Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Rhythmic Circus in

Cuesheet P

erform

ance G

uid

e

Step right up ’cause this circus is coming to town.

•

Come One, Come All…Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time to open the traveling trunk of tap shoes and

crazy costumes and see and hear the colorful

high-energy spectacle of Feet Don’t Fail Me

Now! Meet four hand-clapping, finger-snapping

tap dancers along with their seven-man

band of funk musicians. Joining them is

“Heatbox,” the human beatbox who adds

sounds and vocals to each stomp and shuffle.

Blend songs, dance, and you, the audience, and

you’ve got Rhythm (with a capital R).

Music and Dance: Tapping into One AnotherTAP is a dance form where a dancer’s shoes are used as percussive instruments. Metal pieces, called taps, are attached under the toe and heel of the shoe. The dancer makes sounds by striking the metal on the floor. Dancers use all kinds of movements to change the rhythm with their shoes—they may tap the tips of their toes, drag or slide them across the floor, or step with their feet to strike the heel and then the toe.

Tap dancing, like jazz music, often involves interaction among the performers. One dancer may strike out a rhythm and then wait for another dancer to respond. This back-and-forth rhythm play is their way to inspire or challenge each other, or trade ideas, just like people do when they speak. During the performance, you’ll witness this “rhythmic conversation.”

Watch and listen for…

•fast/loud routines and quiet/slow routines.

•both solo and ensemble dances.

•dancers making music just by using the sound of their taps.

FYI! RHYTHM is what makes you want to tap your foot, snap your fingers, or clap your hands when you hear the music; it’s made up of strong and weak beats played in a repeating pattern.

Deliver the FunkFUNK music is made up of strong, driving rhythms. There is less emphasis on melody (or a tune) and more on the beat, which explains why drums and bass guitar are usually the featured instruments. Often these instruments are backed up with electric guitars, organs or synthesizers, saxophones, trumpets, and trombones.

Besides funk music, Rhythmic Circus’s band performs other kinds of musical styles and rhythms. You’ll also hear blues, rock, even salsa and reggae music as the band partners with the dancers.

Watch and listen for…

•how the song “Boogie Monster,” (technically the most challenging dance in the show), contains the fastest moves performed in unison.

•one dancer gets disconnected from the group and returns in an unusual way. (Hint: An umbrella is involved!)

•the way the tappers often provide the rhythm for the singers.

• how the different kinds of music change the speed and style of the tap dancing.

•

to this Toe-Tapping Big Top

Be Your Own BandBeatbox artist Heatbox makes drum beats, vocals, and sound effects all by himself. He records one sound phrase as he is performing, and then plays it back by pushing pedals on the ground. As the phrase he just recorded plays back, he adds another layer of sounds on top. Once all the layers are added, Heatbox sounds like an entire band. During the performance, watch how Heatbox asks the audience if they’d like him to go faster.

Listen for how Heatbox is able to slow his voice like a robot running out of energy.

FYI! BEATBOX is when people make sounds and rhythms of percussion instruments by using their lips, mouth, tongue, and voice.

Individual style is a big part of tap dancing. While performing the same steps, (or dancing in unison), watch how each dancer does it in their own way.

•

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. RutterPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

What’s in a Title?“Feet don’t fail me now” is a common phrase—one you may have heard before. It makes sense for dancers to want their feet to carry them through a performance without falling short, but the choice of this title has additional meaning for Rhythmic Circus’s dancers and musicians.

Years ago, this group of close friends came together to turn their dreams into a reality. They wrote songs and choreographed dances. They worked together as a team—sharing and juggling creative ideas and hopes—even when the process seemed long and hard. The title is about not giving up, even if you are afraid. It’s about taking chances; and it’s about finding creative, energetic, and unique ways to go after your dreams.

Additional support for Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Kaplan, Inc.; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed

under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education

but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.

Department of Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Rhythmic Circus is made up of two groups

of friends who have known each other for a long time. The tappers met in dance competitions when they were kids, while many of the

band members rode on the same elementary

school bus.