At The Uptown Arts Bar

National Tap Dance Day

Saturday May 24, 2014 at 7pm - by Billie Mahoney with City in Motion and the Arts Bar

One day before the actual date (May 25) of National Tap Dance Day The Uptown Arts Bar hosted Billie Mahoney's tap jam in honor of Bill Robinson ("Bo Jangles"). Here is a small sampling of the pictures I shot, and maybe, if I have the time, a few video highlights.

Musicians Ming Ning (keyboards) and Victor Perlmutter (drums) played for the dancers with a break and with the addition at the break of Rich HIll (also a tapper and jazz keyboardist, on trombone) and tapper Lonnie McFadden (with trumpet). Ronald McFadden also came by with tap shoes. Lonnie and Ronald delighted the crowd as they traded licks, each challenging the other. Performer and tapper Dennis Porter showed up to tap as did Karen Seaton (dancer, tapper and singer).

In the middle, in addition to my usual still and video cameras came Kevin McKinney who is doing a doc on Billie. Hi son Simon and Kevin brought along Collin Martin who came with a Red to shoot footwork at higher frame rates (for slow motion). You will see a couple of pictures here.

In addition to my dance photos (which is what I normally focus on - no pun) I am including a few others, especially of the musicians.

 

Trading licks: Ronald McFadden and Lonnie McFadden in the middle

Duet: Ronald (left) and Lonnie McFadden

Mike Ning (Left, keyboards), Rich Hill (trombone), Victor Perlmutter (drums), Lonnie McFadden (trumpet) and Mike Ning's grandaughter

Dennis Porter

Karen Seaton, Donna Patty, Dennis Porter

Lonnie McFadden

Ronald McFadden (solo)

Lonnie McFadden on Trumpet - to the right: Rich Hill and Cindy Bleck with Greg Patterson (owner of the Arts Bar)

My "self" portrait - actually that is Nicole English and the forearm (foreground) is me. Such is my idea of a self portrait.

Kevin McKinney

Collin Martin's Red and Collin Martin in the background eating pizza

Ronald and Lonnie McFadden, about to leave. Tap shoes over Ronald's shoulder. Mike Ning, background right

Rich Hill, Mike Ning, Lonnie McFadden, Victor Perlmutter

Lonnie McFadden

Ronald McFadden (solo)

Billie encourages a dancer with hard shoes

Nicole English and Cindy Bleck (front) and Dennis Porter (left, back side)

Video on Vimeo - Edited copy of descriptive text (without URL to this page)
URL is at: https://vimeo.com/96559939 for larger frame size

This is a tiny excerpt from National Tap Dance Day at the Uptown Arts Bar (3611 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri). In this couple of minutes Ronald McFadden (black shoes) and Lonnie McFadden (white/black shoes) trade licks. I used two cameras, one high and overlooking and one on the floor, closer whch I moved. At the same time I was shooting stills. You can see me (Mike Strong, kcdance.com) with red shirt and camera (Nikon D7100 with Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 vwide angle zoom) at various points. There is another shooter as well doing his own doc (Keviin McKinney) in white shirt and beard doing DSLR video. At various points I place a still shot in the frame for 4-5 seconds) at the spot where I took it. You will have to look closely to spot the same action in the video as in the film. Maybe go one frame at a time at those locations. You can see a pair of stills (one inserted on either side) in the thumbnail image above though the insertion point for each has passed so the video frame matches neither still. ... (removed URL to this page) The event was produced by Billie Mahoney with City in Motion dance school and Nicole English (school director and also head of Nikoria Dancers. 7 pm - 9 pm tap jam Saturday May 25, 2014 - Which is the day before the actual National Tap Dance Day declared as Bill Robinson's ("Bo Jangles") birthday on the 25th of May. The excerpt starts with Lonnie putting down his trumpet on the band platform and getting down to the floor to join his brother Ronald. The musician playing were Mike Ning (keyboards, on break so not in frame - the little girl walking around is Mike's granddaughter) and Victor Perlmutter on drums. Joining them (to jam) are Rich Hill (another tapper) on keyboards and trombone (seated at keyboard) and Lonnie McFadden on trumpet). My video cameras are Sony FX-1000's recording HDV (m2t) to CompactFlash memory card via the recording unit from Firewire. My still camera is a Nikon D7100 and I'm shooting with my favorite wide angle Tokina 11-16 mm F/2.8 lens.