MOVEMENT AFOOT Tap Dance Ensemble Presents Concert at the Van Fleet Theatre, 8/26-27

Movement Afoot, Columbus' only dedicated tap dance ensemble, will present its first evening-length concert with Ph(r)ase 1, in two performances at theVan Fleet Theatre, August 26 and 27. In this inventive show, audiences will be treated to tap dance as the main attraction, but the program will also include live jazz and folk music, Appalachian clogging, and modern, contemporary, and Kathak dance performances by Columbus-based guest artists.

Ph(r)ase 1 will showcase the musicality, artistry, and versatility of tap. The core of the program is six pieces choreographed primarily by Movement Afoot Director Lauren Squires, several of which will be premiering for the first time. Squires, who is a professor in the English department at The Ohio State University, focuses on the rhythmic experience of tap, and her choreography explores sound and space in combination with sometimes unexpected musical choices. Dancers in Ph(r)ase 1 will also perform improvisationally, true to the history of the art form.

"We are trying to bring more of the magic of tap to the public in Columbus--I don't think anyone has produced a show like this here in a long time," Director Squires said. "Tap is fun to watch and can provide lighthearted entertainment, but it can also be just as sophisticated, beautiful, and moving as any dance form. And you get the bonus of the auditory experience in addition to the visual, as we create percussion while we dance."

Movement Afoot member Janet Schroeder will also showcase two original choreographic works. Flutter Gust Drop explores rhythm in relation to live banjo music and will feature dancers from The Ohio State University, where Schroeder is completing a PhD in Dance Studies. Rhythmic Interactions is a collaboration between a percussive step dancer and banjo player in which the music and the dance are created in the moment of performance. Joel Boyer will play banjo for both pieces.

"I've been exploring a range of percussive dance practices-tap dance, Appalachian clogging, and body percussion, primarily-for more than a decade," Schroeder said. "Whether danced a cappella, with old-time fiddle music, with a jazz trio, or something completely different, the dance is music and the music is dance."

Ph(r)ase 1 will include guest dance artists New Vision Dance Co. (directed by Melissa Gould), Columbus Moving Company (directed by Jeff Fouch), and Mansee Singhi (Kathak dance). Columbus pianist Nate Shaw will provide jazz accompaniment on select numbers.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 with a student ID, and $10 for children under 12. For more information and ticketing, visit www.movementafoottap.com/phrase1.

Movement Afoot Presents Ph(r)ase 1
Friday, August 26, 7 pm
Saturday, August 27, 7 pm
Van Fleet Theatre at the Columbus Performing Arts Center
549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215

Movement Afoot is a performance ensemble of adult tap dancers based in Columbus, Ohio, under the direction of Lauren Squires. Squires founded the ensemble in 2014 in order to present more tap dance within the Columbus community. Movement Afoot's mission is to educate the public about tap dancing and related art forms, while giving local tap dancers opportunities to grow as artists.

Lauren Squires has performed as a member of Tappening (Washington, DC) and Sole Full of Rhythm (Ann Arbor, MI). She has taught tap through studios and recreation programs in Springfield, MO; Washington, DC; Charlottesville, VA; Wilmington, NC; and Columbus, OH. Squires is a professor in the Department of English at The Ohio State University.