INTERVIEW: Anita Boyer Talks About Her Bay Street Theater “Tap Online Camp”

Anita Boyer has been a tap dancer for over 20 years and currently studies under Aaron Tolson. She is the co-founder, producer and director, along with Kasia Klimiuk, of Our Fabulous Variety Show, a professional theatrical troupe and non-profit theatre education organization. Boyer is also a dance teacher and leader of the Tap Army competition team at dancehampton in East Hampton and the choreographer for high school musical productions at Southold, Southampton, and Shoreham Wading River High Schools.

Starting this June, Boyer will lead “Tap Camp Online,” a virtual Bay Street Theater workshop.

Bay Street’s goal is to offer a live Zoom program to develop tap dancing skills, musicality and technique with fun and upbeat warm ups, exercises and routines. Plus, an opportunity to learn some original Broadway choreography from iconic tap shows, original choreography to popular music and get into some jazz combos and improv!

“Allen O’Reilly at Bay Street asked if I would be interested in bringing a tap class to Bay Street, which is wonderful!” Boyer shared. “I’m excited to be able to join their teaching artist community.”

While Zoom is a new method of teaching for many, Boyer revealed, “I am amazed at how much we can actually accomplish via Zoom. Of course there are limitations, but tap in particular has been going very well for me as an educator. I can focus the camera to be close up on my legs/feet and in that way I can really show the moves we are working on. I find other genres to be a bit more difficult because they are more head to toe – not that tap dance doesn’t utilize the whole body, of course, but for the technical details, I can zoom in without losing too much.”

The class is open to ages 10 to 18+ years old. “This is going to be a fun class that is open to beginner-intermediate levels and will give some history, foundation and solid technique, as well as upbeat combos and improv opportunities to channel our musicality as tap dancers,” she noted. “I love tap because we get to be dancers and musicians at the same time. It is such a soulful space and I love teaching people how to grow as dancers and musicians! I feel like once things are fully ‘open’ I will take a much needed break from the world of virtual teaching, but I will definitely be coming back to it. In this COVID time, I have gotten new students from across the country and I definitely want to stay in touch with them and continue to offer virtual workshops so we can meet – even if there is no studio space available!”

“Tap Camp Online” with Anita Boyer via Zoom will take place on Tuesdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm EDT, from June 16 through August 11.

For more information, visit www.baystreet.org.