| REVIEWS
AMERICAN TAP DANCE ORCHESTRA
The
American Tap Dance Orchestra (1986-2000)
Selected Reviews
THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES "The
American Tap Dance Orchestra lives up to its name. This enchanting
ensemble blends percussive sounds in a truly orchestral manner."
THE NEW YORK TIMES "Blends
rapid fire virtuosity and a wonderfully easygoing amiability"
THE VILLAGE VOICE "a
rhythm feast"
ATTITUDE DANCE MONTHLY "Tap
dancing has had its rebirth with the American Tap Dance Orchestra."
CHARLES "HONI" COLES
"The world is finally recognizing the only dance form
that is strictly American. Tap, Tap, Tap, and the ATDO, the
first of its kind ever, personifies the pinnacle of this art
form. Bravo, Tap Dance Orchestra."
MID OCEAN NEWS, BERMUDA The
ATDO's "... sizzling performance was proof that in their
hands -- or feet, perhaps -- this dance form has not only
been safely preserved, but has found rejuvenation."
DANCE PAGES "Brenda Bufalino,
Artistic Director of the American Tap Dance Orchestra, may
do for tap what Balanchine did for ballet, and Jack Cole did
for jazz." & "The American Tap Dance Orchestra
represents the future of tap. Bufalino's rhythmic, syncopated,
complex choreography will challenge tap dancers into the twenty
first century."
GLOUCESTER COUNTY TIMES "Each
number was performed with flair and emotion. The dancing was
poetic. The movement of each individual dancer was in step
wonderfully and performed with ease, style, grace and strength."
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER "The
American Tap Dance Orchestra smoothly blended the rhythmic
excitement of a percussion recital with the entertainment
values of cabaret...the dancing was highly skilled and sophisticated.
But the dancers also communicated the infectious fun of tapping
purely for pleasure...with their fabulous feet, the dancers
produced a wide spectrum of tones, timbres and dynamics."
NEW YORK NEWSDAY "The
Dancers of the ATDO function as a true component of an orchestra,
making their work a fulfillment of one of the original motives
of tap dancing in which tapping can embody both rhythm and
melody."
PERFORMER CUES "This
is an exceptionally well rehearsed company and their ease
with themselves and each other in duets, trios, and group
dances allows them the freedom to interplay together and with
the audience in a bemused and nonchalant manner...this kind
of 'controlled abandon' is only possible if the choreography
and technique is 'down cold'."
ATTITUDE DANCE MONTHLY "The
American Tap Dance Orchestra...under the rhythmic baton of
Brenda Bufalino, presented a new vision and sound to tap dance,
transferring it from its century long form as a popular entertainment
to an art form for the concert stage.
BACK STAGE "The dancers
keep a high energy level throughout, and are crisp and clear
in their footwork."
DANCE MAGAZINE "Bufalino
and her ensemble are whizzes, and I find her choreography
remarkably inventive."
THE NEW YORK TIMES "The
American Tap Dance Orchestra is a relatively new kid on the
block, but it is clearly a kid with tap talent to spare, a
great love for the art and a good many ambitious ideas."
ATTITUDE DANCE MONTHLY "Their
unflagging energy, their zest, the wonderful rapport among
them all, elevates them above any other tap group around today
and elevates their performance into high artistry."
THE RICHMOND NEWS LEADER "All
the dancers execute the steps flawlessly.... Whether triple
tapping, sliding through a delicate soft shoe, tapping time
with the music or performing a cappella, there is never a
missed tap. Their enjoyment of performing is contagious."
THE CYPRESS WEEKLY "The
ensemble dancing was a revelation."
NOWA EUROPA/POLAND "For
a long time we haven't seen such an attractive spectacle performed
at an overwhelming speed...No gesture is copied and there
was no cheap showiness. Every shape had a meaning... In other
words, it was a happy evening for the Warsaw public, because
for the first time we had a chance to see what "real"
tap dance is."
THE VILLAGE VOICE "I
love it when the American Tap Dance Orchestra really plays
hard at being an orchestra--when the men and women come out
looking sharp in their black suits or their white suits and
concentrate on making delicious foot rhythms together... concentrates
on building rhythmic patterns into contrapuntal feasts-splitting
dancers off from unison into canon, splitting one group in
two for a hot bit of antiphony, having dancers feed into a
pattern until it sizzles with sound, popping a soloist out
and turning the background tapping down to a simmer."
THE RECORD "There's plenty
of precision dancing on the program, but there's also a large
helping of individual expression and experimentation."
ATTITUDE DANCE MONTHLY "The
best thing that's happening to tap dancing since Eleanor Powell."
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