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Ayodele Casel gave an astounding performance at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York this week. Backed by a live band, Casel worked her tiny l-shaped space as if it were a whole studio floor.
She was introduced by a spoken-word artist whose dramatic presentation, punctuated by cries of "Ayo!" (in Yoruba, the first part of Casel's name means "joy") built up the energy in the small venue. "Let your soul dance," he said, knowing how true his words would prove to be. At 24, Casel is one of the most talented and refreshing tap stylists around. Her feet sing. Her smile sings. Her feet flutter or mutter: Da diddle diddle diddly BANG dang dang. With her perfect tapper's body--- compact, loose-hipped, sexy, and far from waifish---she lays down endlessly compelling rhythms. Her shining face turns up with a grin, or nods and tilts to the band's Latin melodies. Her dancing says: "This is my passion. Share it." And share it she did, with band members and guest dancers such as Jason Samuels. Casel is the only woman in Savion Glover's company Not Your Ordinary Tappers (NYOT). Incredibly, she has been dancing for only seven years. She took up tap to fulfill a requirement at NYU, and before she knew it was spending three to four hours a day in the studio, says her friend Artis Mooney. Bakaari Wilder, the DC-raised dancer who picked up Glover's part in Bring in 'Da Noise, and who was also an NYU student, took her under his wing while she developed the wings on her feet In a male-dominated art form, Casel more than holds her own, and her strong ties to her Puerto Rican and African-American heritage seem to play a prominent role in her self-assurance. At one point during the show, she described a Puerto Rican tradition where someone starts walking down the street with a guitar singing "Elena, Elena." Others follow, singing, until they reach the last house in the village. Then they stop for a party. The themes of community, generosity, spontaneity and celebration all flowed clearly through her performance. In an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, Jimmy Slyde named her as one of the great young contemporary tap dancers. She proved him right on the pub's tiny stage---where even when she seemed to be in the throes of ecstasy, she had absolute confidence in her steps, and perfect control of her feet. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Ode to Joy in Tap Dancing is owned by Sara Clemence. Permission to republish Ode to Joy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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