‘Souls of Our Feet’ dances into Longview

Published 5:32 am Thursday, October 30, 2008

LONGVIEW, Wash. – From Shim Sham Shimmy to “Singin’ in the Rain,” the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts presents “The Souls of Our Feet: A Celebration of American Tap Dance” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. Featured guest artist is Arthur Duncan, who was called “The King of Taps” during his 18-year reign on The Lawrence Welk Show.

Tap, like jazz, is an indigenous American art form and has evolved over the past 150 years. It is also an amalgamation of many different cultures and rhythms, from African juba to Irish step dancing. “The Souls of Our Feet” was created by award-winning choreographer Acia Gray, artistic director of Tapestry Dance Company of Austin, Texas. The show is both historical and contemporary and provides a fascinating glimpse into tap’s illustrious history.

This multi-media production features excerpts of film classics that pay homage to some of tap’s greatest legends of the Silver Screen and Vaudeville stage, including Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Charles “Honi” Coles, Leon Collins, The Nicholas Brothers, The Copasetics, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Added to this mix are live re-creations of these classic rhythm-tap routines performed by master tap dancers of today.

“The Souls of Our Feet” provides a sentimental journey down memory lane, while reminding us that every exquisite kick, step, shuffle, buck and wing, and rat-a-tat tap is a time-honed tradition that is reinvented and assimilated by each generation. Performers include dancer/choreographer Gray, along with dancers Jacqueline Coleman, Siobhan Cook, Katelyn Harris, Jason Janas, Brenna Kuhn,Tony Merriwether and Matt Shields, along with a jazz trio.

The Columbia Theatre is located at 1231 Vandercook Way. Tickets are $20 to $38, with student/senior and group discounts. Tickets may be purchased at www.columbiatheatre.com, by phone at (360) 575-8499 or toll-free at (888) 575-8499, or at the box office at 1538 Commerce Ave. from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and two hours before the show.