🎶 An Influence in the Tap Dancing Community

When did you start dancing? "I started dancing at age 9. I began with tap and trained from ages 9 to 16 at a local school in NJ. My teachers included Skippy Randal and other retired dancers. My focus was mostly tap as a youth, which eventually led into performance."

Tell us about your dance focus and experience. "In college, I took flamenco classes in Spain, along with modern jazz and show dance. For my graduate studies, I trained at Berkley Modern Dance Studio in modern dance, as well as San Francisco Ballet and Oakland Ballet Academy, where my focus was ballet. I later attended the American Ballet School in NY and performed in the Broadway show Indians, which featured authentic American Indian dance. I also worked as a Revue Show Dancer in Paris.

Over the course of 10 years, I danced, coached, and taught across NJ, VT, Spain, NY, Paris, and Germany. I began teaching tap in Germany in 1984, and from 1984 to 1994 I was with The Red Shoes in Hamburg, where I taught tap, ballet, and jazz. My focus then shifted to tap and show dance, and from 1994 to 2011 I served as a judge for the IDO: International Dance Organization, representing Germany."

What does your teaching look like now? "I work as a tap teacher, taking on guest teaching roles at various studios as well as leading private classes in different spaces. I’m based in South Florida and teach tap every week in Pompano and Fort Lauderdale - I’d love for you to join me in class!”

What’s your teaching style now? "I love syncopation and taking basic steps and rhythms and adding subtle variations. I focus on learnable basics at all levels, and I believe tap keeps you mentally flexible over time."