RADIO TAP 2.0 – UN HOMMAGE AUX BEATLES ET AUX ROLLING STONES
On Tuesday, July 9th 2013, after a growing desire to start tap dancing following the obsession I had for old American musicals, I was starting lessons with ‘the King of the Tap’ Pierre Hobson whose school KlaXson is specialized in the Hoofing New York Style of tap dance, the most difficult one according to him, who was also quite a phenomenon himself.
The whole year served for the preparation of my first and only amateur show with KlaXson honoring the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
The show was given twice at the Gesù, a church containing several artistic venues at the Quartier des spectacles in Montreal. The first part of the show was dedicated to the Beatles, and the second one, to the Rolling Stones, with the presentation of several choreographies from all of Pierre’s classes of different levels dancing on the songs of the two groups. The atmosphere of the show was very relaxed and also interactive, as if we were honoring the groups on a rural stage in the middle of nowhere, as we practically all were on stage throughout the entire show. There was false grass and a false camping fire, but we were definitely eating real marshmallows on stage! Most dances were tap dance choreographies (with several solos by Pierre), but Jazz numbers with the school Cadance Jazz & Pilates, and Swing duets with the school Studio 88 Swing, as well as rhythmic numbers with tennis balls and theatrical improvisation numbers were also presented. And funny fact: almost no continuity for the costumes!
Rehearsals on Thursday, May 29th 2014 at the Gesù
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Representation of Friday, May 30th 2014 at the Gesù
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Photographer: Ron
Representation of Saturday, May 31st 2014 at the Gesù
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
Photographer: Claude Dolbec
Photographer: Robert Tétreault
A pretty enjoyable show that allowed me to discover two musical groups rather dynamic and entertaining I did not know before; and a show which had nothing to do with the kind of shows I was used to before as far as the dance style, original form, and North American dynamism are concerned! I believe in fate except for when I write.
Honestly, I was expecting to learn the Fred Astaire tap dance style, but with the Hoofing New York Style, we are not only dancers but above all percussionists of another genre on various soundtracks!
I continued tap dance classes at KlaXson for several months after the show, and I began to learn the choreographies for the next one dedicated to Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5, and Janet Jackson which was going to take place on May 14th 2016 at the Gesù, a show which I did not do in the end. After I stopped the lessons between 2014 and 2018, years during which I tried one class of ballroom tap dance in another school, I started classes again at KlaXson for another few months at the beginning of the year 2018, before quitting again after a small private representation/party inside the studio.
The familiar Second Waltz by Chostakovitch!
References
Photographers: Robert Tétreault, Claude Dolbec, Ron
SHOW
KLAXSON SCHOOL
Director / Choreographer / Professor: Pierre Hobson
PIERRE’S CREW
Stage control: Émilie, Julie, Kathie, Mark, Mathieu, Maxime, Pierre-Luc
ÉQUIPE DE PIERRE
Régie : Jean Lemieux
Video recording: Sylvain Coutu, Luigi Del Guercio, Robert Tétreault, Services Concepts Événementiels
Settings: Jean-François Béland, Diane Benoît, Elaine David, Trish Dempsey, Kimberly Emond, Elisabeth Emond, Anne Larue, Robert Wieferig
Security: Marc-André Hamel, David Jutras
Video editing: Services Concepts Événementiels