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Industrial Strength Dance Performance at the Arsht Center
by Marj O'Neill-Butler on July 02, 2010
Tap Dogs, the Australian import, made its way into the Arsht Center on Wednesday night (June 30). This raucous and noisy tap show is more a percussion show than tap show. There are mics all over the stage to pick up the sounds of the taps on various stage floors. There is recorded sound, very loud, and a live, very lively percussionist situated on a high platform above the stage. And that is not to say the dancers are not talented. They are extremely fit and skilled dancers who were completely sweated up in the first five minutes.
The show opens with a spot on one man’s leg. It moves and taps and gradually the light widens to reveal Sheldon Perry, the lead dancer and dance director in a showy opener. He’s casually dressed. No top hat and tails for this bloke. A metal wall lifts and reveals feet, ten of them, for a funny, mysterious set of steps whereby the feet appear and disappear. Then these men are revealed, also dressed for watching a football game on TV. They are loose and athletic, dancing with abandon while keeping the rhythms going.
Travis Knights has a solo where he taps faster than the speed of light. He also has a large personality that spills over the apron and into the audience. Then there is the Kid, Dominic Mortezadeh, who gets a terrific solo. And the dancer with the mustache who does a duet with a basketball that creates the bass sound for the performance of his feet. The solo eventually turns into a group number with balls bouncing and flying over heads all the while the feet keep moving. I told you there were no top hats and tails.
The men dance on an elevated floor, on ladders, with ropes, and with blowtorches. The setting is like a giant erector set. Did I say loud?
By the end of an hour and a half, sweat is literally flying off the men as they spin. They move together and in contagion. They give it their all. Although a bit repetitive and darkly lighted, I did enjoy the dancers’ abilities.
At the end of the performance, the opening night audience got a short look at the Tap Pups, a local group of tap dancers who were selected to appear onstage with the Tap Dogs. Very talented kids who performed with skill and verve. I’d like to see more of their work.
Tap Dogs appears at the Arsht Center through July 10, 2010. Tickets range from $40 to $50 and may be purchased at the box office by calling 305.949.6722, or visit www.arshtcenter.org.
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