Thank you to all who participated in Lane Alexander's master classes. They were a great success.
THANK YOU LANE!!
To get in touch with Lane or participate in his August Tap dance Festival, please go to www.chicagotap.com
DIANNE WALKER
Dianne Walker is one of the few internationally recognized women in the field of Tap Dance. As a pioneer in the resurgence of tap, she is a frequent guest artist at many of the major events in the world of dance. For over 20 years, her career has taken her to Broadway, television, theater and numerous universities and jazz performance venues throughout the world.
Ms. Walker holds a Master's degree in Education, and was a participant at the Dance USA/National Task Force on Dance Education. She has been awarded grants from the New England Foundation for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council and The National Endowment of the Arts. In 1996, she represented the United States as an adjudicator for the World Tap Dance Championships, held in Dresden, Germany. In Boston, 1997, she received the "Tapestry Award" for excellence in teaching. In 1998, she received the "Living Treasure In American Dance Award" from Oklahoma City University.
Ms. Walker was a featured dancer in the movie Tap with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She was a featured dancer (and chorus girl) in the original Paris production of Black and Blue. In the Broadway production of Black and Blue, she was the Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain. During those two years, she also had the prestigious honor of being the only female dancer in the famed "Hoofers Line" with Lon Chaney, Jimmy Slyde, Chuck Green and Bunny Briggs. She has been featured in documentaries such as "Songs Unwritten....Leon Collins"; "Honi Coles.....The Class Act of Tap"; "Black and Blue".....(Robert Altman/PBS) and "Great Performances-Tap Dance in America"....( Gregory Hines/PBS).
Dance training began in Boston with Mildred Kennedy, Leon Collins, and the Slyde Brothers, Jimmy "Sir Slyde" Mitchell and Jimmy Slyde. During those years, she was fortunate to have opportunity to work and study with many of the great legends of tap dance; Honi Coles, Cholly Atkins, Eddie Brown, Steve Condos, Nicholas Brothers, Frankie Manning, Henry LeTang, Chuck Green and Buster Brown to name a few. Leon Collins became her mentor and in 1979 she began her professional dance career under his watchful eye. Leon passed away in l985, leaving Dianne as one of the Directors of his school. It is with a great sense of pride that she continues to share his legacy with her students worldwide.
Ms. Walker currently lives in Boston and was appointed by the governor to a seat on the Board of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She is the Artistic Director of "Tappin' in Boston" and continues her work as a performer, master teacher and dance educator/consultant.
SAM WEBER
Sam Weber has gained an international reputation as a performing artist and is in demand internationally as a performer, master teacher, and choreographer.
He has appeared with such tap luminaries as Charles “Honi” Coles, Jimmy Slyde, Steve Condos, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover and the Nicholas Brothers.
A protégé of tap master Stan Kahn in San Francisco, Sam has studied in New York at the Juilliard School and has performed with the Joffrey II, the San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Berkeley City Ballet and Smuin Ballets/SF.
He was a founding member and principal dancer with Anne Bena’s Peninsula Ballet Theatre and helped that company to attain prominence in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His versatility has led him to performances in musical theatre and television. He can be seen often on the “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” television show. Mr Weber is one of the few tap dancers in the world currently performing Morton Gould’s Tap Dance Concerto and was the first dancer to receive a “Bessie,” presented in recognition of outstanding creative achievement. He has been a principal dancer and choreographer with the Jazz Tap Ensemble since 1986 and has received international acclaim touring with company.
His choreographic credits include work for solo artists in the U.S. and abroad and ensemble work for “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, Tap Explosion, Musical Tap Company Freiburg, the Heidelberg Tap Company, Tap House Wuerzeburg and, of course, the Jazz Tap Ensemble. In October 1998, Mr. Weber performed the world premiere of “Kontralog,” a composition of two tap dancers and piano. The work was dedicated to Mr. Weber by composer/tap dancer Andreas Danel and was premiered in Freiburg, Germany.
Most recently, Mr. Weber has starred in the Berman short film “Zwei Im Frack,” which premiered on the German television program “ARTE” in May of this year.
LANE ALEXANDER
LANE ALEXANDER is an internationally acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer and master teacher. Mr. Alexander co-founded and directs the worlds largest and oldest annual festival of tap and percussive dance - the Chicago Human Rhythm Project.
Alexander co-produced the Emmy nominated PBS documentary, “JUBA! Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance”, was just awarded Chicago’s 2000 Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field, was named one of ten Chicagoans of the Year in 1999 by the Chicago Tribune and was awarded the first ever Choreographic Fellowship for tap dance by the Illinois Arts Council.
In 1999 Lane completed a CD recording of Morton Gould’s Tap Dance Concerto with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague under the direction of Paul Freeman - the first recording of the Concerto in 50 years. He has performed the Concerto at Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Center with the Chicago Sinfonietta and with the Czech National, Colorado , Long Beach , Bratislava and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras among others.
Most recently, Lane completed a three month tour of Europe which included concerts and workshops in Paris, Helsinki, Prague, Milan, Heidelberg, Brussels, Zurich, Holland, Cologne, and Stuttgart. He will return to Europe in the fall of 2001 for a five month tour and is creating a one man show with the Bailiwick Theatre of Chicago.
Lane is currently on the faculty of Northwestern University and has taught for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Gus Giordano Dance Center, Columbia College, Northeastern Illinois University, Stephen’s College and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Lane has made dances for companies and soloists throughout the United States and Europe including Especially Tap Chicago, Tap Unlimited (Zurich), Macadam (Paris), Keane Sense of Rhythm (Minneapolis), Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, Tappers with Attitude (Washington D.C.) as well as several other youth tap ensembles. He designs new tap shoes for Leo’s Dancewear.
Lane has served on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Dance Coalition, as a grant panelist for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, as an International Tap Association Illinois State representative and is currently working on the ITA’s Tap Interim/Historical Project as a moderator.
Lane has appeared with such greats as Donald O’Connor, Gregory Hines, the Nicholas Brothers, Buster Brown, Prince Spencer, Peg Leg Bates, Jimmy Slyde, Savion Glover and Luke Cresswell among others.
He studied with Laine Johns, Susan Beil Connally, Steve Condos, LaVaughn Robinson, Fred Strickler, William Orlowski, Dianne Walker and Sam Weber.
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I thoroughly enjoyed his classes! His style and choreography were fun, imaginative and left you wanting more! I highly recommend taking from Lane whatever your ability or level, and anxiously look forward to taking future classes from him. (I rearranged my schedule to get in another class and it was well worth it!) - LeAnn Campbell
JOSHUA HILBERMAN
Inspired by friendships and instruction from legendary dancers; James ”Buster” Brown; Brenda Bufalino; Charles “Honi” Coles and mentor Joe “Buck-n-Wing” Sterling, Josh Hilberman’s impeccable credentials have led him on tap dance adventures all over the world.
Josh has been featured soloist and instructor at tap festivals including: Tap City 2001; The New York City Tap Festival; North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival; DC Metro Tap Fest; The Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival; The St. Lois Tap Festival; Lane Alexander’s Chicago Human Rhythm Project; Montana’s Rhythm Explosion; The Southeastern Tap Explosion and the 4th Annual TAP Festival in Dusseldorf, Germany. In addition, he spent three years with noted company, Manhattan Tap and debut in 2001 with Brenda Bufalino’s American Tap Dance Orchestra.
Hilberman’s keen tap skills and gregariously, fun nature earned him the roles of dancer and Master of Ceremonies in the fourteen city tour of ”FASCINATING RHYTHMS” starring tap dance legends, Jimmy Slyde and Savion Glover.
Hilberman is considered one of the leading contemporary choreographers in tap dance, and his work can be seen world wide on companies and individuals including: VanVeen/deBraal of Amsterdam; TapaToe of Berlin, Germany; Decidedly Jazz Danceworks of Calgary, Canada; The Tap collective of New York; Step Aside of Washington DC and many others. He has served as faculty for Leon Collins Tappers Paradise, Boston, MA; Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; Mount Holyoke College and presently freelances throughout the US, Canada and Europe.