Canadian in Tap Conference: "Rising Tide"

Canadian in Tap Conference: "Rising Tide"
Sept. 1, 2, 3, 2009

The Vancouver Tap Dance Society invites you to a unique and historic forum. “Rising Tide: Canadians in Tap Conference,” will take place over three days leading up to the 10th Annual Vancouver International Tap Festival (September 4th to 6th).

This conference is a first, bringing Canada’s tap community together to share our knowledge and experience and to usher in a new and more vibrant era in Tap. Sas Selfjord, Producer, says: “The tap community needs YOU to be there, to stand up for tap, add your voice to a collective chorus, to help make the case for our art form, create more work, get more tap in the media, transform tap stereotypes, in short, shape our future. Your opinions, ideas, expertise and experience will be highly valued and added to many others in a “Rising Tide.” At the end of the conference we will have exciting new initiatives to support tap dancers across Canada.

Never before has Canada’s tap talent gathered under one roof-to share, discuss, laugh and dance. Join Heather Cornell, William Orlowski, Dr. Jeni LeGon, Ethel Bruneau and our special guest, keynote speaker, Veronica Tennant, along with our facilitator, Santa Aloi.

“Although she found fame in ballet,” says tap pioneer William Orlowski, “Veronica Tennant loves tap and will provide an intelligent third-party opinion and national perspective.” People in the know will share their fascinating and essential historical perspective. One of our conference goals is to inspire artists to move forward with a greater understanding and awareness of how they fit into our national art and culture. “To survive, we in the tap community must become fearless and our choreography daring.” Orlowski added. “We must once again provide comment on our times and rediscover who and what we are. Among other things this conference will provide us with an opportunity to move beyond nostalgia and create a more exciting future.”

Because it is critically important for Tap to be a more visible and viable part of the Canadian artistic scene, this inaugural conference will also include experts in marketing of the arts, dance presenters, critics and art journalists, who will provide invaluable advice in getting more of our work and stories into the mainstream.

We will explore what it means to be a Canadian artist and discuss resources and support opportunities available to our tap community, as well as new ideas, including innovative programming. “Rising Tide: Canadians in Tap Conference” will put you in the picture, front and centre, and get you involved in the exciting evolution of our art form.

Who should attend?

All tap dancers, emerging, pre-professional and professional, will benefit. So will everyone from owners of studios with tap programs, to teachers, aspiring teachers and choreographers. At last we will have an opportunity to share our views collectively.

We want to hear your story; where tap is in your studio, your life, your training, your career, and to weave our tap experiences into chapters of tap dance across Canada.

Through expert panels, discussion and debate, a tap synergy will raise awareness of this art form and increase opportunities to sustain careers, creativity and Canada’s tap community.

Further information on the conference program and “Tap Rising” - a performance at the completion of the conference - is coming your way. In the meantime, please help us out get the word out by telling your tap friends about this event, and planning now to attend. Once again, our Tap community wants and needs your active participation. After all, a rising tide floats all boats…….

You can email your queries, suggestions, contacts to: tapinfo@vantapdance.bc.ca

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested 17.4 million in the arts in B.C.