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Please join the Peggy Spina Tap Company and the Joel Forrester Quartet as they present their latest fancy footwork and jazz music in four performances that underscore their musical partnership of 38 years. The Spina Loft,in the heart of New York's historic SoHo,is warm and intimate, and this group of talented dancers and musicians provides an evening of rhythmic entertainment not to be missed – Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd at 6pm and 8:30pm.

The debut piece, Inspiration, set to Forrester's Hang it on a Line, honors the magical fusion of sound and movement. Also on the bill this year are audience favorites, like Jam, Mambo 2012, and Peggy's Blues, and newer pieces like last year's debut, Reflections, set to Forrester's Dark Blues, a trio-ful charm that punctuates every note with bluesy banter, and Pulsefrom 2015 set to Forrester's Brooklyn in the Fifties, a jazzy fast-paced feast of urban fun. The traditional program finale, Laura, choreographed by Buster Brown, is annually performed as a loving devotion to thefriendship and endearing legacy of one of tap's legends.

As founder and director, Ms. Spina has created over 100 dances for her company, making her one of the most prolific tap choreographers on the east coast. Her work has been honored, including a Flo-Bert Award in 2008 from the New York City Committee to Celebrate National Tap Dance Dayfor her lifelong achievements as a master tap dancer, choreographer, and producer. She was a recipient of a Choreographer's Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991 and has received numerous grants from the New York Council on the Arts.

Ms. Spina "is a true tap artist, a living heir to such teachers of hers as Honi Coles, Chuck Green, and Buster Brown" (Brian Siebert, New York Times), and her influences can be seen in her own cool style, sharp feet, and strong sense of musicality.Her modern dance study with Merce Cunningham complements her choreography, and the effortless shifting of her company dancers between high-speed, intricate tap rhythms and elegant contemporary compositionsets her work apart.

Mr. Forrester has been a world-renowned, and traveled, jazz musician and composer for over 40 years, and is still playing and composing in and around New York and internationally. Forrester and his ensembles – The Joel Forrester Quartet, The Microscopic Septet – are "wildly idiosyncratic, devastatingly accomplished" and have "built a small, devoted following and a big catalogue of brilliant original compositions." (Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal)

As Mr. Siebert said in 2015, "the pithy tap phrases and agreeable stage patterns, closely coupled with the live music, make for a rare and intimate pleasure."Don't miss these annual performances, they are indeed a rare delight and a New York City treasure.

 

Dancers:  Sarah Buscaino, Laura Coleman, Amber Indyk, Emily Sindoni, Peggy Spina, Katie Schmus, and Mary Kate Walsh

Musicians: The Joel Forrester Quartet
                        Dave Hofstra, bass              Vito Dieterle, sax
                        Matt Garrity, drums               Joel Forrester,piano