Long-time dancers Maurice Hines and Peggy Spina, and documentary creator Jean Bach, received Flo-Bert Life Achievement Awards at the 19th annual Tap Extravaganza yesterday in New York City. Read Melber Huber's background article on the ceremony.

Dr. Jimmy Slyde, one of the all-time great tap dancers, passed away early on Friday at his home in Hanson, Mass. He was 80. Savion Glover called Slyde "the Godfather of Tap" and "one of the true masters of the art form."

Here's the New York Times article

Some online resource links from Andrew Nemr:

Dr. Slyde's profile page in the Internet Movie Database.

An in depth biography posted as part of Dr. Slyde's 1999 NEA National Heritage Fellowship award, a Lifetime Honor.

A profile with links to audio and video content as part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.

The new documentary, Hollywood Singing and Dancing contains a lot of archival footage you've probably already seen, but the new commentary by some of Hollywood's musical legends, along with extended footage, makes it worth watching (look for it in your TV listings). From the promo:

For once, musical numbers are seen in their entirety, such as Fred Astaire's breathtaking tap dancing up the wall and across the ceiling and tiny Shirley Temple mimicking her beaming old black partner as they cleverly tap dance up the wooden staircase and back down again.

The Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute is shuffling off to Okalahoma City February 15 - 17 for the inaugaural Oklahoma City Tap Festival.

Building on the success of the long running St. Louis Tap Festival, the Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute is shuffling off to Okalahoma City February 15 - 17 for the inaugaural Oklahoma City Tap Festival. The Festival will feature over 25 workshops, a Tap Jam, Panel Discussion and masters showcase - "OKC Tap".

Workshops will be held at the beautiful new Oklahoma City University - Edith Kinney Gaylord Center.
OKC Tap will be held at the new Douglass High School Auditorium.

More information is available at: www.okctap.org
Or by calling: (405) 415-6785
Email: info@tapheritage.org

Women In Tap is a three-day conference celebrating "four generations of accomplished female tap artists, acknowledged as leaders in the profession," according to the conference web site. Those participating include a who's-who of female tap pros, including Brenda Bufalino, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, Lynn Dally, Miriam Nelson, Acia Gray, Linda Sohl-Ellison, Heather Cornell, Michelle Dorrance, Josette Wiggan, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Chloe Arnold, Deborah Mitchell, Terry Brock, Barbara Duffy, Sarah Reich, Maya Guice, Anissa Irving, Sali Ann Kriegsman, Constance Valis Hill, Ann Kilkelly, and Jane Goldberg. The conference features panel sessions, documentary film screenings, a concert, and other events (schedule). It takes place February 8-10, 2008 on the UCLA Campus in Los Angeles, California.

James Devine, who is certified as the fastest tap dancer in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records with a speed of 38 taps per second, stars in Tapeire, a show that is "part documentary, part history lesson, part tap dancing extraordinaire, and all lots of fun," according to this article in the The Epoch Times. Though the show is mostly in the "style of Irish Line Dancing," they do "let loose" and even use hip-hop and funk music. Here is their tour schedule.

A new instructional DVD by Rusty Frank reveals the art of Stan Kahn, one of the masters of relaxed "West Coast" style tap. Stan Kahn's Tap Dance Technique is a 2-disk DVD set that has one of Kahn's former students, Sam Weber, revealing Kahn's technique and philosophy.
Get the DVD on Amazon.com
Check out a video trailer below:

Whether you like the concept or not, Mike Schulster and Joel Hanna's new show. Revolution, is making waves. The show is a fusion of rock and roll music with tap and "loose" choreography. "People say, 'You're trying to change tap dance,' and I disagree," Schulster says in this New York Post article. "The old-time guys danced to the music that was popular then, and it's the same thing now. Revolution doesn't mean rebellion, it means using all of it. In this show we nod to Fred Astaire, we do a little sand dance." The show is at the Joyce Theatre in Manhattan through October 7th.