Last week I had the pleasure of sharing the entirety of my understanding of the art of tap dance with 12 amazing people. From as far away as London and Puerto Rico participants in the Tap Into Freedom Intensive came to study tap dance. What ended up happening was more than anyone could have ever expected.
Over the course of the week we talked about the purpose of art, the power of story, the nature of music, and the value of history. We danced through the exercises I used (and still do) when I was cutting my teeth, and shared ways of asking questions and discovering new content – so that we might continue to teach ourselves. We shared stories of the old cats, watched video, and tried our hand at some of their steps. We all shared in the generosity of guests Nathan Bugh, Shane Shanahan, Peter Aguero, George Nierenberg, and Penelope Wendtlandt. We experienced the grit of New York City (at the studio in Joria Productions), the nerves that come with putting oneself out on the stage (at the Tap Jam at Small’s), and the wonders of the commercial stage (at STOMP).
The beauty of the week came when through the power of story we were reminded of why we do the things we do, our dreams, our inspirations, our purposes, and how we might affect others. We shared our hearts.
We entered the room 13 strangers and left friends, in the truest sense of the word.
I am ever grateful for the 12 who chose to share this special week with me, and look forward to the next one. 2015 dates will be announced soon at tapdancefreedom.com