pne713's video: TapTastic PNE 2011 Part 1 of 2

TapTastic PNE Thursday, September 1st, 2011 12:30pm Brand New! Daily at 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm MARKETPLACE JUNCTION You've never seen tap dancing like this! Feel the rhythm of the dance with this crazy and outrageous, high-energy non-stop dance celebration. Jump into taptastic four times a day as they stomp their way through a summer of fun! http://www.pne.ca/thefair/live-shows/index.html They are - Tosh Sutherland, Jyula Davis, Nicole LaPlaca, Jeremy O'Neill and sleepy Amanda. Five young dancers from across the Lower Mainland are bringing a decades-old dance form back through TapTastic -- the PNE's first-ever strictly tap show. "Tap is one of those styles that everybody loves, but it's not always the most popular" 27-year-old TapTastic dancer Jyla Davis of Ladner said. The dance style emerged in the mid-1800s and evolved through the early 20th century into the 'Broadway' style commonly performed today. With the exception of a recent revival on reality dance TV shows, for many tap evokes images of old Hollywood stars like Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, shuffling, heel clicking and hot-stepping across a black-and-white screen. Davis and her fellow dancers aim to change that. "It's such an exciting form of dance," she said. "We thought we'd put together something that would be impressive and crowd-pleasing, and different." The five seasoned dancers have performed at the PNE for many years in various shows and decided a month ago to put together an interactive show of intricate and challenging footwork. "We do a lot of tricks with our feet and there's a lot of comedy in it," Davis said. "You're getting a cool, rhythmic show." Two weeks prior to the fair's opening rehearsals began, 25-year-old TapTastic dancer Nicole LaPlaca from Maple Ridge said. It helped them build stamina for the demanding 15-minute routine they perform four times a day, every day of the fair until it closes Sept. 5. "We're used to it now," LaPlaca said, laughing. Twenty-year-old dancer Jeremy O'Neill of Maple Ridge said prior to TapTastic's performances, the group spends a lot of time warming up their feet -- the most important thing in tap. Tap dancers wear special shoes with metal plates attached to the bottom, covering the toe and heel that, when connected with the floor using different steps, create percussive rhythms. Sometimes it can even sound like a song, O'Neill said. "It's like making music with your feet," Davis added. Warming up the feet also helps them engage their brains. "We all hear the rhythms in our head, but it's a matter of them being executed," O'Neill said. Preparing for the hardest aspects of the dance -- the speed, repetition and syncopation of their steps -- requires keen focus, otherwise Davis said tapping can sound muffled or out of time. "It's hard in every show to get every single sound we want throughout the whole routine," LaPlaca added. TapTastic's youngest dancer, 18-year-old Tosh Sutherland of Mission said his favourite part of performing is seeing the audience's reaction. He said both young and old spectators approach them post-show. "A lot of kids will come up and say, 'Hey, I really want to tap now,'" Sutherland said. Davis said she's had elderly ladies approach her as well, beaming with nostalgic delight. "It's fun to know we're touching them ... and bringing back memories for them too," she said. TapTastic performs at the fair's Marketplace Junction daily at 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Dancers+make+music+with+their+feet/5304795/story.html