Waag taps out a space for tap

Tony Waag, director of the American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF), has signed a 10-year lease for a studio/rehearsal space exclusively for tap--the new American Tap Dance Center. The 3000 square foot space, located on Christopher and Washington Streets, will house three studios for tap classes and rehearsals, as well as the foundation's administrative offices.

"The reality is that for more than a century, tap has fought for its place on the legitimate stage," Waag notes. "Appropriate venues where dancers, both aspiring and professional, can perfect their craft are limited. Even necessities, such as the special floor and the shoes, add to the complexity of trying to legitimize the art form. There is also the deep-seated notion that tap lacks composition and, in turn, training and artistry, because improvisation is so much a part of the art form."

ATDF is one of only a handful of dance organizations committed to ensuring that tap's great performers receive recognition, alongside the masters of ballet and modern and jazz dance.

News of the lease-signing comes as ATDF swings into its wildly-popular New York City summer festival--Tap City. For further information on Tap City events and resources, click here.