AUSTRALIAN dance group Tap Dogs is appearing at Bromley's Churchill Theatre as part of its sell-out world tour. The show, which combines the strength and power of male workmen with the precision and talent of tap dancing, started with six guys from a small town in Australia.
On stage, dance erupts with power-saws, fire rhythms, water-dance and bungee-tap creating an impressive spectacle, as feats of group stamina go into overdrive.
Dein Parry, creator and choreographer of Tap Dogs, has come a long way from the garage behind his dance teacher's house in Newcastle, a steel town north of Sydney, where, as young boys, he and the Dogs learned to tap.
With a small government grant, Dein and his friends formed Tap Brothers, an early incarnation of Tap Dogs.
From this, Dein was offered the chance to choreograph the West End musical Hot Shoe Shuffle, which brought the group to London.
A subsequent offer from the Sydney Theatre Company led to the collaboration with designer and director Nigel Triffitt, which resulted in the creation of Tap Dogs.
Tap Dogs was a hit at the Sydney Theatre Festival, where it had its world premiere in January 1995, and went on to impress at the Edinburgh Festival later that year.
The show will be at Churchill Theatre, Bromley, from Monday, July 9, to Friday, July 14. Tickets are available from £11 to £19. Call the box office on 020 8460 6677.
The Tap Dogs has been immortalised in a new movie, called Bootmen, which will be released in cinemas in this country later this year.
July 2, 2001 18:27
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