Tap Dance Career
Aaron Tolson started dancing at the age of ten in Lawrence, Massachusetts. [6] Four years into his dance career he was performing in the Great Tap Reunion at the Apollo Theater alongside tap legends Derick Grant, Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, and the cast of the movie Tap . Soon after, Tolson met Julia Boynton in Boston, [7] who guided him in the direction of tap as a lifestyle.
While attending college at St. Johns University, Tolson was honing his tap technique in Manhattan. His senior year of college led him to the New York Shakespeare Festival tap program, also known as Funk U! Soon Tolson became a company member of Manhattan Tap. Jumping feet-first into choreography, he landed a job with Absolut in a national tour called Absolut Tap! He choreographed a piece for their second tour and was a dance captain for all of the teams for two years. Soon after, Tolson accepted a role in the national and international tours of Riverdance . He was a soloist and the captain of the tap dancers during his six-year run with the show and had the opportunities to perform on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, on various TV shows, at NBA games, and on stages all over the world.
Imagine Tap!
In 2006, Tolson began working with longtime friend Derick K. Grant on Imagine Tap! , a Chicago-based show whose formation would eventually become the subject of a feature-length documentary, titled Tap or Die. Tolson performed in the show alongside Grant and fellow tap dancers Jason Samuels Smith, Michelle Dorrance, Chloe Arnold, Dormeshia Sumbrey-Edwards, Ayodele Casel, Joseph Wiggin, Jason Janas, Jared Grimes, Jumaane Taylor, Tre Dumas, Brill Barrett, and more. [8]
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including rock, hip hop, reggae, salsa, heavy metal and bluegrass. Berklee alumni have won 310 Grammy Awards, more than any other college, and 108 Latin Grammy Awards. Other notable accolades for its alumni include 34 Emmy Awards, 7 Tony Awards, 8 Academy Awards, and 3 Saturn Awards.
Riverdance is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Jean Butler, Michael Flatley and the vocal ensemble Anúna. Shortly afterwards, husband and wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a stage show, which opened in Dublin on 9 February 1995. Since then, the show has visited over 450 venues worldwide and been seen by over 25 million people, making it one of the most successful dance productions in the world.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater.
Imagine Tap! is a musical revue developed by Derick K. Grant (director/choreographer), Zane Mark, Aaron Tolson, and Channing Cook Holmes. It opened at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, IL on July 11, 2006 and closed on August 6, 2006.
Derick K. Grant is an African-American tap dancer and choreographer. He came to prominence in 1996, as an original company member and Dance Captain in the George C. Wolfe-produced musical Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk at both The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and on Broadway. Derick recreated Savion Glover's choreography and starred in the role of 'da beat for the first National Tour. He works all around the world for different tap shows and events such as "Tap To You". In 2009, he appeared on the sixth season of the hit show So You Think You Can Dance where he choreographed a tap routine performed by the three tap dancers in that season’s Top 20: Peter Sabasino, Bianca Revels, and Phillip Attmore. He lives in New York City with his son, daughter and wife.
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