Holiday ‘JamFest’ brings tap to Dover Little Theatre
For dancer and instructor Jeff Foote, any time of the year is a good time to tap.
But this year, Foote will use his favorite style of dance to get into the holiday spirit.
Each year since 2012, Foote has organized “JamFest“ at Dover Little Theatre. The program consists of tap routines by both professionals and tap students from the region.
This year, however, Foote decided to put a holiday spin on “JamFest.” All the dance routines will be set to holiday favorites, from “White Christmas” to “Sleigh Ride,” from “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” to “Jingle Bells.”
“The holiday theme is an experiment,” says Foote, a resident of the Flanders section of Mount Olive who teaches at several dance studios in the area. “We wanted to try something different.”
But though the specific songs may be different, the purpose of “JamFest” remains the same, according to Foote. “This is an annual event where we can showcase our work,” he says.
“Holiday JamFest” will be performed three times this weekend, through Dec. 14, at Dover Little Theatre.
The building, which seats about 100, is an ideal venue for “JamFest,” Foot says. “It’s a very intimate theater. It’s not like you’re playing to 1,000 seats and you have to worry about the people in the back row.”
“At Dover, no matter where you’re siting, you feel like you’re part of the show,” he says. “We’ve received a positive response there.”
Foote will again be joined on stage by two other professional dancers: Hillary Marie Michael of New York City and Kyle Wilder of Dover.
The remaining dancers on the program are tap students who all take lessons Foote, Michael, or Wilder. They will perform routines choreographed specifically for them by their teachers.
One of the points that Foote emphasizes is the fact that “tap” allows for a variety of idiosyncratic moves. “We all have our unique styles,” he says.
The dancers at “Holiday JamFest” will perform to live music provided by the Andrew Atkinson Trio, along with vocals by Jan Carden and Lynette Sheard, both of West Orange.
Foote hopes that the jazz-influenced live music will also create interest among the audiences. “A lot of people think that holiday music is only meant to be performed in a particular way,” he says. “The idea is to take popular music and make it fresh.”
Foote’s ideas about the flexibility of tap were influenced by another New Jersey artist, Savion Glover. A native of Newark, Glover demonstrated his loose-limbed style of tap in the Broadway show “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk,” which Foote saw.
Glover’s recognizable dancing and the popularity of TV dance competitions are combining to revive interest in tap, according to Foote.
“At some studios, tap isn’t considered important,” he says. “But the kids who are interested in tap really want to learn.”
For that reason, Foote hopes to continue staging “JamFest” and similar events, whether or not they are tied to the holidays. “We want people to get excited about what we do.”
HOLIDAY “JAMFEST”
WHAT: A celebration of tap dancing, featuring professional dancers and several amateur dancers. The performances will be set to holiday music supplied by two vocalists and a three-piece jazz band.
WHEN: 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Dover Little Theatre, 69 Elliott St., Dover
TICKETS: $20 general admission, $15 seniors and students
INFORMATION: 973-328-9202 or www.doverlittletheatre.org.