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.

New York City, the epicenter of the tap dance world, is in crisis. On one hand, the tap dance community is stronger than ever. But there is a problem. "We need our own stage," says tap pro Brenda Bufalino. The lack of a dedicated tap performance space is driving dancers out of the city, according to Bufalino. Read the New York Times article.

Celebrated choreographer Henry LeTang (sometimes written with a space, "Le Tang") passed away this week. He was 91 years old. A top dance choreographer since the mid-1940's, he was best known in his later years as the primary choreographer of the Broadway hits Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, and Black and Blue. He also choreographed mainstream movies such as Tap, Cotton Club, and the TV movie Bojangles, and was tap dance instructor to Gregory and Maurice Hines, among many others.
Wikipedia: Henry LeTang
New York Times obit: Henry LeTang

The Studio Museum In Harlem is now offering itself as a new home for tap dancers "in honor of the important place of tap dancing in Harlem’s history."

The Tap Legacy Foundation has launched GregoryHines.org which is "dedicated to Gregory's amazing body of work," according to founder and tap dancer Andrew J. Nemr.

Long time tap performer and teacher Alfred Desio passed away on February 14th, 2007 at the age of 74. Perhaps best known as the creator of Tap-Tronics, which were featured in the movie Tap, Desio was on the dance faculty of the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. More information in this story.

The Royce Gallery is a small curated art gallery and performance space at 2901 Mariposa Street in San Francisco, California. The State of the art Tapelectronic(TM) floor in the Royce Gallery is the only one of it's kind in the world.