Tap Dogs (1995 - )

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Tap Dogs premiered at the Starfish Club, Sydney Theatre Company, on 7 January 1995 as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations for Sydney Theatre Company's headquarters at Walsh Bay, Sydney. The Tap Dogs cast was led by Dein Perry, who also choreographed the work. Perry was joined by six other performers, Darren Disney, Drew Kaluski, Ben Mayne, Ben Read, Nathan Sheens and Gerry Symonds. The work, which was originally produced by Sydney Theatre Company, was directed and designed by Nigel Triffit. Its composer and musical director was Andrew Wilkie and it was lit originally by David Murray.

Tap Dogs was created by Perry around themes that developed from his experiences as an industrial machinist in Newcastle, New South Wales, where the majority of the dancers also trained. The work unfolds on a building site of scaffolding, girders, ladders and ropes. The dancers wear work clothes and the music combines the rhythms of boots on metal and wood with an original percussion score.

Since its first performance the show has toured continuously both in Australia and overseas and at times there have been up to four groups of dancers performing the work in different parts of the world. The name Tap Dogs has come to be used for both the show of that name and for the group of people who perform in it. Tap Dogs, the show, has received several awards in Australia and overseas. For his choreography for Tap Dogs Perry has also been the recipient of several awards including Olivier Awards in 1995 and 1996 and an Australian Dance Award in 1998.

See also: Australian Dance Awards, The

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Research Materials

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Other resources

Find more about Tap Dogs in:

• Internet - Google
• Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
• Pictures - Picture Australia