Tucson is celebrating National TAP Dance Day

Ten master tap dance classes, two performances, and a big band swing dance grand finale are being prepared for this year's 2nd celebration of this very special Tap Day that has been around for 20 years! May 25th is the official date and is the birthday of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson - the legendary tap dancer that often appeared with Shirley Temple and became famous for his stair tap dance.

Internationally acclaimed dance instructor and performer Rusty Frank is our guest artist. Rusty is from Los Angeles and is an award-winning preservationist, producer, choreographer and author of the book in most tap dancers' bookcases -- TAP! The Greatest Tap Stars and Their Stories 1900-1955. She will be teaching four master classes, showing her rare film clips and tap dancing in Saturday's 7 pm performance.

Wanting to take advantage of Rusty's Lindy Hop experience, we are having her teach two Lindy Hop classes as well preceding our swing dance (everyone's invited) on Sunday evening (lessons 5 pm, dance 7 pm). Link to Swing Dance page. We've been able to secure a great dance space at the Old Pueblo Square and Round Dance Center (5400 sq ft hardwood floating floor) where tap dancers and swing dancers can mix and perform the traditional Shim Sham! If you want to learn another version of the shim sham, Rusty will be teaching Leonard Reed's version Saturday at 12:30 pm (see Master Tap Dance Class Schedule). Everyone, even non-tappers, can get in on the action and perform.

We thank our sponsors this year: Arizona Commission on the Arts, Altrusa International Inc of Tucson, Arizona Dance Coalition and DancInc. Your support is significant to us and to the community in Arizona that values and wants to preserve and celebrate a dance art form "made in the U.S.A." (There is time to add more names of individuals or organizations who would like to support this event.)

PERFORMANCES

MASTER CLASSES

BIG BAND SWING DANCE & Lindy Hop Classes with Rusty

Lindy Hop lessons with Rusty Frank precede the dance.

Sunday, May 23, 5-7 lessons, 7-10 pm dance
Dance - $15 at the door / $30 includes two lessons and the dance.
5 pm - Intro to the Lindy Hop and Rare Film Clips - $12
6 pm Fun & Tricks with Lindy Charleston - $12
Both lessons $20; Lessons & Dance $30

Location: Old Pueblo Square and Round Dance Center, 613 E Delano, Tucson
Directions: 1 block south of Ft Lowell on First Avenue (NW corner). Lots of parking. Exit I10 on Grant and head east to First Avenue, north to Delano. The facility has a 5,472 square foot hardwood floating dance floor and 4 cold, great tasting water fountains! Thank you Square Dancers! Desserts will be available. Be prepared to perform the SHIM SHAM! More details are at DancInc.biz/swing

LODGING FOR OUT-OF-TOWN PARTICIPANTS

• BE A SPONSER
• DONATE FOR OUR RAFFLE & AUCTION
• VOLUNTEER - Let us know what you would like to do. Three or more hours of volunteer service will earn you a ticket or pass to one or both of the performances and/or a master class.

EMAIL or call Krystyna at 520-743-1349, Event Manager, Producer.

Your contributions can be made to ADC, a 501(c)(3) state-wide, web-based dance organization sponsoring this event. You can sponsor a dancer, a dance company, an instructor, a musician, the theatre or the entire event! Depending on the level of your generosity, your name (or anonymous) and logo will appear on this web page and in all promotional material. We'll even announce your name at each performance, at all venues and put your name/logo with a live link on the ADC website. We'll even throw in a few tickets and offer preferred seating! You will be loved. ADC will furnish you with a letter for your tax purposes.

A great big THANK YOU to
Altrusa International, Inc. of Tucson
and
Arizona Commission on the Arts
for their generous contribution.

View a few YouTube Clips to get you started.
SHIM SHAM SHIMMY demonstrated by Frankie Manning
Hope & Cagney
Robert Reed St. Louis Hoofers (young dancers)