Championships 1991-2023 By Michael Wendt, Germany
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Histry of the IDO World Tap dance, Championships 1991-2023
Editor: Michael Wendt
Design: Michael Wendt, Siniša Tomić
Copyright: © IDO International Dance Organization
Year and Place of Publication: 2024, Banja Luka
Publisher: PRIMAPROM, Banja Luka
For the Publisher: Duško Vrhovac
Print Run: 20
CIP - Каталогизација у публикацији Народна и универзитетска библиотека Републике Српске, Бања Лука
793:06.063"1991/2023"
WENDT, Michael
History of the IDO World Tap dance, : championships 1991- 2023 / Michael Wendt. - Banja Luka : Primaprom, 2024 (Banja Luka : Markos design & print studio). - 637 стр. : илустр ; 30 cm На насл. стр.: A hommage to 30 years of excellent competitive IDO tap dance. - Тираж 20.
ISBN 978-99976-29-85-2
COBISS.RS-ID 141573377
*This publications is educational material and it is for non-comercial use.
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Acknowledgements
The most important support, I would acknowledge here first, came from my dear wife Christa Wendt. She has always supported me organizing events and who has always kept my back free so I was able to pursue this career. Without Christa there would not have been any World Tap dance championships of the International Dance Organization (IDO) on this level for such a long time. I would also like to acknowledge the work of my daughter Anja and my son Philip. Both my kids started contributing to the championships from a young age. Starting with age-appropriate tasks and bringing themselves in, they developed their own networks and capabilities over the years. It was such a pleasure to observe this process. Philip married Camilla Humphrey, daughter of the late influential South African dance teacher Sharon Humphrey. Thus, our family is deeply intertwined with the World Championships and Riesa. I would like to acknowledge also the late Bill Fowler, Jr. who has been a most valued partner, advisor and friend. In 2010, I wrote a first version of the IDO history which he edited. This process and his edits have guided me in this compilation of the championships. Last but not least, I must acknowledge the approximately 22.000 tap dancers who competed during the 29 years of the IDO World Tap dance Championships in the German cities Hamburg, Dresden, Berlin and Riesa. Further, I acknowledge all the work of the judges and IDO officials who also made this series of IDO World Tap dance Championships so successful.
Finally, I acknowledge the crucial role the City of Riesa has played in the years of the World Championships.
Thank you, everyone!
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
CONTENTS
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 1
Foreword of Mr. Marco Müller, Lord Mayor of the City of Riesa...................................................... 4
Message of Mrs. Nancy Chippendale.............................................................................................. 6
Message form Southafrica ............................................................................................................... 7
What is tap dance? .......................................................................................................................... 8
Development of the IDO World Tap Dance Championships ........................................................... 9
A brief overlook about the IDO World Tap dance Championships.................................................. 9
1990 - The IDO-story started in the Congress Center Hamburg, Germany.................................. 10
1991 - 1 st IDO World Tap dance Championship............................................................................ 11
1992 - 2 nd IDO World Tap dance Championship ........................................................................... 15
Initiating Tap dance Formations .................................................................................................... 19
1993 - 3 rd IDO World Tap dance Championship ........................................................................... 20
1994 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 22
1995 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 29
1996 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 38
1997 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 51
1998 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 64
1999 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 74
This was new in 1999 .................................................................................................................... 75
2000 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................... 88
2001 North American Tap Dance Festival..................................................................................... 99
2001 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 105
2002 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 116
2003 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 124
2004 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 133
2005 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 145
..................................................................................................................................................... 146
Tap dance Championships connect people ................................................................................ 159
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
2006 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 160
Implementation of “Adults” II instead of “Seniors” ....................................................................... 176
2007 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 177
New Category Production “World Cups” ..................................................................................... 178
2008 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 196
2009 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 215
2010 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 231
2011 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 253
Battle of the Feet ......................................................................................................................... 256
2012 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 270
2013 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 293
2014 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 317
2015 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 342
2016 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 361
2017 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 393
Message from Australia ............................................................................................................... 429
2018 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 430
2019 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 457
2020 - IDO World Tap dance Championships - Tap dance UNLIMITED.................................... 495
2021 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 495
2022 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 496
2023 - IDO World Tap dance Championships............................................................................. 497
Thank you, City of Riesa ............................................................................................................. 497
Thank you, Christa and Michael Wendt ...................................................................................... 499
Statistics ...................................................................................................................................... 522
Numbers of medals and placings in the finals between 1991 and 2019 ..................................... 525
Total medal list 1991-2019 .......................................................................................................... 531
Chairpersons of the IDO Tap dance Committee ......................................................................... 532
Scruteneers at the IDO World Tap dance Championships ......................................................... 532
IDO Executive Secretary & Presidents........................................................................................ 532
IDO Hall of Fame & IDO Awards ................................................................................................. 533
Judging Tap dance ...................................................................................................................... 535
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Lord Mayors of Riesa................................................................................................................... 540
Managing Directors of the FVG Riesa mbH ................................................................................ 540
“Wendt - Team” .............................................................................................................................. 540
Who’s Who ................................................................................................................................... 541
Abbreviations & IDO age groups / categories ............................................................................. 634
Other important World Dance Sport Federations ........................................................................ 635
Video-Team and Photographers ................................................................................................. 636
My memory .................................................................................................................................. 637
Interesting information about tap dance ...................................................................................... 637
Special Thanks ............................................................................................................................ 637
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Introduction
Many people have asked me why I wrote this book. It started with having more time available during the Corona lockdowns. I started compiling the statistics for each year of the IDO World Tap Dance championships. At first, this was just a project I explored but I became quite determined to get all the facts together. I found that I had two reasons to compile the history and create this book. One reason is that I am very proud of having initiated, founded and ran this marvellous IDO World Tap dance Championship since 1991 for 28 1 years until 2019. As far as I’m aware, there is no other comparable Tap Dance Championship. And even if there is a championship, it would not have been running for such a long time with such a large amount of participants. I am also proud of the fair structure and the clear dance rules. These were built up by Bill Fowler,developed by the IDO over the years, and applied by professional IDO tap dance judges who are well trained to give each performance the same chance to win. The second reason for compiling this history is that I would like to acknowledge the more than 20.000 wonderful tap dancers from all over the world who have been competing. Tracing the 28 years, I could see the absolutely stunning levels of talent, skills and entertainment which has been shown on the stages. All competitors in the finals have been performing on highest international levels. Many of them have decided to become successful professional dancers, choreographers or to open their own studio to give their experience to younger dancers. This is so amazing and extraordinary. Please read about the personal stories in the “Who is w ho” and the special “messages” messages in the next section. My initial plan was to dig out the first years. I was setting out to list the names of the winners and outstanding dancers. But once I started, I couldn’t let go and continued from the first to the latest performances. I focussed on the adult division of the finals, leaving out children, junior and senior/adults 2 for now. Revisiting those amazing performances, I wanted to acknowledge them with this compilation.
Please note that Tap Dance Productions were included in the World Championships only in 2007 onwards. I am listing only the top three productions in each year. The IDO website has published additional results.
Methodology
How did I approach this project? I actually watched all the videos of the adult finals since 1991. Thankfully Detlev Kruse has been filming all of our championships. He was able and very nice to provide all videos in a digital format. This enabled me to take screenshots of performances and add images to this compilation. There is an image of every performance of the finals, carefully selected to showcase interesting and impressive moves, stops and poses. I also compiled all the names and details. In the first years, I received them via fax. Since 2007, there is a digital enrolment platform which made it easy to copy the names and details. Some of the records are confusing as they are collectively enrolled by the national representatives and the spelling of repeating participants vary over the years. One and the same person can have multiple spellings depending on who enrolled them. It also varies how groups name their performance. Some use the dancing school and country, some the title of their music.
1 In 1993 the IDO World Tap dance Championships have been organized by my friend and colleague late Gery Bucher in Switzerland
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
To personalise this compilation further, I have added some annecdotes and special memories of the specific year or act. Since these are my personal memories, it might not be representable as the compiled data of finalists. But, I added them to flavour the dry statistics. Bill Fowler Already in 2010 I started to write a first “History” and asked my late dear friend and colleague, Mr. Bill Fowler from Boston, USA to rewrite my text in better English language and to add what he thought should be added. He re-wrote the whole text and we published it in the IDO- Website for a long time as “IDO - History” - though it was “only” about tap dance. Consequently and with the best memories and respect to Bill I used his text as a guideline until 2010 - always marking what is Bill’s text and mine. I appreciate his valuable text and professional inputs as truly important because this came “right form the horses mouth” als Bill used to say. Bill and I shared our love for all “our” tap danc ers from where they came in the world of tap dance. The text parts from Bill are formatted in Arial Narrow to distinguish what is Bill’s text and what is mine. This book is written for everybody who is interested in the IDO World Tap Dance Championships. It is for those who participated and helped to create such an impressive event. It is also a recording of unforgettable results for the dancers, choreographers, studios and national federations. These can be used in bios, CVs and websites. Libraries and official publishers in tap dance should include the content and names. It also showed the importance of tap dance. The music has changed from the early days and the glorious times of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and many wonderful others. Today tap dance is very lively and uses every kind of music, from classical, to hip hop, latin American or African music, from musicals - mainstream music, special music, swing and jazz, modern and/or ballet - everything which is in or out. Following this introduction, I have added messages from people who were or are important for the IDO Tap dance Championships in Riesa. This is just a selection aiming to represent the variety of supporters for this event. I have asked current and former participants and officials like Riesa’s Lord Mayor, Mr. Marco Müller , and the Message of the IDO-Tap Dance Committee Chairperson, our dear colleague and friend, Mrs. Nancy Chippendale. Additionally, there is a Who is Who collection of standout competitors and supporters. I came to Tap dance because I liked it. I was never a good dancer but I enjoyed organising exiting dance events. I had not trained to be a tap dancer, I have never been a choreograph or earned my money by teaching tap dance. So, I left judging to the judges. I felt it was important to not interfere with the judges decisions. I always aimed to run fair competitions and created the grounds for it. How it began Being a member of the German Dance Teacher Association and thus also a World Dance Council (WDC) member, I have organised WDC competitions for a number of years. These were Standard and Latin American dance competitions on a smaller scale than the Tap Dance Championships. When exploring new dance styles with new audiences, Mr. Gerry Bucher in Switzerland introduced me to the International Dance Organisation. So, I learned about a variety of new dance styles like Disco Dance, Show Dance and Boogie Woogie. Mr. Moreno Polidory, the Italian founder of the IDO, envisioned a new dance federation for the Mediterranean countries with a focus on trendy dance styles for young people. Meanwhile, I envisioned a world wide dance sport federation covering possibly any existing dance style. My aim was to give competitions a structure and ensure fairness.
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Out of that merge between Moreno Polidori and my visions, today’s IDO was born. This enabled the World Championships in Tap Dance. When I hired the Dutch professional tap dancer Peter van Ettinger in 1990 who introduced tap dance to my dancing school in Hamburg, Germany, I was thrilled. As I mentioned, I loved tap dance and I was ready to develop that love further. In 1991, we held the first Tap Dance World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Parallel to these events, I made contact with Mr. Vincent Bulger in New Jersey, USA. Vincent was one of the vice presidents of the WDC and president of Fred Astaire International (FADI) a tap dance organisation. Vincent introduced me to other members of the tap dance community in the USA which enabled me to attract high quality US-American and Canadian dancers to the Tap Dance World Championships. These championships would have been otherwise a mostly European competition. The Americans and also the South Africans transformed the competition into a world competition. Later, Australian, Japanese, Hong Kong and Singapore competitors expanded this inter-continentality further from Asia & Pacific as well as tap dancers from Mexico and Brazil.
Please enjoy reading the stories!
Summer 2022 Hamburg, Germany
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Vorwort von Marco Müller, Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Riesa Foreword of Mr. Marco Müller, Lord Mayor of the City of Riesa
Photo 1 - Mr. Marco Müller, Lord Mayor of the City of Riesa - Photo City of Riesa
Eine Chronik des Stepptanzes in der International Dance Organization ist ohne den Part, den die Stadt Riesa dabei spielt, völlig undenkbar. A chronic of the Tap dance World Championships is not thinkable without mentioning the City of Riesa. Die Riesaer IDO Tanzwochen sind eine riesengroße Erfolgsgeschichte. Dazu gehört fast in jedem Jahr die IDO-Showdance-Weltmeisterschaft. Mehrmals konnten wir auch hochklassige IDO-Wettbewerbe in anderen Tanzstilen erleben. Den stabilsten Faktor über die gesamte Zeit hinweg bilden jedoch die Tapdance-Weltmeisterschaften. Seit der Riesaer Premiere im Jahr 1997 hat sich dieses Championat stetig weiterentwickelt. Das gilt für den „Sprung“ aus der Stadthalle „ S tern“ über die WM -Sporthalle in unsere große SACHSENarena, aber es gilt auch für die Zahl der teilnehmenden Tänzer und der Nationen, aus denen sie kommen. Unübersehbar ist jedoch die Steigerung der tänzerischen Qualität. Geradezu faszinierend sind der Ideenreichtum, die Kreativität, die technischen Perfektion und die wundervollen Shows, die in jedem Jahr präsentiert werden. The „IDO - Dance Weeks in Riesa” are a story of huge success. This includes each year the IDO World Showdance Championships. Very often we could enjoy first class IDO-competitions in other dance styles. Most stable over the whole time have been the IDO World Tap dance Championships. Since the launch in 1997 these championships have developed. This contains the leap from the City hall “Stern” via the Riesa Sporthall into our big SACHSENarena and it applies also to the amount of participating Tap dancers and the countries they are coming from. Unmistakable is the development of the technical perfection and the stunning shows presented each year. Die wunderschöne Geschichte der Riesaer Weltmeisterschaften und der freundschaftlichen Begegnungen von Menschen aus aller Welt ist nur durch das Engagement der vielen begeisterten Freunde des Tanzsports möglich. Dazu zählen die Tänzerinnen und Tänzer von allen Kontinenten, die Choreografen und Trainer, die Verantwortlichen der IDO um den „spiritus rector“ Michael Wendt und natürlich die Familien, Freunde und Fans aus vielen Ländern unserer Erde. Sie treffen hier in Riesa und in ganz Sachsen sehr freundliche, begeisterungsfähige Menschen, denen es eine Ehre und Freude ist, die Gäste aus aller Welt zu empfangen. Die Mitarbeiter der FVG in unserer Arena geben immer wieder ihr Bestes, um die Tanzevents höchst professionell zu organisieren und optimale Bedingungen für die Wettbewerbe und für alle Teams zu garantieren. This wonderful story of the Riesa-World Championships und the friendly encounter of people from all over the world is only possible because of the engagement of the many enthusiastic friends of dance sport. This means the competitors from all continents, the choreographers and trainers, the IDO officials around the „spiritus rector“ Michael Wendt and also the families, friends and supporters from many countries of our earth. They all meet here in Riesa and in the whole of the state of Saxony very friendly and enthusiastic people, whom it is honour and pleasure together to welcome the guests from all over the world. Also the
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
staff of our FVG in the SACHSENarena will do their best to organize everything in a high professional manner and to guarantee optimal conditions for the competitions and for all teams . Als Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Riesa war es mir vergönnt, sehr viele in diesem Buch erwähnte Menschen persönlich kennenzulernen. Ich darf guten Gewissens sagen: Sie alle sind mir und vielen Riesaerinnen und Riesaern ans Herz gewachsen. Das gilt natürlich ebenso für viele tausend Sportlerinnen und Sportler und für die zahlreichen Besucher aus aller Welt, die in mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten bei uns zu Gast sein konnten. Der Begriff der „Tanz - Familie“ ist gelebte Realität. Das macht den Reiz und den menschlichen Wert dieser wunderbaren Riesaer Tanz-Tradition aus. As Lord Mayor of the City of Riesa I was granted to me to have known many people named in this book personally. I n good conscience I may say: They all have grown dear to my and the citizens of Riesa’s hearts. This - off course - applies also to the many thousand dancers and the numerous visitors from all over the world, who were our guests in Riesa during these two decades. The expression “Tap dance family” is lived reality. You read it all over in the book. That's what makes it so attractive and is the human worth of this exceptional dance tradition in Riesa. Ich wünsche diesem Buch viele interessierte Leserinnen und Leser und uns allen weiterhin viel Freude bei einer der emotionalsten und faszinierendsten Sportarten, die es gibt – Tapdance! Wir hoffen gemeinsam, dass es 2022 endlich wieder heißt: „See you in Riesa!“ I do wish to this book numerous interested readers und all of us furthermore great fun with one of the most fascinating kind of dance sport - Tap dance! L ast not least let me hope that in November 2022 we all may say again: “See you in Riesa!”.
Mit den herzlichsten Grüßen
W ith warmest regards
Marco Müller
Marco Müller Lord Mayor City of Riesa
Oberbürgermeister
Stadt Riesa
Photo 2 - from left: Michael Wendt, IDO-President, Marco Müller, Lord Mayor of Riesa, Mrs. Manuela Langer, CEO-FVG- Riesa, signing the next year’s contracts - www.tonyfoto.de
Photo 3 - from left: Marco Müller, Lord Mayor of Riesa, Nancy Chippendale, IDO Chairperson of the IDO-Tap dance Committee, Michael Wendt, IDO President and Gloria-Jean Cummings, Board of IDO-USA - www.tonyfoto.de
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Message of Mrs. Nancy Chippendale Chairperson of the IDO Tap dance Committee
I am honoured to write a message for Michael Wendt’s book on the history of the IDO Tap Championships. Participating in the championships has changed the lives of so many people over the years and I am beyond grateful to be a part of the IDO family. It all started when my mother signed me up for tap lessons when I was just a little girl. Neither one of us would have dreamed of where tap dance would take me over the years. After growing up in Ohio, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts when I was 18 years old and opened a dance studio. Although I only had ten students that first year, each year the business grew and since 1979 thousands of dancers have tapped their way through my studio.
In 2004, my colleague and dear friend, Bill Fowler, recruited me to bring my tap dancers to Riesa, Germany to compete at the IDO WORLD TAP CHAMPIONSHIPS for what I thought would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Little did I know at that time that I would be traveling to Germany every year with a team of dancers ready to compete proudly wearing their red, white and blue. Winning gold medals is a thrill of a lifetime for the dancers, family members and choreographers. When Team USA sings th e National Anthem as our Nation’s flag is raised to the rafters, the hours of rehearsals and sacrifice makes this moment worth every bit of hard work. But winning at this IDO event is not the only reward. After meeting such wonderful people in Riesa, my husband Bob and our three daughters Karen, Kelli and Krissy and I started an exchange program with Kerstin Albrecht from Germany. We invited her dancers to travel to Boston, Massachusetts to attend our festival, Tap United. The dancers stayed with host families from my studio who welcomed them into their homes, exchanged information about our cultures and enjoyed exploring the Boston area. We culminated the week with a Tap United show where USA and German dancers shared their talents on stage. Next came t he Britts led by Jo Scanlan who brought members of her company’s TAP ATTACK to Boston. We have also hosted the Swiss Team led by Daniel Borak and the Polish Team led by Sylwana Patlaszynska. Over the 15 years of our festival, we have hosted dancers from all over the USA, Germany, England, Canada, Mexico, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine and Australia who all train and perform together in a show. We have also been honored to have Michael Wendt, the IDO Honorary Lifetime President, join us and perform the Master of Ceremony duties several times. The lives of our dance families have been enriched and changed forever due to the hard work of the IDO Tap Championship organizer, Michael Wendt. We are all so very grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Germany, compete on the world stage and meet lifelong friends. I can’t wait to walk into the Sachsen Arena next year and see all of the tap community come together again.
Big applause to Michael Wendt for producing this book so that we can reminisce about how the IDO Tap Championships began and look forward to making new memories with old and new friends.
Who would have thought that tap dancing would be the medium for bringing people together from all over the world, helping us learn and understand each other’s cultures and making friendships to last a lifetime?
Happy Tapping Always! Nancy Chippendale
USA Choreographer, USDSCF, Vice President, IDO Tap Committee Chairwoman and IDO Judge
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Message form Southafrica
In 2003, I travelled to Riesa Germany for the very first time to do my Tap dance solo in the IDO World Tap Dance Championships. There were only 2 South African dancers in our team that year (including myself). I remember walking off the Riesa stage after the first round and Mr. Michael Wendt was handing out Santa Clause chocolates to each of the competitors in my section, and it was at that moment that I knew this stage would become my favourite stage in the world. Since then, I have returned year after year and only grown more fond of the beautiful city of Riesa, my fellow dancers from all over the world, the organisers that have become friends and the IDO brand. I have so many wonderful memories of my IDO career, from making my first final, to reading my final mark in “Open Scoring” which resulted in placing first, to putting my first choreography and students on the very same stage I knew so many years back would be so special to me.
Photo 4 - Coralle Robynne Versfeld - www.tonyfoto.de
IDO has afforded me the opportunity to dance with both my brothers and be on the National South African Dance Team with them, as well as with my mother. This has possibly been my most cherished memory of them all. I would never have had the opportunity to be on a team and share my love for Tap dance with my family if it had not been for IDO. Another very fond and special memory for me was receiving a porcelain plate from Meissen in 2017 along with my brother, Taylor-Lee Versfeld for being a long-time supporter and friend of the City of Riesa.
Thank you IDO, Mr. Michael Wendt, City of Riesa and all who are involved in making this event the highlight of my year and for helping me make memories and friends that I will never forget.
Coralle Robynne Versfeld Dancer | Teacher | Choreographer Johannesburg South Africa
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
What is tap dance?
Most of you reading this history, are deeply involved in tap dance and will not need an introduction. However, to complete a proper introductory part, I would like to add this brief section for those who are not familiar with this dance style. I’m using Nancy Chippendale’s words to start with the simple description of tap dance: ” Tap dance is a type of dance characterized by using the sounds of metal taps affixed to the heel and toe of shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion, coupled with both characteristic and interpretative body movements ” . Tap dance originates in North America and has evolved over about 300 years. This dance style began as a fusion of British and West African musical and tapping dance style traditions such as the Irish jig and the West African globe. The latter represented sacred and secular stepping dances. The jig and the gioube mutated in the 18 th century in the southern United States into the American jig and juba.
In the 19 th century, this combination turned into jigging and was taken up by white and black minstrel-show dancers who developed tap into a popular nineteenth-century stage entertainment.
Early styles of tapping utilized hard-soled shoes, clogs or hobnailed boots. It was not until the early decades of the twentieth century that metal plates (or taps) appeared on the shoes of dancers on the Broadway musical stage. In the 20 th century, the difference between white and black professional dancers became more distinct. Particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, white dancers were educated in dance studios while black dancers developed their dance in their communities by learning from each other. Such a community would be the Hoofers Club in Harlem where dancers shared and stole steps and challenged each other. This segregation led to different tap styles. White dancers performed a so-called Broadway-show style while black dancers excelled in rhythm tap.
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Development of the IDO World Tap Dance Championships In 1991 we started with 51 competitors from 11 different countries in Hamburg, Germany, on one evening. After 29 years of IDO World Tap Dance Championships, we look back at over 22,000 dancers from 37 countries and 5 continents who participated in the competitions in Hamburg, Dresden and Berlin over the years. Annually, about 1,300 to 1,500 competitors participate each year. These participants usually come from about 28 countries. The event which filled once one single evening has grown into a 5 full day competition, peaking into the Grand Final. These days are enriched by master classes by former IDO World Tap Dance champions and finalists.
A brief overlook about the IDO World Tap dance Championships
1991 Hamburg, Germany 1991 Hamburg, Germany 1992 Hamburg, Germany 1993 Sursee, Switzerland 1994 Dresden, Germany 1995 Dresden, Germany 1996 Dresden, Germany 1997 Riesa, Germany 1998 Riesa, Germany 1999 Berlin, Germany
Congress Center Hamburg Congress Center Hamburg Congress Center Hamburg
Adults Adults Adults Adults
Solos/Duos Solos/duos Solos/duos Solos/duos Solos/duos
Kulturpalast / Culture Palace Adults Kulturpalast / Culture Palace Adults
S/D/Formations S/D/Formations S/D/Formations S/D/Formations
World Trade Center
Adults
Stadthalle STERN / City hall STERN Adults
WM-Halle
Adults
Estrell Hotel and Convention Center Adults
S/D/Small groups/ Form.
Senior Formations
2000 Riesa, Germany
SachsenARENA
Adults Senior
solos (f&m),/D/SG/Form
formations
2001 Riesa, Germany 2002 Riesa, Germany 2003 Riesa, Germany 2004 Riesa, Germany 2005 Riesa, Germany 2006 Riesa, Germany 2007 Riesa, Germany 2008 Riesa, Germany 2009 Riesa, Germany 2010 Riesa, Germany 2011 Riesa, Germany 2012 Riesa, Germany 2013 Riesa, Germany 2014 Riesa, Germany 2015 Riesa, Germany 2016 Riesa, Germany 2017 Riesa, Germany 2018 Riesa, Germany
SachsenARENA SachsenARENA
"" ""
Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas Arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena Erdgas arena
New: Children & adults, ""
From now on: Children, Juniors and Adults.
New: Productions
New: Children, juniors, adults Trios Adults II (small groups & formations)
New: Small groups with live music - until 2010
New:
BATTLE OF THE FEET
SACHSENarena SACHSENarena SACHSENarena SACHSENarena SACHSENarena
New:
“groups”
2019 Riesa, Germany SACHSENarena 2020 Online “Riesa Tap 2020 - Unlimited” Virtual memories of 20 years of tap dance in Riesa 2022 Velika Gorica, Croatia 2023 Riesa, Germany WT Vetriebsarena Riesa
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
1990 - The IDO-story started in the Congress Center Hamburg, Germany At the International Dance Festival Hamburg (ITF) In 1990 we started the ITF with the IDO-Boogie-Woogie & Swing Dance World Championships, The IDO World Cup Showdance Formations and World Cup A crobatic Rock’n’ Roll.
Photo 5 - Poster of the 1. ITF - scan
Photo 6 - CCH - from the air - Photo from the website www.cch.de
Photo 7 - Congress Centrum Hamburg - CCH incl. Radisson Hotel
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
1991 - 1 st IDO World Tap dance Championship This first World Tap Dance Championship took place in the Congress Center Hamburg, Germany – hall 1 - with a big theatre stage and 3.000 spectators (fully occupied) in 1991. We had 90 minutes regional TV coverage (NDR3) in North Germany and other German regional programs It was the talk of the town.
Photo 9 - Semi-finals 1991 - scan
Photo 8 - Start lists Show dance Formations & Tap dance - scan
Photo 10 - Diploma - scan
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Photo 11 - All competitors together with the Hamburg Tap professional, Mr. Peter van Ettinger, doing an amazing opening show with all competitors - video scan
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Results of the 1 st IDO World Tap dance Championship 1991 1. Mr. László Bóbis Hungary 2. Mr. Thierry Verrier France 3. Mr. Rocco Gaudimonte Italy 4. Mr. Mathieu Ribet & Mr. Laurant Guilleaume, France 5. Mr. Alexej and Mr. Gennadiy Liakhof Soviet Union 6. Ms. Tracy Bell Great Britain 7. Mr. Miroslav Spáčil Czechoslovakia 2
Photo 12 - László Bóbis, Hungary - video scan
Photo 13 - Thierry Verrier, France - video scan
Photo 14 - Rocco Gaudimonte, Italy - video scan
Photo 15 - Mathieu Ribet & Laurant Guilleaume, France - video scan
Photo 17 - Tracy Bell, Great Britain - video scan
Photo 16 - Alexej and Gennadiy Liakhof, Soviet Union - video scan
2 The country of Czechoslovakia was combining the later Czech Republic and Slovak Republic until they both split in 1992
Photo 18 - Miroslav Spáčil, Czechoslovakia - video scan
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
EXCEPTIONAL & OUTSTANDING Mr. László Bóbis from Hungary won the first gold medal ever in the IDO World Tap dance Championships in Hamburg, 1991 and again later in Dresdenin 1994. Afterwards he competed with his partner Mr. Arpad Pirovits as a duo. He went on to become a dance teacher and some of his students won the Small Group category. For many times they placed on medal levels and ALWAYS were in the finals when they competed. Side story - Russia To be able to compete, the Russian brothers Gennadiy and Aleksey Liahkov needed a paid performance. I arranged such a show with the German Autoclub who had a gala in another hall of the Congress Center. In the end, we had to wait with the finals because the Autoclub was late and they had not finished their performance.
Photo 19 - Gennadyi & Aleksey Liahkov from Moscow, USSR - photo by the brothers
Side story - USA The USA had sent a fabulous tap dancer, Ritchie, who was unfortunately too young to compete. To honour his great talent and the effort of the journey to compete, we worked out that he performed a show instead of competing. The audience loved him and went crazy and gave him Standing Ovations.
14
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
1992 - 2 nd IDO World Tap dance Championship This also took place in the Congress Center Hamburg - hall 1 and 2. The venue was sold out by 5.000 guests in the afternoon and in the evening and we had regional tv-coverage (NDR3). Truly a “ real ” world Championship - but “ tiny ” compared to today.
Explanation: German laguage: Weltmeisterschaft Step- Tanz ’92 English language World Tap dance Championships 1992
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Photo 20 - Start list of the 2 nd IDO World Tap dance Championship 1992 - scan of the promotion flyer
15
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Results 1992 1.
Mr. Pavel Hrubec Mr. László Bóbis Mr. Therry Verrier
Czechoslovakia
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Hungary
France
Mr. Francesco Vaccaluzzo
Germany
Mr. Matthias Meusel & Ms. Karin Kilchling Germany
Mr. Bernd Paffrath Ms. Dayle Farell
Germany
Southafrica
Photo 21 - Pavel Hrubec, Prague, Czechoslovakia - Thomas Metelmann
Photo 22 - László Bóbis, Hungary - video scan
Photo 23 - Therry Verrier, France - video scan
Photo 25 - Matthias Meusel and Karin Kilchling, Freiburg, Germany - Thomas Metelmann
Photo 24 - Francesco Vaccaluzzo - Germany video scan
Photo 26 - Bernd Paffrath, Leverkusen, Germany - Thomas Metelmann
Photo 27 - Dayle Farell Southafrica - video scan
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Photo 28 - The finalists - Thomas Metelmann, Hamburg
Photo 29 - Article from the Hamburger Abendblatt (Hamburg evening news) - scan
17
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Side story Traditionally I used to ask the winner for a winner’s dance 3 but the new World Champion Pavel Hrubec did not wear tap shoes on stage at the prize giving ceremony. So he went to the center of the stage. put his finger to his lips towards the audience to keep them silent and did an a-capella 4 show with normal shoes. I knelt down at him to lowered my mc-mic to Pavel’s shoes to get a bit of sound from his performance. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop in the big hall with 3.000 spectators and live tv…… only Pavel Hrubec with his amazing winner’s show. Afterwards the audience went crazy with standing ovations. Everybody felt the shivering on their back. Again the talk of the town.
Side Story Mr. Vin cent Bulger † - representative of FADI (Fred Astaire Dance International) kindly allowed us to use the great photo of Fred Astaire as Corporate Image for promoting the IDO World Tap dance Championship in Hamburg 1992 and later. Vincent was very proud to be invited and did the honouring of the winners under the big banner of Fred Astaire very nicely. He became a close friend of us and the IDO - representing the USA in IDO for a while until Bill Fowler took over.
Photo 30 - MC Michael Wendt informs Mr. Vincent Bulger about a procedure - video scan
3 Today this is also in use - mostly for the formation winners. 4 “A capella” means to (sing or) to dance without accompanying music and beat
18
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Initiating Tap dance Formations Following th success of the Show dance Formations in the IDO I planned implementing Tap dance Formations into the roster of categories at the IDO World Tap dance Championships and invited the Musical Tap Company 5 to perform a promotion performance. The choreograph, Uwe Meusel, used an exciting Rock’n’Roll music called “Roll’em!” Everybody in the audience was “rocked and rolled” and convinced. And later in Dresden 1995 the IDO implemented Tap dance Formations in the roster of categories The Tap dance ormations stayed in the IDO until today and for many people they are the “Cream in the Crop” at IDO Championships and Cups.
Photo 31 - The first IDO World Tap dance Formation Champions in Dresden, Germany in 1995 - Gloria Jean's dancers “rocked the hall” , New Haven CT, USA - Photo Geko
5 A famous tap dance studio in Freiburg, Germany directed by Matthias Meusel
19
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
1993 - 3 rd IDO World Tap dance Championship
“ The Tap Dance World Championship was moved to Sursee, Switzerland in the third year. Although America was involved before, a brilliant young tap dancer from America surfaced, by the name of Matthew Clark . Although the Championship was won by an outstanding riveting young tap dancer from Spain whose name is Ortega . Matthew charmed everyone involved and was the heartthrob of the international audience. An interesting situation occurred resulting in a new IDO rule. The routine that Ortega presented was done "a cappella" which means without music. Since timing the dance would be very difficult, and require timing every round, a new rule was put into effect, which required all a cappella tap to be contained within the music, be no longer than 30 seconds and never at the begi nning or the end of the routine” 6
Unfortunately there are no photos and/or additional results available..
6 Text from Bill Fowler † from his “History of IDO Tap dance”
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
The next 3 years in Dresden, Germany
Photo 32 - Poster of the event
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30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
1. KARSTADT DRESDEN Dance Cup ‘ 94 1994 - IDO World Tap dance Championships In the Culture Palace, Dresden
Photo 33 - The Culture Palace in Dresden - Photo from their website
In Dresden, Germany Mrs. Antoinette Pospischil was hosting the event with her company GeKo - Gesellschaft für Kommunikation, (Winnenden in Germany), sponsored by the famous department store Karstadt Dresden, BMW and Europe Car under the patronage of the former “German Federal President's" wife, the wonderful late Mrs. Christiane Herzog . This event was run as a charity benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was called the “ Karstadt Dresden Dance Cup ” . “ For two years, 1994 & 1995, the event was staged at the majestic Dresden Kulturpalast. With its magnificent stage, lighting and sound, it was a perfect setting for a World Class Event. Many social events surrounded this event, which included the President and Mrs. Herzog in 1994. ” 7
Photo 34 - IDO General Secretary Mr. Moreno Polidori talks with Mrs. Marianne Herzog - Photo Geko
Photo 35 - IDO General Secretary Mr. Moreno Polidori and the most charming secretary Ms. Francesca Christoffaro - T he “heart of the IDO -office in Florence” - with organizer and MC, Mr. Michael Wendt from Hamburg, Germany at the prestigious reception before the Grand Finals - Photo GeKo
7 B. Fowler † - history of tap
22
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
“ 1994 will also be remembered as the beginning of the World Tap Dance Formation Championships. This was the result of the fascinating tap formation team, choreographed by Mr. Uwe Meusel from Freiburg, Germany who presented a unique and entertaining Basketball Tap Routine, which the audience loved, Musical Tap Dance Company and Uwe Meusel.” 8 Furthermore, in 1994 the National Dance Council of America, the largest dance federation in the world, sent one of the most well-known tap dance masters, Mr. William “ Bill ” Fowler jr † , as an Observer and Judge to the Tap Dance Championships. Bill Fowler was the Artistic Director of the Fowler Dance Studios in Medford/Boston Massachusetts, an institution that “ produced ” so many famous dancers for “ Broadway ” and “ Hollywood ” . Bill realized the importance and success of this World Event. During the following years, together with Mrs. Gloria Jean Cuming , he brought many wonderful Tap and Show dance teams to Europe. He was also a major contributor to the reconstruction of IDO and served as IDO Senior Vice President and then as IDO President. Bill left us much too early in 2017. In other words: this was the historical moment when one of the most remarkable Dance and Tap dance Experts in the world entered the IDO scene by person taking over the technical parts of the IDO Tap Dance World Championships: Mr. Bill Fowler † .
Photo 36 - from left Matthew Clark & Tiffany N. Hilliard, László Bóbis and Fabrice Martin - Photo GeKo
8 B. Fowler † - history of tap
23
30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Results 1994 1. Mr. László Bóbis
Hungary
2. Mr. Matthew Clark and Ms. Tiffany N. Hilliard
USA
3. Mr. Fabrice Martin 4. Mr. Bernd Paffrath 5. Ms. Linda Abate
Switzerland
Germany
USA
6. Ms. Kerstin Albrecht & Mr. Oliver Bahle
Germany
7. Mr. Pavel Hrubec
Czechoslovakia
.
Photo 38 - Matthew Clark & Tiffany N. Hilliard, USA - GeKo
Photo 39 - Fabrice Martin, Lausanne Switzerland - GeKo
Photo 37 - László Bóbis, Hungary - Photo GeKo
Photo 40 - Bernd Paffrath Germany - GeKo
Photo 41 - Linda Abate, USA - GeKo
Photo 42 - Kerstin Albrecht & Mr. Oliver Bahle, Germany - Photo Kerstin Albrecht
Photo 43 - Pavel Hrubec, Czechoslovakia - GeKo
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