where you are and what you're up to. Our readers also like to keep track of you, and it helps inspire younger dancers to "keep on keepin' on."
Don't let these performance dates pass you by!
- Arts on the Avenue (Oct. 4)
- Tap Into Silver Spring! (Oct. 25)
- Holiday Event with Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Dec. 6)
- Tappy Holidays (Dec. 12)
Symphony Space, New York City
- Dance Place (March 7 & 8)
- Juvenile Diabetes Benefit (April 25)
- Atlas Performing Arts Center (June 14 & 15)
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MESSAGE FROM TWA, INC.'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS: It's CFC Fundraising Time!
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 "Be a Star in Someone's Life"
We are now in the 3rd year of our association with CFC (Combined Federal Campaign), the largest and most effective workplace charity campaign in the world. We are very pleased with this association, as our donations due to CFC have increased every year. We are counting on increasing our donor base and individual contributions yet again this season, to offset the difficult times that the arts are facing in this economic climate. You can help by donating to TWA, Inc. thru CFC! You can also download our CFC flyer and give it to friends, family and neighbors who are federal employees. Be sure to tell them to use our CFC number, 68430, when donating. If you are a federal employee and would like to donate to TWA, click here and enter "tappers" in the search field.
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OCTOBER 5 is SUPER SUNDAY at KNOCK ON WOOD
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 DON'T FORGET ABOUT SUPER SUNDAY at KNOCK ON WOOD!
OCTOBER 5, 2008
Special "Take Two" discounts for every student who takes more than one class on October 5, from the great choices below. Save $5 per class!
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MASTER CLASSES WITH ANDREW NEMR
11:00am-12:30pm
Advanced Beginner/Intermediate (ages 12+)
1:00-2:30pm
Intermediate/Advanced (ages 14+
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BOYZ BUSTIN' LOOSE
"Bust a New Move!" with Baakari Wilder
Sunday, October 5
1:00-2:30pm
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PROFESSIONAL TAP TEACHER SEMINAR
Special Guest: Baakari Wilder
Sunday, October 5
3:30-5:00pm
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CLICK 'N CLACK, the TAP-IT SISTERS say... TAP INTO KNOWLEDGE!
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  THREE CHEERS FOR OUR OCTOBER BIRTHDAY BOY!
"Don't look at me in sympathy,/I'm glad that I'm this way./I feel good, knockin' on wood."
Born on October 11, 1907, this legendary tap dancer went on to become a world famous performer. At the age of 12, his left leg was badly mangled in an accident at a cotton gin mill. No hospitals near his rural South Carolina home would accept an African American patient, so his leg was amputated at home.
He resolved to continue dancing, and taught himself to dance on a wooden leg, whittled by his uncle. He added acrobatic tricks to his performance, and worked carnivals and minstrel shows. By the time he was 15, he was a well-rounded performer working the vaudeville circuit.
He went on to perform around the world - was often on Broadway, or in famous Harlem nightclubs including the Cotton Club. Although he included acrobatics, flash steps, and other novelties in his performance, he was also one of the finest rhythm tappers in history - he just happened to do it all with only one leg!
There's more to his legacy, however. As an African American performer, he was often denied the opportunity to sleep in hotels where he performed. He wanted to provide his community with a degree of elegance and comfort they were often denied, and so he opened a resort in the Catskills. His glamorous complex in Kerhonkson, NY, became the largest black-owned-and-operated resort in the country. Old video footage from the club shows clientele and entertainers including all the jazz and tap greats of the time.
He traveled regularly, speaking about his life experiences, and at the age of 91, performed at a fundraiser the night before he died.
QUESTION: Who is this tap legend, who performed more than 20 times on the Ed Sullivan Show? (Hint: There are several YouTube clips, including this compilation that includes his awesome final performance on the Sullivan Show at age 60.)
LAST MONTH'S Q & A: In 2003, what newly minted "Dr. of American Dance" presented her tap shoes to the Smithsonian? When Oklahoma City University presented Jeni LeGon with a Living Treasure Award and an honorary doctorate, Dance Dept. Chair Jo Rowan said, "We know what you did. You will not be forgotten and we will honor you and see that the torch is passed."
We highly recommend the film about Dr. Jeni's life, "Living in a Great Big Way."
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Knock On Wood Tap Studio8700 Georgia Ave., Suite B
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-495-0395
Our programs are sponsored in part by funding from
the Montgomery County government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County,
The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation,
Dallas Morse Coors Foundation, and the Washington Post.
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 Knock 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.
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