Happy ‘Hooked on Tap’ dancers tap their feet to the beat
Hooked on Tap, the premier tap dance group on campus, presented its annual performance on Feb. 8 in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater. This year’s theme was “Tappy Feet,” a play on the 2006 Warner Bros. animated film, “Happy Feet.” The show included various dances which were choreographed and performed by Brandeis students, as well as performances from other Boston-area universities.
Emma Rivellese ’22 choreographed a remix of the overture from “William Tell.” One of the performers of this number, Claire Martell ’23, stated in an interview to the Justice that “I was a little nervous to be dancing with people who were so good at tap (my studio was really small and I never got the chance to meet other tap dancers) but I was also excited to dance in front of a bunch of new faces, including my new friends who I had just met this year.”
The Executive Board of Hooked on Tap opened the second act of “Tappy Feet” with a performance of “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” from the Disney Channel show “Phineas and Ferb.” Genevive Bondaryk ’21, one of the presidents of HOT, who played Ferb in this routine, stated in an email to the Justice that “the most rewarding part of the show is getting the chance to hang out with and perform with the other members of Hooked On Tap. We really are a close-knit group and I love the energy that we give each other during rehearsals and performances.” This dance was choreographed by Rebecca Weiss ’21.
Ben Greene ’21 and Liam Gladding ’21 were the emcees of the evening. To allow for costume changes and some light-hearted jokes throughout the show, the two performed comedy routines in between the performances, including one where they mimicked rowing on a boat before a dance entitled, “Rock Island/ Whatayatalk.”
Genevive Bondyark ’21 choreographed “Fever” by Little Willie John, which was performed by the Tap Ensemble. In the program, Bondyark wrote that “[this dance] inspired by a group called ‘The Tap Pack.’” The costumes of this piece, which were reminiscent of penguins, brought together the theme of the show right before the conclusion of the first act.
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