Movement Afoot's Tap Concert COUNT US IN Celebrates National Tap Dance Day

Movement Afoot, Columbus' professional tap Dance Company, presents its second full-length concert with Count Us In, for two performances at the Shedd Theatre, May 26-27. The show features tap choreography, improvisation, live music, and guest dance artists performing hip-hop, kathak, and West African drum and dance.

Count Us In will be a fitting way for Central Ohioans to celebrate National Tap Dance Day, the May 25 holiday commemorated by the international tap community.

Three distinct portions of the show's 90-minute program highlight the stylistic breadth of tap dance and the artistic reach of Movement Afoot. Opening the night is "Hits to Hit to," featuring four premiering dances set to contemporary pop music and choreographed by director Lauren Squires and company member Janelle Maur. The second act is "Swingin' and Stompin'"-a suite of three pieces choreographed by assistant director Janet Schroeder to traditional jazz tunes and a cappella. In the eclectic final act, "Improv-ed, Improved," the company revisits pieces from its repertory, blending them with new improvisational works.

"With Count Us In, we are providing something for everyone, with choreography to pop, jazz, and a cappella," says director Lauren Squires. "We especially wanted to bring something a little more upbeat and lighthearted to the first part of our program, while maintaining a level of artistry."

Rounding out the program are guest dance artists Daniel "TrigNO" Turnbo, hip-hop; Mansee Singhi (Friday night), kathak; and GOREE Drum & Dance, traditional West African drum and dance (Saturday night). Columbus pianist Nate Shaw will provide live accompaniment on select numbers.

Count Us In follows on the heels of Movement Afoot's first theater concert, "Ph(r)ase 1," performed in August 2016 to a sold-out house at the Van Fleet Theatre.

"I think our commitment to sharing tap dance with the community is one of my favorite things about Movement Afoot," says assistant director Janet Schroeder. "It's great for us when we dance together in the studio, but it's even better when we put it on a stage or bring it out to a festival where even more folks can enjoy it."

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students, and $10 for children under 12. Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Ticketing: http://movementafoottap.com/count-us-in

Movement Afoot Presents "Count Us In"
Friday, May 26, 7 pm
Saturday, May 27, 7 pm
Shedd Theatre at the Columbus Performing Arts Center
549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215

ABOUT MOVEMENT AFOOT
Movement Afoot is a tap Dance Company based in Columbus, Ohio, under the direction of Lauren Squires, who founded the ensemble in 2014. Movement Afoot is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public about tap dance and related art forms, while giving local tap dancers opportunities to grow as artists, and serving as a resource for the dance community in Central Ohio. erformances include ComFest, Hot Times,

ABOUT NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY
May 25th, 1989 was designated as National Tap Dance Day by the US Congress. The date honors tap legend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's birthday, and tap dancers around the world now celebrate yearly on May 25. The text of the legislation reads, in part, "Whereas the multifaceted art form of tap dancing is a manifestation of the cultural heritage of our Nation, reflecting the fusion of African and European cultures into an exemplification of the American spirit, that should be, through documentation, and archival and performance support, transmitted to succeeding generations..." (http://tinyurl.com/tapdancedayleg). Along with the global tap community, Movement Afoot seeks to honor this history while pushing tap dance forward. For more history: http://tapdanceday.org

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