The following description comes from the event organizer.

The Skylark Tappers Present Skylarks On Tap
Featuring favorite pieces from years past, new choreography, and stellar improvisation – all performed with live music!

Jazz, classical, and latin music. Dancers demonstrating rhythmic prowess. And to top it off, stunning singing from a Portland icon. This is what you’ll experience at Skylarks On Tap at The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts (The Judy) this April. The show will be performed in the intimate Ball Black Box theater at this brand-new theater complex in downtown Portland. 

This is the Skylark Tappers’ 16th full-length concert, and the 5th featuring the live Skylark band. Audiences will be treated to an immersive experience of music and dance, starting with the group’s signature piece: an upbeat version of the classic song “Skylark.” The concert features choreography set to works from a variety of composers from Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, and Mozart. The Skylarks will also dance to “Finally, Safe Watering,” an original composition by musical director Jack Buddeke, and create their own music by performing tacet. 

“As tap dancers, we are musicians and our shoes are our instrument,” says Judy Tibbles, artistic director for the Skylark Tappers. “We are thrilled to work with such talented Portland musicians who help us enhance our artform. People who come to the show should expect to be entertained by remarkable dancers and musicians alike and get a glimpse into the exceptional connection between tap and music.” Tibbles participates in the local jazz scene with tap dance improvisation, which is where she first connected with many of the musicians playing the concert.

The Skylark band includes musical director Buddeke on keyboard, Jeff Homan on saxophone, Rivkah Ross on drums, and Ben Medler on bass. Marilyn Keller, a 2016 Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Fame Inductee, lends her signature powerhouse vocals to the group. 

The Skylark Tappers are Missy Eseppi-Desmarais, Becky Goldcrump, Sheri Leipzig, Liz O'Donnell, Dominique Ritter, Rachael Singer-Brown, Alyssa Staab, and Briana Whitehead. They are led by artistic director Tibbles and assistant artistic director Victor Torres. Choreography is presented from Tibbles, Torres, and Whitehead, as well as a new piece from up-and-coming dancer and choreographer Elizabeth Abel. The concert also includes improvisation by both the dancers and musicians. 

Skylarks On Tap
Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 2pm & 7pm
Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 2pm

The Ball Black Box at The Judy
1000 SW Broadway, T-100
Portland, OR 97205

Cost: $25 - $35
Tickets: skylark-tappers.square.site/