Operation: Tap is pleased to be able to bring you this Festival Feature for the 7th annual Jersey Tap Fest! Check out this article for all things Jersey Tap Fest in the words of it's esteemed director Hilary Marie Michael!

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

"Jersey Tap Fest is New Jersey's sole dance event featuring world-class tap faculty and extravaganza. This summer is our 7th annual celebration! Taking place August 11th-14th with classes held at Dancer's Pointe in Roselle Park, NJ and main stage event TAP 'N TIME at Bloomfield College's Westminster Arts Center.

Performance from Tap 'N Time from 2014 Jersey Tap Fest.

Jersey Tap Fest is a unique experience because it brings the dancers closer to their favorite teachers so that they can celebrate their love and passion for tap dance together. The program offers opportunities for students to get to know their faculty both inside and outside of the studio and class sizes are limited so that each dancer receives the individual attention that they deserve. It's all about coming together to learn, grow and take responsibility for our art form as a community.

We have an awesome faculty lineup this year! Jersey Tap Fest's 2016 Faculty includes Jason Samuels Smith, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Ayodele Casel, Anthony Morigerato, Hillary-Marie, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Karen Callaway Williams, Kyle Wilder, Jeff Foote, Corey Hutchins, Janille Hill (Step), Josie Say (Lindy Hop) and Andrew Atkinson (Music).

Jersey Tap Fest Faculty for 2016 and past faculty and participants.

Jersey Tap Fest is appropriate for advanced beginner, intermediate, advanced, pre-professional and professional dancers ages 8 through adult. Class offerings include Tiny Taps (ages 8+ with less than three years of tap experience), Intermediate and Advanced (ages 10+) and Adults Only (advanced beginner adults ages 25+).

We host a jam session with live music accompaniment and a student showcase in which dancers can share the pieces they've been performing this past season. We also offer a 3-Day Residency experience where dancers learn a piece of the first three days of the festival and then perform it in our main stage event TAP 'N TIME. Additional special events include a company audition for FutureSTEP, a new New Jersey based tap company for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 10-25 and a sit-down "Tap Talks" session with the Jersey Tap Fest faculty.

The classroom vibe at Jersey Tap Fest is supportive, creative, fun, educational and energetic. Classes are 60-90 minutes depending on age and level and class sizes are limited to ensure that dancers can see their teacher, hear themselves, and walk away feeling energized, enriched and educated. Class themes include Latin Jazz Grooves, World Rhythms, Improvisation, Slides, Technique Tune Up, Music Theory for Tap Dancer, In The Cotton Club, Lindy Hop and more!

Kyle Wilder at work with the students of Jersey Tap Fest.

Jersey Tap Fest is conveniently priced so that dancers can participate in the way that's best for their schedule and budget. Registration options include Individual Classes, Discounted Day Passes and our most popular super-discounted Unlimited Package. There is a host hotel located 5 minutes from the studio and a shuttle from Newark airport to the hotel, as well as a daily shuttle between the hotel and studio each day. If you're coming from out of town, you'll be able to take advantage of this daily shuttle, and of course, there are always dancers willing to help out and carpool. We're known as the Family Festival, so if a dancer ever needs help setting up a carpool, they can contact us and we'll make it happen.

One word to describe Jersey Tap Fest? Family."