Dreams do come true. The desire to build something that lasts beyond oneself has permeated my work – a step that I can share, way of teaching that’s codified, a company that can establish itself under its own name – CATS PAYING DUES.
And so it has come to a milestone, CPD10, the 10th anniversary of Cats Paying Dues. In order to make it come to life we need each and every one of you. Anyone who has heard me speak, seen me dance, taken a class, had a conversation, now is the time to engage.
Cats Paying Dues is not just about performing. We provide a space in which our members can go through a process of grafting themselves into the tree that is the oral history of tap dance. They experience work that is laced with references to past dancers and that evoke deeply human stories. We work from the inside out. It takes time. And in doing so we work against the highly sound-bite-induced, attention-span-lacking, spectacle-favoring commercial environment, in favor of a more thoughtful, storytelling-based, grab you by the heart-strings kind of craftwork that really turned me on to tap dancing. Such an effort attempts to bring to light, to teach, and to retain the undercurrent of pure artistry that was a part of every great tap dance artist.
Won’t you take a moment and become a part of this journey?