Tony Waag
New York City, New York, United States
Everything Will Be Copasetic!
<H3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: medium; FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class=Apple-style-span>In 1976, I met <STRONG>Brenda Bufalino</STRONG> and the legendary <STRONG>Copasetics</STRONG> at a tap dance workshop and performance in his home town of Fort Collins, Colorado. So moved by this occasion, I became a professional tap dancer and eventually moved to New York City in 1981. </SPAN><BR></H3> <H3>To this day, I am the Artistic/Executive Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation (formerly known as the American Tap Dance Orchestra) which I founded in 1986, with Brenda Bufalino <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> the late Charles "Honi" Coles.<BR></H3> <H3>From 1989-1995, I co-created <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> operated, with Ms. Bufalino, Woodpeckers Tap Dance Center which became a model for numerous tap organizations <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> tap studios worldwide creating, producing, <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> presenting various educational programs for adults <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> children year-round, as well as annual winter tap intensives with master classes, courses <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> workshops taught by leading International artists <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> master tap dancers.<BR></H3> <H3>In 2001, we renamed the organization the American Tap Dance Foundation <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> created Tap City, the annual New York City Tap Festival with premiere performances of all styles of tap by artists from around the world, as well as an extensive training program for adults, teens and children, city wide events, tap jams, student showcases, panel discussions, lectures and film screenings. As a performer and choreographer, I have been featured in hundreds of concert, film and television productions throughout the world.</H3> <H3>I have received numerous grants towards the presentation <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> preservation of tap dance as a unique American art form. In 2002, I <FONT size=+0>created the first International Tap Dance Hall of Fame honoring the contributions of legendary tap dancers by preserving their legacies for future generations to enjoy. I also created the annual Tap Preservation <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> Hoofer Awards, the Gregory Hines Youth Scholarship Fund, <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> the Gregory Hines Collection of American Tap Dance Archives which are now housed at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. </FONT></H3> <H3><FONT size=+0>In January of 2010, I opened the American Tap Dance Center in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York City</st1:place></st1:city> where I currently direct on-going education and training programs for tappers of all ages <st1:personname w:st="on">and</st1:personname> levels.</FONT></H3>
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