The eighth annual Australian Tap Dance Festival will shuffle into Melbourne this spring, 28 September – 5 October, featuring a world class line-up of spectacular tappers on show at Australia’s premiere celebration of tap.
The Australian Tap Dance Festival is the only festival of its kind in Australasia and offers an action-packed week of tap, choreography, masterclasses, lessons, battles and seminars for all ages and skill levels. Culminating with a Gala event showcasing the highest caliber of tap talent, the festival runs at the renowned Ministry of Dance, a full accredited dance and training studio founded by acclaimed Australian dancer and choreographer Jason Coleman.
This year’s festival faculty features an exceptional line-up of accomplished tap dancers, including American headliner Omar Edwards a 23-year tap veteran who has performed around the world and on Broadway in Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, along with appearances at the White House, the Hollywood Bowl and on Showtime at the Apollo and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Other esteemed faculty include Winston Morrison (founder of Melbourne Tap Dance school and Australian Tap Dance Festival director), Thomas Waddleton (international Australian performer trained under Tap Dogs founder Christopher Horsey), Bill Simpson (founder of Red Hot Rhythm performance group and school), Shane Preston (currently commissioned to create the Australian Teachers of Dance – ATOD organization), Jack Egan (The Forge Tap Project), Eden Read (Opera Australia, The Space Dance & Arts Centre), Jessie Cram (Rhythm Tap Melbourne), Darren Disney (original Tap Dogs dancer and founder of D3 Darren Disney Dance studio), Gary Stocks (former coryphée of The Australian Ballet), Tania Chodasewicz (Capitol Performance Studio Sydney), and Emma Wickham (creator of Footnotes tap troupe). Each faculty member will also be offering limited teaching residencies as well as performances for audiences.
2019’s Australian Tap Dance Festival’s weeklong program also includes exclusive one-off events such as the Clogging Association’s Intro Class, Rhythm Creations Jam Night, Future of Tap and Tap Trivia.
For more information, visit australiantapdancefestival.com.au and www.theministryofdance.com.au.
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