I was very lucky to get to work with some of my favorite teachers and choreographers on this project, and to get to collaborate and dialogue with several other artists. I can’t emphasize how much I profoundly respect these women’s teaching as profound, skillful and compassionate. The bottom line is that when they teach, students learn. It’s been a joy to work with each of these guest choreographers. I am also grateful to many other teachers and collaborators, see below.
Ann Kilkelly – who taught me Brenda Bufalino‘s vernacular jazz piece from Act 4
Here is Ann and Tony Waag; not only a tapper, Ann was the first person to introduce me to Vernacular Jazz vocabulary:
Matthew has been taking class with Baakari Wilder for the past year (they both teach at Knock On Wood in Takoma Park). Baakari is a wonderful teacher and excellent person, as well as being kind of a tap dancer’s tap dancer. I have taken Master classes with him a couple of times and am very much looking forward to collaborating with him on the next incarnation of Vaudevival! Baakari is such an inspiration to both Matthew and I - I think we were in the audience at the show in this clip…
Aysha Upchurch – who choreographed the movement for Act 5- not only is she a great hip hop dancer, check out her tapping:
- also contributing to Act 5, I would like to thank other Urban dance teachers I have been studying with over the past several months, particularly Junious “House” Brickhouse, Russel “Ironman” Campbell, Rashaad Pearson, Nicole Hill and Michael Mcclain (Mikey) at Urban Artistry.
- their Thursday night classes at Dance Bethesda are so excellent!
And Brandon Barnette, not only a wealth of historical and technical information, but a versatile powerhouse of an entertainer, for his generous coaching and instruction! Check out his video below:
Act 6 (as well as many of the other elements in the show), would not have happened with out Greg C. Adams, a tireless banjo advocate and educator.
Act 8 was choreographed by the amazing Gesel Mason – check out her upcoming project “Women, Sex and Desire” at Joyce Soho in NYC in November.
