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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 6 April 2016
Tap dancing icon Savion
Glover keeps ‘tradition’ alive
In this June 10, 2014 file pho- he had when he electri- dancer. I can claim that
to, Savion Glover attends the fied audiences almost two honestly,” he said.
Apollo Theater Spring Gala decades ago with “Bring “I tap dance to make
and 80th Anniversary Cele- in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da sure Jimmy Slide, Gregory
bration at the Apollo Theater Funk,” which celebrated Hines, Lon Cheney, Buster
in New York. the beat in the black ex- Brown, Dianne Walker, to
perience, from the days of make sure these stories,
Associated Press slave ships to the hip-hop these names, remain men-
of today. tioned.”
MARK KENNEDY For his new show he’s again Maurice Hines, brother of
AP Drama Writer teamed up with Wolfe, but the late tap legend Grego-
NEW YORK (AP) — At a re- left the dancing to a talent- ry and himself a tap-danc-
cent rehearsal of a musical ed ensemble and some as- ing master, is a fan, believ-
with a constellation of big tounding stars: six-time Tony ing Glover has been able
stars, a wiry man in sweat- winner Audra McDonald, to keep young people in-
pants with one leg rolled Tony winner Brian Stokes trigued by their rhythmic
up stood up, stopped the Mitchell, Tony winner Billy style of dance.
action and made his way Porter and Tony nominees “Whenever Savion danc-
to the stage. Brandon Victor Dixon and es, it’s spectacular,” said
“OK,” Savion Glover said Joshua Henry. Hines.
calmly, as the dancers “There’s no ego,” said Glover has seen tap go
gathered around. “Listen Glover. “You would not through phases of inter-
to what I’m doing here.” even know that it’s Audra, est and decline over the
He then let his big white with six or 20,000 Tonys. You 35 years he’s been danc-
tap shoes talk, tat-tatting a would not even know that ing, but has come to terms
propulsive rhyme. because of the energy in with it being viewed as
Glover, considered the the room.” a strange step-cousin to
world’s greatest tap danc- Glover has had to bring more popular styles.
er, doesn’t shout or get his stars — some of whom “As long as show business is
ruffled. last tapped many years around, then tap dancing
“When they say, ‘Oh, I ago — up to par. That’s his will be around,” he said.
can’t do that’ or ‘I don’t par, mind you. He said he’s “But it will never be at the
know how to do that,’ I been most surprised by a pinnacle of the perform-
have to put my knee pads refusal in the cast to take ing arts. I’ve come to ac-
on and show them how it’s shortcuts. cept that. It’s definitely
done. These kids are 22, 23 “We’ll be doing something part of the flavor, but it will
years old. I’m 42 and I’ve and I’ll say, ‘I can simplify never be on top.”
got to get down there and that.’ At his HooFeRzCLuB School
show them how it’s done,” And they said, ‘No! We for Tap in a poor neighbor-
he said. don’t want the simple ver- hood of his native Newark,
Glover’s infectious cool sion.’ They say, ‘Give us the New Jersey, Glover teach-
is present everywhere at hard version’ and I appre- es the next generation. He
the Music Box Theatre on ciate that,” he said. takes a holistic approach,
Broadway as he readies his Glover, who made his with students first learning
cast for a trip into the for- Broadway debut in “The tap history months before
gotten past, his metal shoe Tap Dance Kid” and tapping their first steps.
tips gracefully leading the starred in “Black and Blue” It’s hard to think of any oth-
way. and “Jelly’s Last Jam,” is er Tony winners who spend
He’s choreographing a steeped in tap tradition most of their time teach-
new show that explores and sees himself as part of ing kids this way. “It’s not
the groundbreaking a link that stretches back. Beverly Hills. It’s not Monte
95-year-old musical “Shuf- “We’re in the tradition busi- Carlo. You coming into
fle Along,” one of the first ness. We have to carry on the ‘hood,” he warned. “I
Broadway shows starring, these traditions because if don’t have a choice. This
written and directed by we don’t then they’re go- is where I’m from. This is
African-Americans. ing to get lost. I am a tap me.”q
Instead of reviving the
show as it was in 1921, di-
rector and writer George
C. Wolfe has reframed it as
a musical about the mak-
ing of a musical and a cel-
ebration of the era.
Glover still wears the dread-
locks and scraggly beard
