Tony started tap some years ago after being inspired by a Gregory Hines film, saying to him self "That's what I want to do". So he bought some tap shoes and practised for a few weeks because he thought he would need some experience before attending classes. He then went along to the tap schools, but they were not teaching what he wanted to learn. "You just can't get it in the UK", says Tony. At the time there were only small local classes that were more social gatherings rather than tap for the more creative rhythmic style of dance that is enjoyed by many in the US.

                

         

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So he decided to practice by him self drawing on dancers he had seen in the films he loved and also spending a lot of time researching tap history, some of which Tony shares with us in the 'Once upon a Jazz Tap History' section of this site. Tony spends a lot of time practising in empty halls and any places he can find with a good floor. He works on rhythm more than technique, and believes it's more important to sound right than to look right, which seems to be the trend in the UK. He also says that his dance style may also be due to the fact that there where no mirrors in the places where he practised, as there usually are in dance studios, which must have played a major part his approach. Tony says "Without a visual aid to check your movements, the actions become natural ones". Tony's style has been developed through hours of dedicated workout. In the beginning he says that he tended to over compensates for the absence of music, by filling in all the spaces.

Tony love's the old style tap dancing which has now gone into decline because either the teachers are disappearing or due to many younger people wanting to learn the new styles of tap seen recently on stage. Viewing of lots of video footage of the traditional tap dancers, Tony has developed an instinct for the rhythms used in the styles of many of the tap technicians of the great tap era, Tony can be seen in these video clips carrying on the great tradition.

He particularly likes the Jazz Be Bop machine gun tap style which is so often associated with Bunny Briggs, who is another one of Tony's inspirations.

 

He often spends his time listening to jazz music and try's to associate rhythmically with what he hears. Tony is forever looking for more up to date and complicated rhythmic beats. He has now put together a small group of jazz musicians and has started performing. "It’s what I do and I love it" says Tony. Although there is not a great following for jazz tap, in the UK, Tony says he will continue to try to promote it and try bring it to a wider audience.

Will Gaines. Tony's Inspiration and close friend.

American Be Bop Hoofer Will Gaines, who has been resident in the UK for the past 15 years, and is both a friend and an inspiration to Tony. They have performed a few times and Tony also enjoys attending many of his shows. Will some times calls him up on stage from time to time, to do a few steps. Will is indeed one of, if not the last of the great Jazz Be Bop Hoofers and long may he rule.


Dance festival at Victoria park

Dance festivals are one of the events Tony loves to attend as it enables him to meet other dancers and show his own variation on tap dancing which is different to the British style of tap dancing commonly taught in the UK. Although venues for Jazz Tap are still non existent, maybe later there will be a new surge of interest in the art.

The sound of success

Tony travels with his own special tap board that enables him to maintain the sound that he is used to. He has found on many occasion that the surfaces provided by venues are not always suitable, unless you are in a tap troop who tap in unison. Tony told me that today many stages chose the new linoleum, which although easy to clean and maintain, are also the kiss of death to the intricate sound of solo tap dancing.

 

Soho Jazz festival.
Tony enjoys taking part in Jazz festivals, because he gets to meet some of the great legendary and current jazz musicians. Tony is seen here above with his group of jazz musicians entertaining tourists and passers by in Soho Square, just one of the many festival venue's just off Oxford street in central London.

TV appearance
Tony has also appeared in a recent TV show called 'Movie Babylon' which used his tap talents to tap out the beat to famous Hollywood music. Although this is not really what Tony does, he was happy to participate in the project.

Workshop in progress.

Tony has organised a few tap workshops where he tries to share some of his techniques and methods for improvisation. Tony hopes to make jazz tap more accessible to a wider range of tap dancers and bring together UK tappers who are interested in jazz tap improv. The workshops were mainly for experienced tap dancers, although he hopes to start teaching his own style to tappers of all levels and abilities some day.

You can e-mail Tony at tonycurt2k@yahoo.co.uk or by clicking on the picture below