Daily Archives: April 27, 2010

What a beautiful beginning to the year 2010.

I had the incredible honor of working with International tap dancer Travis Knights for almost two months between February and April. He was a very significant contributor to FLOW, to the show’s concept, to why it even came about in the first place, and certainly to the fact that it came to fruition as quickly as it did. This was a highly concentrated period of creative output in preparation for the show, and I feel so fortunate that Travis chose to take this journey with me.

Travis and I met at the Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival three years ago. Upon meeting him and speaking with him, this is what I saw: a fellow younger generation tap dancer with an immense respect for the art form and its masters; a very accomplished artist with a resume packed full of incredible experiences – including a role in the movie “Bojangles” with Savion Glover and the late Gregory Hines; and most recently, the biggest performance of his life as a principal tap dancer in the Opening Ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver – but simultaneously, an artist who is hungry to learn more, hungry for the continued expansion of his own ability to communicate through the language of tap; an incredibly dynamic, mesmerizing performer who comes to the stage with purpose (he has “something to say,” as we tap dancers like to put it) – his presence onstage is honest and he has a sincere desire to connect with the audience. Powerful.