Vassar on Tap steps into the dance scene

Gulfem Demiray Assisstant Arts Editor

Jenna Lemonias ’08, a tap dancer since the first grade, brought her tap shoes to Vassar her freshman year only to discover that there was no tap dancing club on campus.

Fortunately, for interested tappers like Lemonias, that is no longer the case. Vassar on Tap, Vassar’s first and only tap dance group, is now an official organization.

“Last year we decided we wanted to tap more, and that there are a lot of people on campus who felt the same way,” said Tara Klein ’08, who initiated Vassar on Tap with Alex Rodabaugh ’10 and Gabrielle Kotkov ’10.

Vassar on Tap had its first performance at the After Hours/Hip-Hop 101 event for Jena 6 in October, where they improvised and showcased the Shim-Sham, which Klein described as the “national anthem of tap dancing.” The success of the first performance, as well as Kotkov’s tap classes, inspired the idea of forming a campus-wide tap group.

“I joined the group because I have been dancing all my life, and tap has been a big part of that,” said club member Cali Calarco ’11. “I didn’t want to stop just because I was going to college and I was really excited about finding this new group on campus.”

Renee Bright ’08, the president of the group, explained that Vassar on Tap provides a venue for students interested in classical dancing. The club complements FlyPeople, which has incorporated some tap dancing into their choreography in the past, but generally focuses on modern dancing.

“[Tap dancing] is really underrepresented here,” said club treasurer Mike Sekor ’09, who has tap-danced for eight years. “For tappers who don’t want to do modern dance, it’s a great opportunity.”
“This group allows people who love to tap a chance to practice and perform on campus and meet others who love tap as much as they do,” said Rodabaugh.

The group has been practicing in the Villard Room—one of the only places on campus conducive to tap dancing—for two hours each week. All students who participate in the club act as both students and teachers. The club, now working on clogging and Irish dances, will have their end-of-year performance in May, which will consist of mostly original material. The group is also scheduled to perform during Focus weekend on April 20.

The group is open to individuals with all levels of experience. Anyone who is interested is invited to join, and there is no pressure on people who don’t want to commit too much time or who don’t want to be in a performance.

“We’re really passionate about it, and also happy to bring this opportunity to Vassar,” Sekor said.

“Because we’re a new organization, not many people know about us,” Bright added, “but I’m sure there are a lot of tappers out there in the Vassar community who haven’t heard of us. And, we’re always looking for new members.”