A wonderful learn-and-have-fun program heading our way after the New Year, as Central Library’s cozy Mark Taper Auditorium will host a special book talk sprung to life.
New York Times dance critic Brian Seibert will converse with his Los Angeles cohort, Sasha Anawalt, about his new book, “What the Eye Hears, A History of American Tap Dancing.”
Dance writer Elizabeth Zimmer recently reviewed the book on arts•meme.
Seibert’s comprehensive tour through tap history illuminates the art form’s complex origins—from the jig and clog influences brought from Africa by slaves, to its growth as a cousin to jazz in the vaudeville circuits, to its ubiquity on Broadway and in Hollywood, and finally its post-World War II decline and more recent reinvention.
In the tap arena, we’re super looking forward to performances by King Savion, the expressive tap dancer Savion Glover at Valley Performing Arts Center on May 26, 2016. Glover will pair up with jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette for the evening.
Seibert, a Los Angeles native, will also present archival film footage and offer a special performance by tapster/choreographer Sarah Reich, a hugely vivacious performer who is also an arts•meme favorite. We recently saw Sarah’s explosive showcase at jazz club, The Blue Whale, in Little Tokyo. Sax player Danny Janklow to provide the sound.
What the Eye Hears book talk | ALOUD @ Central Library | Jan 14