Let's Tap!

O﻿ccidental Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicted to enriching our community through programs that educate, inspire and entertain. We provide year-round programming that includes classes, live music events, ongoing programs, art exhibits, literary events, theatrical productions, festivals and more. We're located in Harmony Village, in the forested, historic town of Occidental in West Sonoma County. Plenty of free parking, outstanding local eateries.  Visitoccidental-ca.orgto learn about our town.Occidental Center for the Arts brings diverse cultural experiences to our region. We are located about 10 minutes West of Sebastopol, where Bohemian Highway meets Graton Road.  Learn more about us atoccidentalcenterforthearts.org

Occidental Center for the Arts

Occidental Center For the Arts

Welcome to the wonderful world of Tap!This class offering is for 6 weeks, Tuesdays from 11 am-12 pm, starting April 7th. Classes are offered at three levels: Beginner from 10-11 AM, Intermediate from 11 AM - 12 PM, and Advanced from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Classes are open to those who wish to discover tap dance and those who wish to continue exploring.Classes will be led by Starr Hergenrather, Mindy Copeland and Gabe Copeland. A limited supply of tap shoes is available for use at the class. Please contact us ahead of time to ensure we have the right size for you. Participation fee is $150 for the session, $125 for OCA members.Tap Dance provides an avenue for developing coordination, balance, musicality, rhythm, and general love for movement. We will learn the basics (if a beginner) and beyond, through warm-ups, discover the language of tap dance, learn the Shim Sham, and routines that will launch you onto your own exploration of the dance form.Tap is an extremely fun and rewarding form of dance. Tap Dance originated in the 19th century through a fusion of African and Irish dance styles, becoming a unique American art form in the melting pot of New York City. It developed through percussive footwork, initially on plantations and in urban cellars, and later gained widespread popularity through minstrel shows, vaudeville, and Hollywood musicals. Innovators like <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=07c43240408ed118&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifPUDtuy7UnZIjce2IghtLQTuFUgjg%3A1763314053538&amp;q=Bill+%22Bojangles%22+Robinson&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj5n6femPeQAxWEJjQIHVX2HtMQxccNegQINRAB&amp;mstk=AUtExfAASzqBN0Igcs3Pmk6uytoKnXcU4BqzUrjAVK372ycRETwLA8lnxiOvwqicHamasAGmT3fwUwfs3s4rBGjZvCZFiay7vALQCuGTNI2qxwPl-TYMYnXEJcrPOHtB3-pfsNRl8LLOPk_SUsS9QX3JbotyOYJ003LMYFSf4oEsVBGAwzU&amp;csui=3" title="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=07c43240408ed118&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifPUDtuy7UnZIjce2IghtLQTuFUgjg%3A1763314053538&amp;q=Bill+%22Bojangles%22+Robinson&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj5n6femPeQAxWEJjQIHVX2HtMQxccNegQINRAB&amp;mstk=AUtExfAASzqBN0Igcs3Pmk6uytoKnXcU4BqzUrjAVK372ycRETwLA8lnxiOvwqicHamasAGmT3fwUwfs3s4rBGjZvCZFiay7vALQCuGTNI2qxwPl-TYMYnXEJcrPOHtB3-pfsNRl8LLOPk_SUsS9QX3JbotyOYJ003LMYFSf4oEsVBGAwzU&amp;csui=3" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bill "Bojangles" Robinson</a>, the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=07c43240408ed118&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifPUDtuy7UnZIjce2IghtLQTuFUgjg%3A1763314053538&amp;q=Nicholas+Brothers&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj5n6femPeQAxWEJjQIHVX2HtMQxccNegQINRAD&amp;mstk=AUtExfAASzqBN0Igcs3Pmk6uytoKnXcU4BqzUrjAVK372ycRETwLA8lnxiOvwqicHamasAGmT3fwUwfs3s4rBGjZvCZFiay7vALQCuGTNI2qxwPl-TYMYnXEJcrPOHtB3-pfsNRl8LLOPk_SUsS9QX3JbotyOYJ003LMYFSf4oEsVBGAwzU&amp;csui=3" title="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=07c43240408ed118&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifPUDtuy7UnZIjce2IghtLQTuFUgjg%3A1763314053538&amp;q=Nicholas+Brothers&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj5n6femPeQAxWEJjQIHVX2HtMQxccNegQINRAD&amp;mstk=AUtExfAASzqBN0Igcs3Pmk6uytoKnXcU4BqzUrjAVK372ycRETwLA8lnxiOvwqicHamasAGmT3fwUwfs3s4rBGjZvCZFiay7vALQCuGTNI2qxwPl-TYMYnXEJcrPOHtB3-pfsNRl8LLOPk_SUsS9QX3JbotyOYJ003LMYFSf4oEsVBGAwzU&amp;csui=3" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Nicholas Brothers</a>, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly to name just a few, who shaped its evolution, which continues today with new fusions in contemporary dance. May 26, Bojangle’s birthday, is National Tap Dance Day. Starr Hergenrather has been teaching Theatre and Dance for over 54 years, dancing for 70 years, which is amazing since she is only 45 years old! She received her Theatre Arts and Teaching Credentials in 1971 from Denver, CO. Starr has taught theatre/creative dramatics/improvisation/dance to all ages and directed and produced theatre for many, many years. She and her family moved to Sebastopol in 1983. In 1987, she received her Dance credential and degree from SSU. Starr loves the theatre and dance and everything about them. She has performed on stage and in film throughout her teaching career. Before joining the staff at Analy in 2001 where she became the Theatre Arts Program Director and taught one dance class starting in 2010, when the high school lost its Dance instructor due to No Child Left Behind, she taught at Brookhaven School from 1990-2001 teaching a myriad of subjects, including Theatre and Dance, and Rincon Valley Junior High School from 1987-1997, as BJ Van Noy’s choreographer and asst. director of her Music Program. Starr’s tap mentor was a Vaudeville and later Broadway song and Dance man by the name of Jack Williams. Starr studied with Jack for almost 20 years., until his waning years. Tap, which is a magical form of dance, btw, is Starr’s first dance love, next to swing, salsa, and partner dancing, and then just plain social, wild hippie dancing at concerts. Starr also teaches Private Tap Lessons for any level dancer. Starr has a studio at her home.

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Let's Tap!

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