TAP's study takes many different forms on university campuses. Some schools have several -level programs with full -time teachers, while others are known for their groups and windows managed by students. Whether the objective is to pursue TAP professionally, to become a tap teacher or simply to keep a part of a percussive dance of the collegial experience, students can find a variety of schools that may agree, if they know what to look for during the college research process.
Study the faculty
When you are looking for a dance service, start by examining the current careers and projects of the Faculty TAP. “See what their work looks like and decide if you want to dance,” explains Aaron Tolson, director of Aaron Tolson Institute of Dance at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Professors will serve as educators and mentors during a student's Tap course, who will be different for each dancer. “The most important thing is to understand the style of the tap you are looking for and the community you want to be a part,” said Heather Cornell, assistant professor at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. A dancer captivated by Dorrance Dance's Nutcracker Performance at the White House could look for the star interpreter Josette Wiggan, who teaches Jazz Tap and Vernacular at the Glorya Kaufman dance school from the University of Southern California, for example. A student excited by the complex game of Anthony Morigerato's complex legs in his “Operation: Tap” videos could investigate the Marymount Manhattan College, where he was a member of the auxiliary faculty.
It is also important to study the qualifications of teachers. Cornell recommends contacting TAP teachers and asking specific questions: with whom have you studied? What is your link with the professional world? Do you have a full-time position? “An institution concerning the TAP as a legitimate art form should look for experts in the field to teach it,” she says.
In some schools, such as Pace University in New York, students benefit from working with a dynamic list of part -time teachers. Ray Hesselink, Dolores Sanchez and Sara Brians are just a few recent instructors for the commercial dance and musical theater programs of Pace. “Everyone by teaching is still working in industry,” explains the auxiliary professor Lisa la Touche. “Students have an overview of what's going on in hearings and creative projects.”
However, a major hub like New York is not the only place to work with high -level tip dancers. “You can find great artists who do an excellent job that are not always in a dance Mecca,” explains the touch. In Pennsylvania, for example, the Ursinus College is the professional home of the interdisciplinary tap artist Michael Love, while the Muhlenberg College has courses with Robyn Watson, Tap Instructor for Broadway production 2016 Shake, And the experienced educator Nicole Hockenberry.
Find your adjustment
Even if a school has tap offers, it is essential to ensure that these opportunities are compatible with a complete academic and social schedule. “Understand what your aspirations are, then look at the requirements and the structure of the program,” explains Cornell. “Some places have taps, but you only take it once over four years. Make sure you enter an environment where you can advance new ways. ”
A student interested in the rhythmic TAP, for example, could examine the Dean College of Franklin, Massachusetts, where there are six levels each semester. It is also part of the study program of the University of Oklahoma City, which offers 10 levels of TAP in addition to the prices of your choice specific to the TAP. For students who find education more attractive than performance, there are schools with TAP pedagogy lessons, such as Dean College and Boston Conservatory in Berklee.
Students who wish to cultivate relationships with musicians should also investigate the music department of a potential school. Is there a story of collaboration with the dancers? Do they study jazz and world music? “Look at the city or city music scene where you are going and make sure that there will be employees,” advises Cornell. Boston conservatory in Berklee, whose Faculty TAP includes Imagine Tap! Former Derick K. Grant and Kelly Kaleta offer performance opportunities with Berklee musicians. Berklee even accepted a tap dancer, a current first cycle and the finalist of Youngarts in 2022, Dylan Szuch, as a percussionist of dance.
If a school does not have a robust community, students can build one. “Each school can have a noise club if you have the right person supporting you,” says Tolson. “You can be the person who directs it, and this line can continue and be something you have started.” Tonik Tap at the Northwestern University, Hofstra's Rhythmix, and the Yale taps are just a few flourishing tap clubs that organize performances. Some also organize master's classes or attend competitions.
The key remembers a student who organized his school schedule to be able to take his course in Broadway in New York. The student found that the research of the touch on the history of the TAP was also relevant for their university history courses. “There is only a few things you can enter class,” she says. “The goal of the university is to deepen your understanding of your subject, which is more than leg game.”
Although there are many factors to consider when pursuing the TAP in college, the good news is that there are more options than ever before. “TAP is on the sidelines of many programs, but at the same time, it is increasingly requesting students,” said the key. “There is a greater hunger on the part of the students to have more tap.”
