What is ATDI?
The American Tap Dance Institute (ATDI) is the National Tap Ensemble's
Higher Education Division (more details
here.)
Why such a conference and what is it about?
Tap dance is a sophisticated,
multi-dimensional, American tradition born out of slavery which, much like
slavery itself, has long been misunderstood, misrepresented or trivialized in
movies, books, shows, most of the media and most recently on the Internet. This
"Spirit Of Tap" Conference proposes to re-establish a meaningful balance between
the written/spoken word - much of which has been produced by non-practitioners
throughout the history of tap - and those dimensions of the art that can only be
experienced and truly understood by people who put on tap shoes and let the
magic of percussive dance become a powerful, never-ending part of their lives.
Therefore, while a few "formal papers" may be presented, the vast majority of
the Conference's programs typically feature a healthy mix of "(tap) shoes on" or
"shoes on and off" activities. This is one of the very best ways of experiencing
the true Spirit of Tap!
"This was an
amazing experience. The classes were small enough that the instructors could
focus on each student. The instructors knew their material with each being
unique, challenging and fun. The location was great. I love this
Conference and I am very glad I found about it. The website was extremely
helpful because I would have never heard of this without it. The instructors
know their stuff and are great teachers. Hats off!"
P. Neuhoff, Indiana
From its inception in 2000, this innovative annual
Conference has been the "Talk of Tap Town" and quite a few of its features have
been imitated (while imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, it
would be nice to see tap festivals and other such events both in the U.S. and
abroad give credit where credit is due, but most unfortunately it is rarely the
case.) Indeed, major events such as this one can be very special because of what
they bring to the world of tap and to the performing arts at large. But they can
also be defined by what they are NOT. The answers found on this
page were primarily compiled from students' comments and feedback over the
years. We believe they show how unique and different this Tap Dance Intensive
truly is.
"This
is
a
conference
I'd
love
to
attend
again
and
again.
It's
the
best.
Best
skills.
Best
teaching.
Best
class
size.
Best
individual
attention.
Best
dance
space.
I've
never
worked
so
hard
at
a
tap
conference.
That
was
great!
Thank
you
for
bringing
this
opportunity
so
close
to
home.
It's
nice
no
to
have
to
travel
to
East
or
West
Coast
for
a
top
notch
conference!"
Heather
Conrad,
Wisconsin
We wish to thank Mayor Preschlack and the City Of Lake Forest staff for
being again the gracious hosts of this exciting, forward-thinking conference.
We look forward to
meeting all of you there!
"Much
better than others! This was an incredible learning opportunity. The
teachers were always willing to answer questions, in and out of class. The
classes were a reasonable size, great for learning. The Conference was
very well organized, and the teachers excellent. It was wonderful to have
consistent teaching in each class with different teachers. And every
teacher believed we could learn what they taught."
L.
Schecterson, Washington
Click here to translate this page to and from English, French, German,
Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Please note!
This web page [www.usatap.org/ATDIconference.htm
and related web pages] contains the OFFICIAL, the most complete and the ONLY
up-to-date information on the American Tap Dance Institute's Spirit Of Tap
Conference (we no longer produce brochures as they would contain only a
small fraction of the information available on this web site and they cannot be
quickly updated, as a web site can be.) If you still have any questions AFTER
carefully reading this page and visiting the FAQ
page. the
Registration Page, the
Faculty Page, the
Compare Page and the
Location Page please
contact our staff by email or call 301-790-1180 (or
toll-free 1-888-683-8277 from anywhere in the USA) and they will be happy
to assist you with any specific question you may have.
"Challenging.
Refreshing.
Fun.
Well-run.
The
ATDI
staff
in
Washington
was
very
efficient
and
cordial.
The
front
desk
staff
at
the
Conference
was
courteous
and
professional.
They
put
in
LONG
hours
this
week.
They
were
willing
to
help
us
in
any
way
they
could.
We
also
appreciated
free
studio
space
to
practice
between
classes."
T.
Taylor,
Iowa
ATTENTION TEACHERS AND STUDIO OWNERS!
Contact the ATDI
staff
if
you
would
like
a
Conference
poster
for
your
bulletin
board
and/or
some
Conference
postcards
to
give
to
your
students.
FACULTY & GUESTS
This year the faculty features
six instructors, including the Director of the National Tap Ensemble, one of the
company's principals, and four graduates from the American Tap Dance Institute's
Teacher Training & Certification Program. A group of people whose works,
backgrounds and personalities decidedly illustrate the present and future of tap
dance in wonderfully varied and creative ways!
ATDI Graduates
Loren LoMastro, USA
Krissie Odegard
Geye, USA
Nicole Riehl,
CANADA
Linda Zapf, USA
Special Guests &
Master Teachers
Cassandra Baker,
Principal
Dancer/Choreographer,
National Tap
Ensemble, USA
Chris Baker,
Artistic & Education
Director, National
Tap Ensemble, USA
(Conference
Director)
Click here for
biographies and
pictures of faculty
and guests.
"The
ATDI
office
staff
in
Washington
was
top
rate.
Cordial,
concerned,
helpful...
the
whole
9
yards!
The
[Conference]
front
desk
was
flawless.
My
dancers
came
away
with
between
85%
to
90%
retention.
This
speaks
well,
and
highly
of
your
instructors."
R.
Hines,
Florida
COURSES, CLASSES AND EVENTS
TIPS TO HELP FACILITATE YOUR CHOICES
The vast majority
of our programs are taught according to level and real ability, not according to
age (two students ages 11 and 32 can - and often do - have exactly the same
level!) If you have never worked with the National Tap Ensemble before, we
highly recommend that you
use all the tools and info available on this web site prior to deciding
which courses you'd like to attend, especially
NTE's professional Tap Dance Level Scale which we have made available to the
public at no charge here.
Attention returning students! Please remember that
the fact that you have been tapping for a year since the last event
does NOT mean that you should automatically sign up for a higher level this year,
unless you and your regular teacher(s) agree that improvements have been
dramatic. Keep in mind that it takes several years for the average
student in a typical studio environment to move up one level on our
professional
Tap Dance Level Scale.
If, after checking out all the resources on this page and site you are still
unsure what to sign up for, we'll be glad to help. Send an email to
our director with your questions. Make sure you give
Mr. Baker a good description of your background and experience, including the
name(s) of the teacher(s) you have or had. The more specific and the clearer you
are, the better he will be able to advise you! Alternatively, come to the
Conference Preview
Workshop
April in Chicago which will be taught by Mr. Baker. and ask him in person, he
will be happy to advise you (TIP: Make a preliminary list of all your possible
course/class choices before you discuss them with him. The Conference is a huge
event and narrowing your choices will save you a lot of time. A large scale
printout of the schedule will also be available on site for your convenience.)
We do
our best to help you pick the courses and classes that will be most beneficial
to you. Should that still not be totally successful, you can STILL be moved
to another, better-suited course at the end of the first day (Monday), with
faculty recommendation. Please note that this long-standing policy does not
apply to single classes or special events.
"All ages" means ages 7 to 107 (tap dancing keeps you healthy!)
Notes about all courses and classes that are at levels 5 & up:
- They are designed for TRULY advanced dancers (the national tap dance company's
level 5 is significantly higher than what dance studios usually consider
advanced) as well as pre-professional and professional level dancers (levels
6-7.) Students are expected to be highly skilled technically, to be able to
"phrase " with their taps (i.e. to hear and perform melodic/rhythmic lines, not
just steps) and to be proficient in different tap styles.
- At this level steps are rarely "broken down," unless it is what the course
focuses on or the instructor feels that it’s absolutely necessary. Again, please
use the NTE Level Scale if you are unsure of your actual
level.
- Not up to those levels yet? Sign up as an observer. Watch them do the hard
work!
- Who would be at level 7 from a technical standpoint? A somewhat simplified but
easy-to-understand answer would be: the top 10 professional tap dancers in the
world today.
Watch for the symbols below, which have been added to as many listings as
possible
:
A
stands for "All audiences" and indicates an event
that
is
"tap
shoes
off"
and
is
open
to
all.
Great
for
parents,
friends,
families,
etc.
C
stands for "Classic" and indicates a course or
event
that
all
tap
dancers
should
take
at
some
point
in
their
life,
such
as
a
time
steps
course,
for
example.
F
stands for "Fitness" and indicates an event that
places
emphasis
on
health
and
exercise.
R
stands for "Repertoire" and indicates that a course
or
event
places
more
emphasis
on
material,
steps,
routines,
composography,
etc
("what
to"
dance.)
S
stands for "Skills" and indicates that a course
or
event
places
strong
emphasis
on
learning
music
skills
and
proper
dance
technique
at
a
given
level
("how
to"
dance.)
T
indicates a course or class that is particularly
recommended
for
AND
ONLY
OPEN
TO
PROFESSIONAL
TAP
TEACHERS
(NO
exceptions!)
NO
assistant-teachers
or
students.
W
indicates a course or class that is open to tap
teachers
AND
assistant
teachers
(age
16
or
above,
NO
exceptions!)
and/or
studio
owners.
NO
students.
NEW
means new course/event this year OR
new
teacher
for
this
course/event
OR
entirely
new
material
taught
in
a
returning
course/event.
SHOW
describes a course or class whose end
result
is
LIKELY
to
be
featured
in
the
"Share
The
Tap
Floor"
student
show
on
Saturday
night.
Please
note
that
participation
in
this
informal
show
is
NOT
mandatory
and
that
instructors
will
make
a
final
decision
at
the
end
of
the
class
or
course.
These symbols are
merely
intended
to
help
you
pick
the
best
possible
courses
and
should
not
be
taken
in
an
absolute
sense.
After
all,
any
repertoire-oriented
course
requires,
well,
skills!
Likewise,
a
skills-oriented
course
will
always
feature
some
type
of
repertoire,
even
if
it's
a
short
combination
of
steps...
"IS THERE ANY SPACE
LEFT"?
As a part of our
ongoing quest to
make this site as
user-friendly as
possible, we now use
this
real-time
"attendance meter."
It is a color-based
graphical system
which lets visitors
easily check at a
glance how full a
class, course or
event is.
You will find one of
these five graphs
next to each
listing's title.
Class/course/event
is up to 20% full
Class/course/event
is at least 40% full
Class/course/event
is at least 60% full
Class/course/event
is at least 80% full
Enrollment is closed
CLOSED
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU
WILL FIND THIS TO
THE RIGHT OF THE
CLASS/EVENTS
DESCRIPTIONS BUT NOT
ON THE SCHEDULE OR
ON THE REGISTRATION
PAGE! However, once
enrollment for a
course, class or
event is closed it
WILL be removed from
the
registration form,
as we have always
done. Please contact
us if you notice any
discrepancy!
Courses: Monday July 11 to Friday July 15, 2005
A course is a class that meets every day at
the same time for a certain period of time (in this case, five days, at a
university it could be several months.) As a reminder, students cannot "register
by the class" for those and must register for an entire course (again, 5 days
long) whether or not they attend all 5 classes for that course. Please scroll
down to the Special Events section below if you prefer to pick single
classes/events instead. You will find plenty of choices as well.
108 Tap Fundamentals For All
Generations Linda Zapf level 1-2 all ages
R
S
NEW
This course focuses on some of the most basic and FUN tap
fundamentals. Various combinations will be taught and then utilized in a simple
routine. A great course for discovering tap or brushing up on some basic tap
skills! This is a multi-generational class where moms and dads are welcome. Ever
wanted to try tap after watching so many of the classes your kids have been
taking? This is your chance! All you need is a pair of tap shoes...
224 Party Of Jive
Cassandra Baker
level 2-4 all ages
R
NEW
SHOW
Come work with a master tapper for a whole week and learn a piece
that is simple, yet exciting and so much FUN! The music used for this dance will
be drawn from the Swing/Jive era, one of the greatest musical times in our
American history.
Note:
- A LIMITED amount of spots are available. First-come, first served!
- Will officially be performed as a World Première
at the end of the Conference
- Special, more intricate parts are choreographed especially for level 4
students.
- In order to facilitate a focused and relaxed atmosphere, observers will not
be allowed in this class. Thank you for your understanding.
225 Progressions
Nicole Riehl level 2-3 all ages
S
NEW
Learn new and fun progressions across the room, with different
and original rhythms that build up and end in short combinations using those
newly-acquired beats and skills.
301 Shim Sham Craze, Part 2 Cassandra Baker level 3 & up all
ages
C
R
SHOW
Learn from the “Shim Sham
Queen” several variations on the Shim Sham Shimmy, a classic also known as the
“Tap Dancer’s Anthem” and tap’s most famous dance (“Anyone who claims to be a
tap dancer should know how to do a Shim Sham!” was often heard around theaters,
rehearsal halls or the Hoofers’ Club in tap’s heyday) These variations span over
seventy years of creativity by some of America’s great masters of tap and can
feature dramatically different rhythms, from swing to rap! You will learn each
version’s historical background and receive priceless tips about style and other
subtleties.
Note:
- Typically this course is only taught every five years or so. It is a part of
our Masters Of Tap Dance program, subtitled "Exploring An American Legacy: Tap
Dance Giants At Work" which features courses, research, reconstructions of works
created by the pioneers of tap as well as other educational and performing
events. Most of these Shim Shams aren’t taught by anyone else. Highly
recommended!
- The Shim Shams taught this year will be completely different from those
taught last year in Part 1.
302 Time Steps Repertoire, Part 1 Chris Baker
level 3 & up all ages
R
NEW
SHOW
Time steps are the very foundation of tap dance
and this course teaches you dozens of them, complete with breaks, variations
and historical background, including rare steps going back to the very early
days of tap, when it was created by slaves on the plantations. Part 1 covers
roughly the first 50 years of time steps in the history of tap dance,
including a presentation on the *real* history of the time step, how it was
invented, why and by who, complete with information that was passed on down
the generations from master to master and is not available in any book or
video. Most of these time steps are a priceless part of our American music and
dance heritage.
Here are a few past students’ comments about 302:
“It felt like I was re-living all the evolution of tap, it was incredible to
feel how the rhythms got more or less complex depending on the eras we
traversed, and even better to learn why it happened.”
“An amazing voyage back to the roots of tap. I had no idea we tappers had our
own King, but now I feel so connected with all these great pioneers! There's
so much in Chris Baker's Time Steps Rep course I'm gonna take it again next
chance I get.”
“I love jazz music and I've tapped for decades. I've read about the connection
between jazz and tap and I've studied with many tap greats but I never really
understood and experienced it until I took Chris Baker's time steps classes.
He helped me recognize those jazz syncopations in some of the time steps we
learned. I now FINALLY understand how close tap and jazz have always been.”
“I have read many books and articles and even web sites that talk about time
steps. I honestly think the authors would have done well to take this course
first... I’m sure glad I did!”
“I cannot imagine anyone claiming to be a tap dancer, especially a teacher,
and not taking this course at least once in their life.”
Note:
- This course is a part of the national tap dance company’s Masters Of Tap
Dance program, subtitled "Exploring An American Legacy: Tap Dance Giants At
Work" which features courses, research, reconstructions as well as other
educational and performing events.
- While listed as level 3 and above, this course IS accessible to motivated
level 2 students.
- This course is also highly recommended for high-level tappers who just know
a few time steps but are really interested in learning not just more time
steps but their history.
- In order to facilitate a focused and relaxed atmosphere, observers will not
be allowed in this class. Thank you for your understanding.
- HEADS UP! While we do plan to feature Part 2 next year, THIS IS LIKELY THE
LAST TIME THIS COURSE IS TAUGHT AT A MAJOR CONFERENCE.
319 Chair Dance Linda Zapf level 3 ages 10 & up
R
NEW
SHOW
This routine consists of 60%
"hamboning" (patting various parts of the body in rhythmic patterns,) 40%
tapping, and a few vocals while sitting in a chair. Cannons, dynamics, and
possible emotions are explored. You will be in for a treat!
327
Tappin’ Skills Linda Zapf level 3-4 all ages
S
NEW
What is the first piece of advice all of our mentors gave us? Learn good
skills and then practice, practice, practice! This class focuses on taking the
basic skills of tap and expanding upon them in a constructive way. You learn how
to combine these steps and concentrate on listening to the sounds and rhythms
our feet create. A great course for anyone seeking to focus on technique and
improvement of skills over a period of time, no matter what style of tap one
eventually prefers to adopt.
328
Tap & Musical Theater
Krissie Odegard Geye levels 3 & up ages 12 & up
R
NEW
SHOW
Explore the different styles of tap on Broadway! Dancers will
learn about the plot of the show "42nd Street." They will be assigned roles from
the musical and be asked to memorize a small amount of lines for the role.
Dancers will participate in creating a small backdrop, learn basic lighting
terminology, and dance with props. The class will present a shortened version of
the production in the Student Show at the end of the Conference.
329 Latin Rhythms Nicole Riehl level 3-4
R
NEW
SHOW
In this course you will explore how tap can be combined with
Salsa, Samba, Rumba and other Latin rhythms. Ms. Riehl's will use her
background which includes ballroom and Latin dancing to set a fun and exciting
routine. This course features lots of world music.
330
PVC Percussion Loren
LoMastro level 3-4 all ages R
NEW
SHOW
Have you seen or heard the Blue Man Group? Tappers will use PVC pipes of
various sizes and their feet to spell out rhythms in this course. The end
result will be a rockin’ piece using invented PVC instruments and taps.
Note:
- The pipes will be provided.
331
Swing Swing Swing
Krissie Odegard Geye levels 3 & up all ages
R
NEW
SHOW
