Ryan Casey & Dancers
www.ryanpcasey.com/rpcdancers
Ryan P. Casey & Dancers is a contemporary, Boston-based tap ensemble under the artistic direction of “improbably tall tap fave” (The Boston Globe) Ryan P. Casey, who uses his towering, 6’8” talent to create engaging, inventive, rhythm-based tap work that is at turns thoughtful, comical and satirical. You may have seen him on So You Think You Can Dance or in the music video for Chas Bronz’s “Love Only You”! Incorporating poetry, humor, cinematography and more, Casey and co-choreographer Kelly Kaleta (“Imagine Tap!”) have presented original, full-length shows throughout the Northeast, in addition to performances with the Inside/Out series at Jacob’s Pillow, David Parker’s “Soaking WET” series in NYC, Massachusetts Dance Festival, Southern Vermont Dance Festival, Dance for World Community Festival, and a myriad of other showcases, festivals, fundraisers and events. The company aims to honor tap’s rich rhythmic traditions while pushing the art form forward in new and exciting ways. Casey and Kaleta are also dedicated tap educators, leading workshops at studios, universities, schools, conventions, and arts programs nationwide, and Casey is a frequent contributor to the nation’s top dance magazines.
Ryan P. Casey, named a 2014 choreography
finalist by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, trained under
Kaleta and Thelma Goldberg with the Legacy Dance Company of The
Dance Inn in Lexington, MA, where he is now on faculty. He was
dance captain of Aaron Tolson’s New England Tap Ensemble and a
founding member of Michelle Dorrance’s Dorrance Dance, and has
been a guest artist with Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. You may have
read one of his articles for Dance
Studio Life, Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher, or
BroadwayWorld.com. Currently teaching at Boston University and
choreographing for the University of Connecticut, Ryan is a proud
alumnus of NYU Gallatin, The School at Jacob’s Pillow and the
National YoungArts Foundation. He founded Ryan P. Casey &
Dancers in the fall of 2012 as a way to unite his colleagues,
reinvigorate the Boston tap scene and create a platform for his
choreographic endeavors.
“In excerpts from “The Tall and
Short of It,” Ryan P. Casey moved deliberately across the front
of the stage to show the sheer stretch of his lanky, eccentric
body. This gangly dancer can morph from a giraffe into a
grasshopper with the graceful fold of the limbs; he shows the
awkwardness and then the spindly side of his body’s strange
beauty.” – Gia Kourlas, The
New York Times
“rocketing rhythms and stylish moves” – Karen
Campbell, The Boston Globe
Touring Programs
House
of Matter
Tours with 1 (solo program), 2 (duet program) or 6-7 dancers
(group program)
“Class
Act”
An
homage to the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, this show pays tribute to
Vaudeville, crime noir, The Great Gatsby, and Fred Astaire,
featuring classic big band jazz tunes along with poetry and
cinematography.
“Tall
Tales”
Ryan’s solo show takes audience members on a personal journey about dancing with an unusual body, navigating New York City for the first time, and idolizing Fred Astaire.
Young
Audiences:
“Tap
Into History”*
An
ideal introduction to the art form, this show traces tap’s
history, from Vaudeville and movie musicals to Broadway shows
and contemporary stages, revealing its many styles and its
connections to American culture, with narration by the cast and
a Q&A session to conclude. (Teacher study guide also
available upon request.)
Piece
Descriptions:
“The Tall & Short of It”
Lampooning Ryan’s unusual height and eccentric body type, this
suite – featuring a poem by Shel Silverstein and music by Fats
Waller, Randy Newman and others – both comically and
thoughtfully portrays Ryan’s journey from self-consciousness to
self-confidence as a lanky performer.
“My
Manhattan”
Ryan
parodies his pilgrimage to New York City in this suite, which
portrays city life – from the overwhelming feeling of navigating
crowded sidewalks to the often hilarious experience of riding
the subway – through original poetry, soundscape and music.
“Just
the Two of Us”
As a
dynamic duo, Ryan and Kelly present some of their work, which
they choreograph and perform together to music ranging from
classic jazz to alternative pop and indie rock.
“Gatsby’s
Groove”
This
suite features classic big band jazz tunes from the likes of
Duke Ellington and Count Basie, with flappers, mobsters and
other period characters dancing along in solo, duet, and
ensemble routines.
“A
Class Act”
Vaudeville
is reimagined with original, comical choreography incorporating
stairs, chairs, canes and basketballs.
“For Fred”
Doffing a top hat to the inimitable Fred Astaire, Ryan presents a suite of routines, which include original poetry and cinematography, along with Kelly Kaleta in a Ginger Rogers-inspired role.
N.B.
The company can customize its offerings for any event, with as
many or as few dancers (1-7) or routines as necessary.
Outreach
Ryan P. Casey and Kelly Kaleta are experienced dance instructors who regularly conduct classes and workshops for students of any and all ages at studios, camps, schools, universities, conventions, arts programs and festivals throughout North America. They can customize classes and choreography for any group and can teach, perform, or present lecture-demonstrations either as individuals or together.“Ryan was able to help every child succeed at his or her own level… His enthusiasm for the art of movement was so inspiring for his students. He has a wonderful, encouraging approach to his teaching style, which yields amazing results!”
Alyson Brown, Drama Instructor/Director Clarke Middle School – Lexington, MA
*“Tap Into History” is the perfect show for local schools, YMCAs, camps or arts programs, and includes a study guide that teachers can receive in advance of the performance, as well as a Q&A session in which students can interact with the cast and even learn a tap step or two!
Performance Calendar:
| 2015 March |
|
The Bijou Theatre – Bridgeport, CT |
| March |
|
Providence
Performing Arts Center – Providence, RI |
| April |
|
The
Dance Hall – Kittery, ME |
| Spring |
|
Cotuit
Center for the Arts – Cotuit, MA |
Recent/Past Touring:
Southern Vermont Dance Festival – Brattleboro, VT Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out – Becket, MA OBERON – Cambridge, MA Dance for World Community Festival – Cambridge, MA Choreographer’s Canvas – Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, NYC The Dance Hall – Kittery, ME “Stam-pede” (APAP) – Symphony Space, NYC Massachusetts Dance Festival – Amherst, MA Regent Theatre – Arlington, MA Marblehead Little Theatre – Marblehead, MA
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