30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
William (Bill) F. Fowler† / Boston - USA Professional Dancer | Teacher | Choreographer | Studio Owner | IDO President | Founder and Supervisor of the IDO-Tap dance rules | IDO Chairman of Judges | IDO Honorary President My late husband, Bill Fowler, loved dance – especially Tap Dance. He started dance as a young boy to help him with a medical condition. This “therapy” soon became his passion. As a young teenager in the 1940's/1950’s, Bill and his brother Danny performed in Boston nightclubs and had the honour of being on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Ted Mack Show in New York City. His life-long passion resulted in a very successful dance studio for over forty-two years. Bill produced
hundreds of dance professionals including Maria Menounos, Scott Peterson, and Scott Fowler, to name a few. He paved the road for them to work as dance teachers, choreographers, Broadway dancers, actors, and tv personalities. His love affair with dance soon had him involved in The Dance Teachers Club of Boston where he was a board member and president for many years and then to the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) where he was the Performing Arts Director for 35 years. Through the NDCA Bill became involved in the International Dance Organization (IDO) and saw the future potential of international dance and he knew that he could make a difference. When Bill met Michael Wendt, he saw a man who had vision and passion much like his own. He saw a man who could make a difference in the dance world, and he knew that he could be there to help him through the journey. Who would have ever thought that Michael would turn the small city of Riesa into a world-renowned city with Show-dance and Tap World Championships? Bill did and he was delighted to be of help. Bill had many successes in life, but he was most proud of his friendship with Michael and the work that they did within the IDO and with the city of Riesa. He truly loved Riesa and looked forward to his trip there, every year. Bill lovingly refereed to Riesa as his “home away from home” an d now I do too.
Text by Robert W. Planutis for his late husband
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