Show taps into a bygone era of music, dance
Big Band Tap Revue honours the greats, while throwing in some Outkast and Superbad
When people went to see Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway or Lawrence Welk and their illustrious big bands play, they often got a flashy tap dance performance as well.
Bunny Briggs danced with Ellington, Jimmy Slyde and the Nicholas Brothers with Calloway, and Arthur Duncan with Welk in an arrangement that showcased the flashy jumping, frenetic tapping and high kicks of the dance.
As smoother moves became associated with swing music, tap took a back seat. But as dancer Allison Toffan points out, it never left.
“There is a lot of phrasing in tap. It is used to count in different styles but was not as prominent in pop culture.”
She’s choreographed a modern-day homageto the great big band songs — like “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “Cotton Tail” — plus modern rap, R&B and pop music in the Big Band Tap Revue.
Backed by the 18-member Toronto Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Josh Grossman, five dancers and two singers create a hybrid of the big band sound of yesterday with flourishes of dance and music today.
The program explores the relationship between big band music and tap dancing, explains Grossman.
“We want to demonstrate where big band and tap could be headed in the future. We are exploring their evolution. These are malleable and adaptable art forms.”
It’s been three years since Grossman and Toffan started talking about collaborating on a project involving dance and big band. Inspired by an old video clip of Briggs dancing to Ellington’s “David Danced (Before the Lord With All His Might),” the two set about devising a program “that was a respectful nod to the artistry” of that era while making it current, says Toffan.
For example, there’s “Hey Ya!” by hip-hop duo Outkast arranged by Christian Overton. “McLovin” presents the R&B music (Curtis Mayfield, Four Tops) from the movie Superbad, arranged by Chris Hunt.
Grossman has composed music to accompany an original dance choreographed by Toffan titled “Transference.”
“What Is It Tho?” is a mashup of “What Is This Thing Called Love” as performed by Sarah Vaughan and “Radio Daze” by the Roots.
An early version of the revue premiered at Lula Lounge last December and the enthusiastic response prompted the collaborators to enhance the project technically and move it to a theatre.
The director is Emmy Award winner Ted Louis Levy, a veteran of dance/big band shows who has worked with Gregory Hines.
Part of the stage will be thrust into the audience. The wooden floor will thrum with the sounds of the danc- ers’ feet in what the co-artistic directors predict will be a lively experience for the audience.
Singers Sophia Perlman and Justin Bacchus will recreate the song styles of past and present. Big Band Tap Revue is at the Brigantine Room, Harbourfront Centre, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tickets at harbourfrontcentre.com or 416-973-4000.
“We want to demonstrate where big band and tap could be headed in the future.” JOSH GROSSMAN DIRECTOR, BIG BAND TAP REVUE