Dance Magazine, September 2012

"Making It Happen: Tapping Into What Students Want"

by Victoria Looseleaf

Senior dance major and National Society of Collegiate Scholars member, Megan Drabant, has been working to increase both the number of students interested in taking tap dance classes at Wayne State and the number of tap courses offered in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance. Drabant says the department's tap dance students range from theatre and dance majors to those studying political science. "Tap is a good form for those with no dance experience," she explains. "There's a strong history behind it. You also learn a lot of rhythmic musicality that helps you in other forms, and it's another skill you can have in your tool belt when you go to an audition." Jeff Rebudal, associate professor and area head of dance at Wayne State, agrees that the benefits of studying tap carry over into other genres. "The challenges of those polyrhythms help a dancer in learning how to move through space," he observes. A performance photo of Drabant, with fellow dance major Craig Fuchs, is included.

http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/September-2012/Making-It-Happen-Tapping-Into-What-Students-Want