Becky Hoag isoriginally from Rochester, NY and grew up studying all forms of dance. At an early age, she decided that Tap was her favorite form of dance. 33 years later, Becky is still studying, teaching, performing, choreographing, and enjoying Tap. After getting her BS degree in Elementary Education from St. Bonaventure University, Becky moved to Columbus, OH in 1995 to become the director of Tap at Ballet Met. In addition to that position, she has been the Tap instructor at Otterbein College and has been the director of Tap at Columbus Dance Theatre. Becky went out on her own and founded Shuffles Productions, Ltd. in 2001. Under Shuffles Productions, Becky taught Tap Classes in Columbus and producuces Columbus Taps! She was founding artistic director of the Columbus Tap Project! Tap company. Under Becky's direction, CTP! performed throughout Columbus and in 2006's Tappy Holidays in NYC.
Becky is a judge for Dance Masters of Ohio and Pennsylvania Dance Competitions as well as The Rochester and Florida Inviatational Dance Competitions. She currently lives in Buffalo, NY and is thrilled to continue to produce Columbus Taps!
Becky is the Founder and Director of Columbus Taps! It was after her first experience at The St. Louis Tap Festival that she dreamed about doing a Festival in Columbus. She wanted to make the study of Tap with The Masters more accessible to dancers in the area. Master Teachers that have taught at Columbus Taps! have included: Jimmy Tate, Dianne Walker, Lynn Schwab, Dormeshia Edwards, Nicole Hockenberry,Tre Dumas, Lane Alexander, Ayodele Casel, Sarah Savelli, Gregory Filler, and Jumanne Taylor.
Jimmy Tate was an original member of the Broadway Company of Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk. He has danced on Jay Leno, David Letterman, and the Rosie O'Donnell show, the 1997 Grammy Awards, the 1996 & 1997 Tony Awards, and for President Clinton at the 1997 Kennedy Center Honors, and the 1997 Presidential Inauguration. Other Broadway credits include The Tap Dance Kid, Big River, Jelly's Last Jam. National Tour: Jelly's Last Jam and Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk. Jimmy created a show called "Thunder" and brought it to the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2007. In "Thunder," Jimmy blends hypnotic tap-dancing, soulful original songs, and powerful spoken word to tell a compelling, emotional story of love, loss, and the realization of dreams. Jimmy teaches classes at numerous Festivals and 100's of Master Classes at studios around the country. Jimmy is also a guitarist and singer/songwriter and has produced his own CD entitled "Play Me".
Ayodele Casel, a native New Yorker, began her professional training at New York University 's Tisch School of the Arts. She is a recent graduate of a two year professional training acting program with William Esper in NYC. As a tap dancer, she toured internationally as the only female member in Savion Glover's company, N.Y.O.T.s. Ms. Casel, has been a guest star on "Third Watch", "Law & Order", and "The Jamie Foxx Show". She has had the honor of performing at The White House twice for President Bill Clinton, Carnegie Hall as part of a tribute to the legendary Nicholas Brothers, Radio City Music Hall for ABC Television and Madison Square Garden as a soloist during the halftime show of a New York Liberty game. In her one-woman work, appearing to sold out audiences in NYC, Casel drew on her experiences growing up in Puerto Rico, bringing her love of tap dancing together with Latin Music and poetry, emerging with an amalgam of culture reflective of her own diverse background. The history of women in tap has also informed Casel's work and while she stands in the spotlight, she wants to make sure her predecessors receive the credit they deserve. Ayodele, who splashed on to the tap scene in 1997, has made quite a mark in the tap dance world.
In just a few short years Ms. Casel has managed to land on the Cover of American Theater Magazine and The Village Voice as well as being featured in numerous articles in major dance magazines. In 2000, PAPER Magazine named Ayodele one of 50 Beautiful People in their yearly issue.
Ayodele starred in and directed three sold out, solo tap concerts in New York City. She has closely worked with and performed with the greatest Tap dancers including the late, great Gregory Hines. As a member of N.Y.O.T.s (Not Your Ordinary Tappers) she was featured in"Savion Glover's Nu York", "Monday Night Football" and the on and off-groadway stage in Downtown: Live Communication.
Ayodele has presented works for Lincoln Center "Out of Doors", Joyce SoHo, Dance Theater Workshop, The Triad Theater, Joe's pub at The Public Theater among many others. She currently serves on several dance faculties, including Steps on Broadway.
Sarah Savelli began her dance training at an early age in Cleveland and has since grown to be among the most respected tap dancers of her generation. Most recently she premiered"Wonderland" at the prestigious Ohio Theater for Playhouse Square, the second largest performing arts center in the country. In December of 2006 Sarah performed a One-Woman show at Symphony Space in New York and co-produced "Tappy Holidays!" at Symphony Space. Sarah served as Artistic Director and Choreographer for Rhythm ISS…, an all female Chicago based Tap Company she co-founded in 1995. The group was hailed by Dance Magazine as “a quintet of women tappers impressive as much for their exuberant spirit as for their blistering footwork.” Sarah has lent her talents to tap companies and productions such as Manhattan Tap (Heather Cornell, Artistic Director), Beauteez’ n the Beat (Roxane Butterfly, Artistic Director) and Especially Tap Chicago (Bruce Stegmann, Artistic Director).
In 2003, Savelli expanded her interests into directing and producing when she presented “Hit The Breaks”, a collaboration with some of the hottest hip-hop dancers in the movement that explored the relationship between Tap Dancing and Break Dancing. Consistently since, Sarah has created opportunities for Tap Dancers to explore their art form by performing with "Rhythm ISS…and Friends", a tour she has produced nationally. Ayodele Casel, Jumaane Taylor and Jay Fagan are among the artists she’s presented.
Savelli’s soloist work is as extensive as her company work. She has been featured in the PBS documentary “Juba! The Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance” and has performed at The Ohio Theater, The Palace Theater at Playhouse Square, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, St. Peter’s Church in NYC, The Town Hall in NYC, The Black Orchid, The Vittum Theater and The Athenaeum Theatre among others. In addition to working as a performer, Savelli is a continually sought after instructor and choreographer. She has been on the faculty of Steps On Broadway in NYC, Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Center and Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago. She currently teaches for local dance studios, conventions and tap festivals. Sarah has set pieces on numerous dancers including Hubbard Street 2. She has taught and performed at many tap festivals, benefits, and industrials and is featured in many dance publications including Dance Teacher Now.
As founders of Tandem Act Productions, Sarah and Ayodele Casel continue creating events and programs to maintain interest in tap dancing for students and audiences alike.
Jason Janas originally hails from the northern New Jersey area, and more recently from Charlotte, NC. His dance education is highlighted with training and performing with Tapestry Dance Company and by his tenure as a charter member of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble, where Jason began his rhythm tap career under the direction of Ms. Deborah Mitchell.
His interaction with other with tap dancers such as Acia Gray, Dianne Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Nicholas Young, Sarah Petronio, Mike Minery, Karen Calloway Williams, Paris Mann of the NJTE, and with Ted Levy, influenced and ignited his career. Jason continues to teach and choreograph from coast-to-coast while he continues to grow as a multiform rhythm tap dancer.
Jason is also the Artistic Director of the Hoofin’ Ground Tap Festival in Charlotte, NC and recently performed in Derick Grant’s Chicago production of Imagine Tap.
