Tufts is home to more than a dozen dance groups, many of which are entirely run, choreographed and performed by students. Amid a crowded dance scene, it can be hard for groups to carve out a niche and set themselves apart from the rest of the pack.
This is not a problem for Tufts Tap Ensemble, the only campus group devoted to tap dancing. Tufts Tap has been active for more than 20 years, and with an ensemble of 24 talented performers, they’re showing no signs of stopping.
Senior Hannah Oshinsky, co-director of the ensemble, grew up in the dance world, with experience in ballet, jazz and tap. She stopped dancing in high school, but she decided to join Tufts Tap as a sophomore.
Oshinsky described the unique aspects of tap dancing that set it apart from other dance styles.
“[There’s] more personal expression than some other forms of dance that are more rigid,” Oshinsky said. “You can let loose, and it looks good to let loose.”
The ensemble spends most of each semester preparing for their performance, which consists of roughly a dozen small group pieces and one big number with the full ensemble. Members can sign up for as many small group dances as their schedule allows, and each small group meets for a one-hour rehearsal once a week. Dances vary widely, from fun energetic pieces set to pop tracks and more serious Broadway-style pieces set to songs like “Another Day of Sun” from “La La Land.” The tone and style of the piece is up to each individual choreographer.
The full group number used to be a last-minute effort, with one choreographer teaching the entire group in just one or two rehearsals. This semester, the piece is broken up between multiple choreographers and the group meets every week to rehearse, which will result in a more polished final product, as well as more opportunities for the full ensemble to work together.
Tufts Tap holds auditions for new members every semester. Ensemble members teach the auditionees a snippet of choreography, and then it’s up to the potential new recruits to show what they know. Several members of the ensemble will dance along with the auditionees to make sure that nobody feels uncomfortable onstage. After the auditions, new members are officially inducted into the group as a new class of ‘paralittles’ — a play on ‘paradiddle,’ a common tap step.
The group often has several smaller performances throughout the semester, including collaborations with other dance groups, like Sarabande. For junior Tamara Houck, who serves as a public relations chair for the group, however, the end-of-semester performance is the best part of the experience.
“It’s definitely the highlight of my year,” Houck said. “There’s so much love in Tufts Tap. You’re performing with all of your best friends … and you put so much energy into learning the choreography and perfecting it and making sure it’s sending the message that you want it to send, so finally getting to put that on stage and share it with the rest of our community is really exciting.”
Houck knew she wanted to join from the very beginning: Tufts Tap was the topic of her “Why Tufts?” admissions essay. Houck described the incredible community she’s found in the group over the last several years.
“I truly have found so many of my best friends through Tufts Tap, and so much of my community circles back to Tufts Tap,” Houck said. “I’m in a sorority and I met my little because of somebody in Tufts Tap.”
Oshinsky, on the other hand, had no plans to pursue dance upon arriving at Tufts, but she now hopes to continue her dance career after she graduates in May.
“When I graduated high school, I really didn’t know if I’d ever dance again,” Oshinsky said. “Taking up Tufts Tap was the highlight of my college career, and definitely something [I want to continue]. I don’t want to just work in an office, I want to keep dancing.”
Like members of every performance group at Tufts, Oshinsky and Houck have to find a delicate balance between work and play. They’ve stayed committed to their academic goals, but they always make sure to leave time for dance.
“We’re here to learn, and that is the main goal of being at Tufts, but also it’s important to have that balance,” Houck said. “[It’s important to make] sure you’re still doing things that are fun and exciting, and [do] the things you love.”
Tufts Tap will hold their spring show on April 27 in Cohen Auditorium.
