Top tap dancers from Western Canada set to perform in Kelowna

The Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) will be presenting a tap dance show next month.

Five of Western Canada’s finest tap dancers are set to perform ‘On Foot’ at the Mary Irwin Theatre on May 6 at 7:30 pm.

The show, choreographed by Danny Nielsen and Lisa La Touche from New York City, combines traditional tap dance with raw improvisation.

“This is an exceptional tap dance performance that promises to captivate audiences with its beauty,” says Colleen Fitzpatrick, the executive director.

“It showcases the immense talent of some of Western Canada's finest tap dancers and we believe this event will leave a lasting impact on our patrons and inspire future generations to appreciate and engage with the arts."

'On Foot' also features a live band with Vancouver’s Dan Reynolds on piano and Kelowna’s Stefan Blenz on bass and Scotty Gamble on drums.

Danny Nielsen, one of Canada's finest tap dancers who is originally from Calgary, has spent years studying tap dance at various festivals throughout Canada and the US.

His prolific technical skill and musical sensibility have launched him onto the international stage, teaching and performing at many national and international tap festivals, including the Zurich Tap Fest, Tap Ahead in Germany, North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Taptastic Festival in Germany and Portland Tap Fest.

In addition, Nielsen was an integral part of Vancouver-based dance company Radical System Art's production of Telemetry, which toured for over three years at notable venues worldwide, including the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Place Des Arts in Montreal, the White Bird Dance Series in Portland, the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv and the Schritmacher Festival in Germany.

Tickets for 'On Foot' are now on sale for $52.