>> HEY EVERYBODY.

IT IS CLOSING NIGHT.

WELCOME, CONGRATULATIONS.

LET'S GET WARMED UP.

>> BRIAN JONES HAS BEEN ENTERTAINING CROWDS THROUGH TAP DANCING FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS.

ON THIS NIGHT, JONES IS TAKING A BACKSEAT.

>> A LITTLE BIT QUICKER AND -- >> AFTER MONTHS CHOREOGRAPHING A ROUTINE FOR STUDENTS, HE IS SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THEM.

>> I FELL IN LOVE WITH TAP DANCING IN 1971.

MY 11TH GRADE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I WAS SHOWING THE MOVIE 42ND STREET, RUNNING THE PROJECTOR AND I MADE A JOKE ABOUT THE TAPS.

THEY WEREN'T REALLY BEING MADE BY HER FEET.

THERE WAS SOMEONE OFFSCREEN.

MY TEACHER WAS INCENSED AT THE JOKE.

MY TEACHER TAP DANCE IN FRONT OF THE CLASS.

WE WERE SHOCKED.

SHE WAS A SOBER WOMAN.

I ASKED HER WHEN SHE LEARNED THAT?

SHE SAID, WHEN I WAS YOUNG WE WERE ALL GOING TO BE THE SECOND SHIRLEY TEMPLE.

♪ >> SHE SHOWED ME THE FIRST STEP.

STEP.

SECOND STEP, BRUSH.

I PRACTICED AT HOME THAT NIGHT.

NEXT ENGLISH CLASS A COUPLE DAYS LATER I SHOWED THEM TO HER AND SHE SAID YEAH.

I WAS GOOD ENOUGH THAT I GOT A PAIR OF TAPS ON MY LOAFERS, PRACTICING IN MY PARENTS BASEMENT, CONCRETE FLOOR.

DO NOT DANCE ON A CONCRETE FLOOR.

SHE WROTE ME INTO BEING IN THE HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTION OF ANYTHING GOES.

>> THANKS EVERYBODY, CONGRATULATIONS.

[APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU.

>> BREAK A LEG.

>> BEFORE THE DANCERS TAKE THE STAGE -- >> BRIAN JONES, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE A LITTLE WAVE.

>> HEY EVERYBODY.

[APPLAUSE] >> BRIAN DID THE TAP PIECE IN THE SHOW.

ENJOY.

>> I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO BE CHEERING AT THE END, TO BE IN STREAM MILLION THROUGH THE -- TO BE EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC.

AT OUR FIRST REHEARSAL, I WAS VERY PLEASED AND THRILLED TO DISCOVER TECHNICALLY EXCELLENT ANSWERS.

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN ALREADY DO THE BASICS.

♪ VERY NICE VERY NICE.

SAME THING.

>> I LOVE TAP DANCE BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING WITH MUSIC AND DIFFERENT RHYTHMS THAT GO WITH IT.

I FOUND IT IS A VERY GOOD WAY FOR ME TO EXPRESS MYSELF.

I WAS EXCITED TO WORK WITH BRIAN AND LEARNED MORE FROM HIM.

>> DEBORAH, BALL CHANGE, STEP HOP STEP SHUFFLE BALL CHANGE.

>> IT WILL BE MY FIRST TIME ON THIS STAGE.

VERY EXCITED.

I THINK THIS WILL GET PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT CAP AGAIN FOR SURE.

♪ -- TAP AGAIN FOR SURE.

IT IS A LOST ART BUT MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING TO APPRECIATE IT AGAIN AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME BACK EVEN BIGGER THAN BEFORE.

>> LONG BEFORE JONES BECAME A RESPECTED CHOREOGRAPHER, HE WAS MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN COLLEGE AT THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT MOMENT AT THE AUDITORIUM, 1975, WHEN YOU ARE DANCING TO HAPPY FEET?

THAT SONG BY THE WAY I HAVE BEEN PLAYING IT IN MY HEAD.

>> ♪ I GOT THOSE HAPPY FEET ♪ ♪ THAT IS A GREAT TUNE.

>> TAKE ME BACK.

>> I WAS YOUNG.

WE WERE IN OUR SECOND YEAR.

WE PUT THAT DANCE TOGETHER, MADE UP MOSTLY OF THE STEPS MY ANGUISH TEACHER HAD TAUGHT ME A COUPLE YEARS EARLIER IN HIGH SCHOOL.

WE WERE NERVOUS WRECKS.

I WAS SURPRISED AS I LOOKED AT THE FOOTAGE THAT WE WERE NOT STUMBLING ALL AROUND.

WE HAD PRACTICED AND PRACTICED AND DRILLED AND DRILLED AND DRILLED.

>> YOU ARE BEAMING AS YOU SAY THIS.

>> WONDERFUL MEMORIES.

THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF REGULAR LIFE IN 1969, 1970.

THAT WAS FLOWER POWER HIPPIE TIME.

THE VIETNAM WAR, THE STRIKE.

LOTS OF CHANGE IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.

THE BEATLES WERE BIG.

THINGS WERE SHIFTING FROM ROCK 'N' ROLL TO ROCK.

I WAS HAPPY TO STEP ASIDE FROM THAT AND BE ENGAGED IN SOMETHING CLASSIC.

[APPLAUSE] >> MANY NATIVE RHODE ISLANDERS WHEN THEY SEE THIS PIECE MAY RECOGNIZE YOU FROM YOUR TIME.

>> PROBABLY.

>> TAKE ME BACK TO THOSE DAYS.

>> I AM PROUD OF THE FACT IT LASTED 10 YEARS.

WE REOPENED THE OCEAN STAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

THERE WAS DESTINED TO BECOME A PARKING LOT IN THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE.

THE WHOLE GROUP CAME TOGETHER, ETHEL MERMAN, THE MARINE CORPS BAND, THE RHODE ISLAND PHILHARMONIC, THE ALL TAP REVIEW REOPENED THAT THEATER 50 YEARS AFTER IT OPENED ORIGINALLY.

♪ >> YOU HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE RISDI DANCER WITH THE LIGHTEST FEED AROUND.

HOW DID THAT FEEL?

>> I ONLY WEIGH 120 POUNDS.

MAYBE IT IS A TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION.

MY ENGLISH TEACHER, THAT WAS HER STYLE.

UP ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, LEAPING AND SPRINGING, GRASSHOPPER LIKE.

VERY FRED ASTAIRE.

IN FACT, FRED ASTAIRE AND BILL ROBINSON BROUGHT TAP DANCING UP OFF THE GROUND, THE HOOFING, AND INTO THE AIR.

THAT HAS BEEN MY STYLE AS WELL.

>> THE GENRE OF MUSIC THAT APPEALS TO YOU WHEN DANCING, WHAT KIND?

>> ANYTHING.

I LOVE TECHNO FOR ITS ON SYNCOPATED RHYTHMS.

I LOVE SWING MUSIC.

ANYTHING THAT SWINGS.

WALTZ.

ANYTHING THAT HAS A REGULAR BEAT IS SATISFYING TO A TAP DANCER.

>> YOU'RE NOT JUST 1930'S?

>> NO.

ALL TAP DANCERS HAVE A LOVE FOR THAT.

IT IS WHERE MODERN TAP STARTED.

>> YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A VAUDEVILLIAN.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

>> MY PRIMARY AIM IS TO ENTERTAIN VIA TAP DANCING.

I WANT TO SEVEN EUROS GIRL IN THE AUDIENCE TO GET SOMETHING WONDERFUL OUT OF MY DANCE AND A 70-YEAR-OLD MAN TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT TOO.

BY WORKING FOR ALL SORTS OF CROWDS, JUST AS VAUDEVILLIAN'S DID.

♪ [APPLAUSE] >> TAP, WHEN YOU FIRST BEGAN IN THE 1970'S, HAS EVOLVED DRASTICALLY.

>> IT SURE HAS.

WHEN I DID IT IN THE 1970'S, IT WAS A REPLICATION OF EARLY FORMS.

THEN OTHER PEOPLE CAME ALONG, GLOVER WRENCHED IT BACK INTO A BLACK HERITAGE BUT IT HAD SORT OF BEEN ALMOST EMBARRASSING TO BE A TAP DANCER AND BE BLACK AT A CERTAIN POINT BECAUSE WHAT WAS LEFT WAS ALL THESE SEMI-EMBARRASSING HOLLYWOOD CLIPS OF ROBINSON.

♪ >> THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS.

THEY WERE WONDERFULLY INVENTIVE TAP DANCERS.

WOULD THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN IN HOLLYWOOD IN THE'30'S.

IF THEY HAD ONLY BEEN YOUNG NOW, THEY WOULD BE KINGS OF TAP DANCE.

TO BE A PERSON IN THE 70'S OR LATE 1960'S WEARING AN AFRO, BEING PROUD OF BEING BLACK, YOU KIND OF AVOIDED TAP DANCING.

LUCKILY, THANKS TO BLACK PEOPLE SAYING WE DO NOT ACCEPT THAT ANYMORE, TAP HAS FINALLY REGAINED ITS APPROPRIATE PARENTHOOD AS A BLACK AND AMERICAN DANCE FORM.

>> AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF TAP, IS TAP DEAD?

>> IT HAS BEEN DEAD AND BACK IN BACK AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN MY LIFETIME.

THERE IS YET AGAIN ANOTHER YOUNGER GENERATION OF PEOPLE BRINGING TAP TO LIFE.

THEY ARE NOT ONLY GREAT, THEY'RE DOING THE THINGS ALL THE PREVIOUS REVIVALS KIND OF FORGOT IN THE THRILL OF TAP, WHICH IS TO MAKE SURE THE DANCE MEAN SOMETHING, TO GIVE IT A STRUCTURE, TO GIVE IT THAT ENTERTAINMENT QUALITY WHERE IT WILL REACH ACROSS AND BE OF INTEREST TO A NON-TAP CROWD.

I SEE THIS HAPPENING NOW.

[APPLAUSE] >> HE REALLY BELIEVE ANYBODY CAN PUT ON TAP SHOES AND BECOME A DECENT DANCER?

A GOOD TAP DANCER/ >> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

MANY PEOPLE SAY I HAVE TWO LEFT FEET.

IF YOU CAN WALK AND HAVE A SENSE OF RHYTHM.

EVERYBODY DOES.

I HAVE NEVER MET A NON-RHYTHMIC PERSON.

PICKING UP THE FACILITY IS NOT DIFFICULT.

>> CAN ANYONE LEARN THESE BASICS?

MY PRODUCER PUT ME TO THE TASK.

>> THAT ONE SOUND IS A BRUSH.

BRUSH.

GOOD.

WHEN YOU GET GOOD AT THIS.

♪ STEP, SHELF.

THAT IS WHAT PRACTICE DOES.

LUNCH.

[LAUGHTER] THERE YOU GO.

THAT IS IT.

ONCE AGAIN.

>> THAT IS THE HARDEST PART.

>> LUNGE, EXCELLENT.

VERY GOOD.

>> HE IS A PATIENT MAN.

>> HOLD THE APPLAUSE.

>> WHO IS GOING TO CLAP FOR US?

>> WHOEVER IS THROWING ROSES AND $20 BILLS.

[APPLAUSE] THIS IS A NEW STEP.

STEP, TOE, TOE, OTHER SIDE, STEP, TOE, TOE.

>> IT WAS TIME TO PUT ALL THE STEPS TOGETHER.

>> THREE STRIKES YOU ARE OUT AT THE OLD BALLGAME.

♪ >> HOLD THE POSE.

>> YAY!

WE DID IT.

JONES SAYS HE INTENDS TO KEEP TAP DANCING FOR MANY MORE YEARS.

>> NOT BAD.

AT LEAST UNTIL I HIT THAT 50 MARK.

I INTEND TO KEEP DANCING FOREVER.

THAT IS WHY I AM SO DANCING.

I NEVER STOPPED.

>> THERE IS NO AGE ON IT.

>> THERE IS BUT THERE IS NOT A SELL BY DATE.

.

OLD TAP DANCERS ARE OFTEN REALLY GOOD TAP DANCERS AND THEY ARE NO LONGER DOING HAND SPRINGS ARE CARTWHEELS.

IT IS REALLY NOT MY STYLE ANYMORE.

I WANT TO COMPETE ON THE THEATRICAL GROUND.

I WANT TO DRAW AN AUDIENCE IN.

I WANT THEM TO LEAVE FEELING AS THOUGH THEY HAD DANCED.

[APPLAUSE]