30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Irma Ziegler / Boynton Beach, Florida - USA Founder, CEO and CFO of Headliners Performing Arts Competition, Inc. IDO - Judge | IDO Chairperson of Judges and Supervisor | Tap dance Teacher | former Organizer It started with a conference in Maryland introducing the “Fred Astaire tap syllabus and testing” created by Ronn Daniels. Always wanting to learn new things I went and brought my two daughters with me. The other big reason was my old boss (I taught tap for him for 11 years prior to opening my own studio) was a dear friend of one of the great legends of Tap, Henry
LeTang and he and his wife Ellie were going to be there. When we entered the room, my girls ran over and hugged their "Uncle Henry". To say that everything in the room stopped is an understatement. I think every teacher in the room asked Shari and Stacey to introduce them. Whether that is the reason that got the man's attention who would change the course of my life but that is how I met Bill Fowler. Bill said that the Fred Astaire organization wanted to start Performing Arts competitions and asked if I would be interested in running a regional in New Jersey. So began my competition history with him, Judy Ann Bassing and Ronn. I was very lucky and the competitions were very successful so that when Ronn stepped down as International director I took over his job with his blessing and had a wonderful 3 year run. Bill and other board directors encouraged me to start my own competition. Thanks to them “Headliners” was born. It became one of the largest and we did a 32 city U.S. tour each season. On July 6, 1996 I was presented an award for my contribution to dance as director of “Headliners” by the American Jazz Cong ress at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC The reason the IDO Tap Championships are so special to me is not only because I was able to judge brilliant tappers from all over the world and act as chairman of judges but what I am most proud of is because of “Headliners”. I was granted the rights to qualify an American Tap Team and was successful in bringing the very first to Riesa and getting more and more people interested. It took a few years and a lot of work but as I said I am so proud of what we started. I retired after 30 years and had sold my studio at that point and many of my students had gone on to professional careers. I had students in Tap Dogs, 42nd Street, Music Man and many other shows . I had the good fortune of studying with many wonderful teachers over the years and continued studying when I had my studio with Bob Audy and Judy Ann Bassing. Because my studio was so close to New York City, I was able to give my students the advantage of having teachers like Charles Kelly, Frank Hatchett, Dianne Walker to name a few come and give weekend workshops. Today many of them are passing that training on in studios across the country.
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