Tap dancer Alex Edwards: Photo by Danny Fulgencio
While working on a story about Rhythmic Souls Tap Company for the upcoming February magazine (look for that in a couple of weeks), we learned about the Rhythm In Fusion Festival (RIFF) that’s happening at the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas this week.
Rhythmic Souls Tap Company was founded by East Dallas neighbor Katelyn Harris who has been studying dance for upwards of 25 years. Although she wasn’t originally a tap dancer, Harris fell in love with the dance form because of its energy and rich historical and cultural roots. She then toured internationally with the Austin-based company, Tapestry Dance Company, from 2006-2010.
Tap dance pulls from countless dances from around the world — Irish dancing, slave dances and English clog and more. “All these things mixed together to form tap dance,” Harris says.
Harris first learned to appreciate tap dance during a tap dance festival, which is why coordinating a tap dance festival in Dallas was so important to her, and she has roped in some of the top performers and choreographers from across the globe to help her out.
The festival starts tomorrow, Jan. 16, and runs until Monday, Jan. 19. It will include classes and workshops, a “tap jam,” solo competitions and a Q&A session. The festival is at the Majestic and is open to the general public. To attend the show, “In Good Time,” on Sunday from 8-9:30 p.m., purchase tickets here.
