| It’s been awhile since my last blog entry, but the start of a brand new River City Brass Band season makes it a good time to dust off the ol’ computer keyboard and pass along some backstage thoughts and information.
SHALL WE DANCE? is the title of our September 2008 series, and, as the name implies, is about the wonderful music written for dance. It’s at least the third time in RCBB history that we’ve used this theme (Shall We Dance? in April 1993; Trip the Light Fantastic in May 2004), and many other programs have included individual selections connected to dance.
We’ve also featured dancers on our programs, notably the CLO Mini-Stars (Salute to the CLO, May 1999), UMOJA Music and dance troupe (Musical Tall Tales, September 2001), students from the Creative and Performing Arts High School (Broadway Babies, October 2007), and the Laurel Youth Ballet (Trip the Light Fantastic, May 2004). And perhaps you remember our series in October 2004, Legends of Broadway featuring the great Lenora Nemetz (who is back on Broadway, by the way, in a revival of Gypsy).
But the upcoming edition of SHALL WE DANCE? is the first time we’ve featured a pure tap dancer, and we’re very excited to bring you a great one, Shelley Oliver. Shelley is a founding member of noted dance ensemble Manhattan Tap and has toured extensively throughout Europe, China, the Caribbean, Canada and the U.S., performing with such tap notables as Savion Glover, Jimmy Slide, Buster Brown, and Chuck Green.
Her television appearances include Tap Dance in America with Gregory Hines and Star Search, in which she was a finalist. Ms. Oliver has performed with many jazz greats including Slide Hampton, David “Fathead” Newman, and Kenny Washington. A noted dance educator, Ms. Oliver teaches jazz-tap at Muhlenberg College, choreographs for the theater, and is Director of the Muhlenberg Jazz Tap Ensemble. She is the featured tap soloist with the David Leonhardt Jazz Group and is the author of the CD “Tap Music For Tap Dance”.
If you’re interested in getting a sneak preview of what’s in store on SHALL WE DANCE? check out Shelley on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd2ILG6I5Yc.
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