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The Tap dance Faculty Our mission is to educate the public in the art of dancing in all its forms, to promote the knowledge of dance, to provide up-to-date techniques, and to maintain and improve teaching standards across the globe. The ISTD is always moving with the times to keep pace with the latest developments in dance. We regularly update our syllabi and introduce new faculties to respond to changes in the world of dance. ELAINE MAYSON Established in 1904 the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is one of the world’s oldest and most influential dance examination boards. Ever since its inception the ISTD has developed new styles and dance genres, and today with 12 faculties, no other dance examination board has the breadth of genres that the ISTD offers. T ap dance is an American art form, secure basis for its future creative development born of the fusion of cultures on and ensured its survival as a rich, rhythmical American soil. Influenced by African dance genre. The work grew in to an rhythms, Irish stepping and English clogging, independent Faculty which now offers it developed in the late 19th century and by one of the Society’s most successful and the early 1900s was firmly established in the popular syllabi. vaudeville of America and in the music halls of Zelia Raye (1900-1981) studied dance in the Britain. Its popularity spread even more widely USA. Following the publication of her book in the 1930s when it became a significant Rational Limbering (1929) she was invited to component of musical films. form a Committee and create an examination As a genre within the ISTD, tap dancing Above: ISTD Tap Talent Day syllabus. She founded the Stage Branch in 1931; initially played a minor role. In the Stage it later became the Modern Stage Branch and Branch syllabus of the 1930s it was the third eventually the Modern Theatre Faculty. The and sometimes optional component, along first Committee was announced in 1932 and with the Musical Comedy and Acrobatic examinations were held in 1933. Raye’s book Divisions. However, the sound foundation American Tap Dancing was published in 1936. established in these early years provided a www.istd.org | © Copyright ISTD 2014 All Rights Reserved Page 1 GEORGE MAY The survival of the Stage Branch owes its success to the In 1957 Zelia Raye received the Imperial Award. In the same tenacity and diligence of Miss Raye. Her life is well documented year she resigned as Chairman and from 1957 to 1970 Marjorie in Pam Eddleston’s book Zelia Raye and the development of Davies and Olive Ripman took the role jointly. Modern Theatre Dance (2002). Here Eddleston describes her A significant milestone occurred in 1970: tap would no as ‘a dynamic and imaginative woman, far reaching in her longer be an optional extra at the end of the Stage Branch vision.’ The book also pays tribute to ‘the talented people examination. A new syllabus was created which established tap who contributed and developed this vision with dedication dance as a separate examination though the separation through and devotion’.1 to Major and Status Examinations took many more years to These ‘talented people’ were an extremely important part achieve. Interestingly, however, the early compulsory link with of the development of tap. Joan Davis, Janet Cram, Tom Parry, modern dance and the Stage Branch impacted strongly on the Doreen Austin, Victor Leopold and Marjorie Davies were among style, line and movement of ISTD trained tap dancers. The new the first to collaborate with Miss Raye. With their artistic and format for tap examinations occurred alongside the renaissance creative ideas about tap dance, these pioneers contributed to of tap in America. the development of the Branch. Its continued success owes a Sheelagh Elliott Clarke became Chairman from 1970 to 1974. great debt to the talents of those such as Moyra Gay, Daphne In the early 1970s a newly structured Advanced Tap syllabus was Peterson, Gwen Carter, Marianne Jepson and Patricia Crail. choreographed by Daphne Peterson (Imperial Award 1984). In its infancy, the original graded syllabus for tap was Miss Peterson’s legacy to the Society is legendary in both tap technical and based on a simple vocabulary of steps. It grew and modern dance; her clever, uncluttered choreography has slowly but steadily via the introduction of sequences at each stood the test of time. level. In 1936 Tap Medal Tests were introduced. Congress lectures provided inspirational ideas for additional syllabus material. The lecturers were drawn from the Committee, all of whom had a connection with theatre, Top left: Daphne Peterson, major contributor to Grades, Majors and Medals and creator of 1970s completely new Advanced 2 Syllabus. and from members of the theatrical profession. One of the latter was Paul Draper, of theatre and movie fame. Another influence was Buddy Bradley, an American who had taught and choreographed for many of the famous tappers in the USA. He eventually settled in Britain in the 1950s. There remains a Top middle: Moyra Gay, major contributor to Grades, Majors and Medals, teaching the Senior Division Tap Test syllabi at the 1975 Congress. close link between current trends in theatre and films and the development of the syllabus. In 1955 tap was declared to be only an optional section within Top right: Zelia Raye, founder of Stage Branch in 1931. the Stage Branch examinations. The decision coincided with the demise of tap in films and theatre which resulted in a difficult time for professional tap dancers. www.istd.org | © Copyright ISTD 2014 All Rights Reserved Page 2 In 1974 Murielle Ashcroft (Imperial Award being ‘compiled to simplify the teaching of tap 1979) became Chairman of the Modern Theatre dancing - which is proving a very successful and Tap Branch. Passionate about the ISTD method of teaching rhythm.’2 Currently it and particularly the Branch, hers was to be a could be defined as a structured and effective momentous leadership during which time technique which is highly successful for the immense progress was made with the Tap acquisition of rhythmic skill and security. Dance syllabus. In 2012 Deborah Capon inherited the role New Senior Medal Tests were produced, of Chairman of the Committee. Although her choreographed by Gwen Carter and Moyra Gay tenure was short she laid the foundations for in 1975. thoughtful forward planning. Since September In February 1977 the Marjorie Davies Star 2013, the Tap Faculty has been safe in the hands Tap Awards were launched. This popular award of the Chairman Jackie Hayward with Nick quickly became an important event in the ISTD French as Vice-chairman and a Committee of dance calendar. In 1978 Levels 1 and 2 of the Carol Ball, Helen Green, Alison Forrester, Jason Popular Tap Tests were introduced by Patricia Di Mascio, Heather Rees and the invaluable Above: Paddy Hurlings was the Crail and Marianne Jepson and further levels secretary Caroline Lavelle. The current very first Chairman of the newly followed in the ensuing years. Committee members are very aware of the independent Tap Dance Faculty In 1985 Murielle Ashcroft appointed a small responsibility of being caretakers of this Committee in the year 2002. sub-committee to update the Grade and Major long-standing but still flourishing Faculty. Below: Murielle Ashcroft , Tap syllabi. The team consisted of Gwen Carter, Heather Rees Chair (1974 - 1998) who was Patricia Ellis and Heather Rees (Imperial Award instrumental in major changes. 2013). There was a completely new structure which provided a much more challenging and up-to-date approach to the genre. Daphne Peterson and Sheelagh Harbinson joined the team at Major level. When Murielle Ashcroft retired in 1998, Patricia Crail (Imperial Award 1993) took over as Chairman. Patricia was instrumental in developing the work overseas. In 2002 the Tap Faculty became an independent and separate Faculty from Modern Theatre. It was formed under the chairmanship of Paddy Hurlings (Imperial Award 2005) with Deborah Capon as Vicechair. There were immediate developments to ensure the continuing success of the genre; for example, Tap Awards replaced the Tap Medals and a new Grade 6 was created. From 2007 the grades syllabus was gradually up-dated. The new work included more close-work and rhythm tap. The creative tap team at this time comprised Committee members Nick French, Helen Green and Tracey Lee, led by Alison Forrester. Worthy of note is the contrast between the minimal content of the syllabus of the 1930s compared to the rich vocabulary of steps some Above: Pat Ellis at the Moulin Rouge, Paris 1957. Pat was part of the 1980s team for the complete restructuring of Grades and Majors. In her career References in theatre she worked with such 1. luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Michael Bentine and Sir Tom Jones. Eddleston, P. (2002) Zelia Raye and the development of Modern Theatre Dance, London: ISTD, p.7 80 years on but the principles are the same. 2. In April 1935, in an article written by Zelia Raye Dancing Times, April, p.3 Raye, Z. (1935) South African in which she described the values of the Stage Branch syllabus and announced the intention With thanks to Helen and Tony Green of introducing the subject to South African for access to Daphne Peterson’s Teachers, the tap technique was described as archives www.istd.org | © Copyright ISTD 2014 All Rights Reserved Page 3