PARTIDO by Music From the Sole at Harlem Stage

The world premiere of Partido at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse is presented by tap dance and live music company Music From The Sole, which celebrates tap's Afro-diasporic roots, particularly its connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, and its lineage to forms like house dance and passinho (Brazilian funk). Music From The Sole is led by Brazilian choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and composer/multi-instrumentalist Gregory Richardson.Partido is a reflection of Sandovals experience as an Afro-Brazilian immigrant and artist in the United States, connecting tap with styles like samba and house dance through shared rhythms and footwork. Collaborating with Richardson, their union is described by DanceTabs as a friendly conversation, their voices replaced by tapping feet, claps, snaps, and pizzicato strings. It was bliss. The performance features a diverse group of six talented tap dancers and a three-piece band, including piano, saxophone, and bass, that deliberately invites the dancers to play percussion instruments at times. Co-presented with City College Center for the Arts, Partido hopes to convey taps essence as a crossing point for Black dance and music, especially in Harlem a central place in tap history.