Laura had asked Tom and I to chereograph a tap duet to Mr Bojangles for one of the final scenes of the show. We researched many different tap routines for inspiration including Adam Garcia’s performance on Got to Dance 2011.
As this is going to be ending scene in our performance, we wanted it to be jolly and have a feel good vibe, we wanted to also show the complete contrast between the two characters. I was a drunk, who had no control over my body.
Initially, it was very hard to create a tap dance that showed I was a drunk and not in control of my body without being too erratic and the dance looking ridiculous. Tom’s moves were precise, clear and contained and were a natural part of his movement, I had to characterise myself to be very loose and free so my movements were not very precise I found this very hard, as it is going against everything I have done in tap dancing.
After 3 hours of solid rehearsals and choreographing, we had created a performance that was a story the audience could follow. Alongside the lyrics that tell a story of a drunk man, we created a story through tap dance, dancing together and dancing separately throughout the song, showing the different sides and the journey that Tom has gone on from Drunk to Sober and the fight with himself whether to drink or not.
Got to Dance Sky1, (2011).Got to Dance Series2 Adam Garcia’s performance in full. [online]. Accessed 18 May 2o15. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFlO_3Zaz5M