Posts Tagged ‘Karen Callaway Williams’

The first annual Jersey Tap Fest will offer classes, a jam session, and a concert finale July 14 to 17 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

The festival is the brainchild of Hillary-Marie Michael, a New Jersey-born tap soloist, choreographer, and teacher.

The faculty, in addition to Michael, will include Harold “Stumpy” Cromer, Karen Callaway Williams, Maurice Chestnut, Nicki Denner, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Jeffry Foote, Yvette Glover, Jason Janas, Logan Miller, Deborah Mitchell, Sarah Reich, Jenne Vermes, Dorothy Wasserman, and Kyle Wilder.

Master classes are $30 for the first class and $25 for subsequent classes; tickets to the jam, student showcase, panel discussion, and the history and music theory classes are $10. Package deals are available, from $195 for a youth package for 8- to 12-year-olds to $325 for an “ultimate package.”

The festival-ending performance on July 17 will include Cromer, Williams, and many of the other faculty members, as well as Tap Con Sabor, the New Jersey Tap Ensemble, and other acts. Tickets range from $30 to $20.

To buy tickets or learn more, visit www.jerseytapfest.com.

Karen Callaway Williams, a charter member of the New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble, has just had her first children’s book published. Gabriella’s Tap Shoes tells the story of a precocious little girl who wants to duplicate the sound of tap shoes but has trouble finding the right type of metal to place on the bottom of her shoes.

The 28-page paperback from BookSurge Publishing is illustrated by Patricia A. Carroll and available on Amazon.com. It’s meant for youngsters who read at the age-9-to-12 level.