2011 Bay Area and Santa Fe Tap Festival Faculty & Performers

(Artists scheduled to appear at both festivals unless otherwise noted)

Channing Cook-Holmes (Music Director/Drums) -- An Inglewood, CA native representing the West Coast, Channing Cook Holmes is blessed with talents that have taken him around the world.  His drumming ability, his syncopated rhythmic tap dance style, his singing, and his natural audience appeal, have taken Channing from dance company (Jazz Tap Ensemble), to stage (Riverdance, tour and Broadway), to small screen, (Bojangles), to big screen, (Gangs of New York).  He is the consummate entertainer.  Channing is adding directing and producing to his repertoire with the production of his current, award winning children's show Lil' Chan Can Tap Dance.  Channing Cook Holmes is a "must watch" artist with more to come.

Photo by Andy Mogg

John Kloss started to tap inspired by early performances of tap on film, and gained his first training in Chicago with many of tap’s masters.  John has appeared in the short film Tap Heat, as an ensemble member and soloist with Jazz Tap Ensemble and Especially Tap Chicago, as a founding member of the tap duo The Swift Brothers, and in festival productions such as the St. Louis Tap Festival, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and the Maui Tap Experience.  John has also been a featured performer at San Francisco 's Bay Area Dance Awards.  Inspired also by the many incredibly gifted performing artists and variety of styles in tap, John’s interests have led to a performing resume that includes a notable list of tap artists and work in a wide range of settings.  He has performed in concert ensemble choreography of Gregory Hines and Jimmy Slyde, in film choreography by Danny Daniels and Jason Samuels-Smith, with Samuels-Smith in early incarnations of the group ACGI (“Anybody Can Get It”), and in numerous events alongside many of today’s top tap artists.  John has also appeared in festival and other events honoring such luminaries as the Nicholas Brothers, Four Step Brothers Maceo Anderson and Prince Spencer, Peg Leg Bates, Arthur Duncan, and Michael Jackson, and at national conferences of corporations such as Wal-Mart and AT&T.  In 2003, John established the California nonprofit STEPOLOGY, San Francisco’s Bay Area Tap Festival, and the festival’s concert performance component, the Bay Area Rhythm Exchange.  In his roles as founder, director, and performing artist, John’s efforts have led to programming which has twice been listed in the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Top Ten Dance Performances of the Year”, earned an “Access to Artistic Excellence” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and been described by the San Francisco Bay Times as invoking “…an appreciation of tap’s history while inspiring an excitement for tap’s present and future.” 

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Mark Mendonca's extensive career as a performer and choreographer includes performances for the last three U. S. Presidents, as well as performances on Broadway, television, and concert stages around the world.  Mark's dancing was motion captured for the animated feature film "The Polar Express" directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks.  In the year 2000, Mark was chosen to open for Barbra Streisand's farewell concert tour with performances at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  On Broadway, Mark danced in the Tony Award-winning production of "Bring in 'Da Noise!  Bring in 'Da Funk!", and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Davies Symphony Hll, the Biennale de la Danse, the Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow, The Tiger Palast in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Apollo Theater, among many others.  He has shared the stage with the late tap masters the Nicholas Brothers, Jimmy Slyde, Charles 'Honi' Coles, Eddie Brown, Steve Condos, Chuck Green, Bunny Briggs, Lon Chaney and Buster Brown, and has made numerous appearances with Gregory Hines, appearing with him in "A Gala for the President at Ford's Theater", and in "The Kennedy Center Honors", both televised on ABC.  Mark's dancing was featured in the Emmy Award-nominated documentary "Juba:  The Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance", aired on PBS, and in "The Summit of the Americas", which aired in Canada.  Mark toured both nationally and internationally with his won company, The Steps Ahead Tap Trio and with Jazz Tap Ensemble and has taught and performed at dance festivals throughout the U. S. including the Colorado Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival, as well as festivals in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Portland, and Anchorage.  He has been on the faculty at Loyola Marymount University and Santa Monica College, and has also taught classes at UCLA, Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Los Angeles County High School of the Arts and Orange County High School of the Arts, among others.  Mark has worked with director James Brooks, choreographer Twyla Tharp and fellow tap dancers Bill Irwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elizabeth Berkley, and Christopher Walken.  Mark was the first person to receive a Princess Grace Foundation Award for tap dance and was the winner of the 1997 Lester Horton Dance Award for outstanding achievement in individual performance.  Mark has also received a Brody Art Fund Artists Fellowship.

 Photo by RAPT Productions 

Jason Rodgers is a tap dancer/teacher/choreographer and actor who has been working professionally since the age of 10.  Under the tutelage of the late Paul & Arlene Kennedy, Jason began teaching tap at age 15. He has worked with Debbie Allen, Donald O'Connor, Eddie Brown, George C. Wolfe, and Danny Daniels (to name a few). Some of his credits include performing on the Academy Awards, the North American tour of "Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk", and most recently, the European tour of Jerome Savary's "Looking For Josephine".  He's also been featured in commercials for Levi's, Hummer, Verizon Wireless V Cast, and Gatorade. Jason is currently teaching & performing throughout the U.S. & Europe.

Melinda Sullivan (Bay Area Tap Festival only) is an L.A.-native tap dancer, singer, and actress.  She recently appeared as a finalist on Season 7 of FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance".  Pre-reality show, Melinda was a recipient of the Los Angeles Music Center "Spotlight Award" and named one of the "Top 20 Hoofers Under 20" by Dance Spirit Magazine.  She tours with Noah Racey's "New York Song and Dance Company", Jason Samuels Smith's "Anybody Can Get It" (including performances at Jacob's Pillow), and Chloe Arnold's "Syncopated Ladies".  Theatre credits include national tours of "Cats" and "High School Musical".  Other past credits include:  "Star Search" w/ Arsenio Hall, UPN's "One on One", Dean Hargrove's award-winning short film, "Tap Heat", choreographed by Danny Daniels, and the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon in 2008.  

Sam Weber is in demand throughout the world as a performer, master teacher, and choreographer, and has appeared with such tap luminaries as Charles Honi Coles, Jimmy Slyde, Steve Condos, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and the Nicholas Brothers.  A protege of tap master Stan Kahn in San Francisco, he has been a principal dancer and choreographer with the Jazz Tap Ensemble since 1986 and is currently featured in "Tap Masterpieces:  The Hollywood Journey" with the company.  He is one of the few tap dancers in the world currently performing Morton Gould's Tap Dance Concerto with symphony orchestras and is the first tap dancer to receive a Bessie award, presented in recognition of outstanding creative achievement.  Mr. Weber can be seen on "Juba!  Masters of Percussive Dance" on PBS and has starred in the award-winning German film "Zwei Im Frack", which is still frequently shown throughout Germany.  Sam was nominated for an Isadora Duncan award for his performance at San Francisco's Bay Area Tap Festival.  Sam can still be seen often on the "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" television show."

 Also Appearing:

The Barbary Coast Cloggers (Special Guests, Bay Area Tap Festival only) have toured in the United States and Canada, including performances at the New Orleans and Vancouver World's Fairs and C.L.O.G. Nationals in Nashville and San Diego, have opened for bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and country western superstars Brooks & Dunn, and have won an Isadora Duncan Dance Excellence Award (Izzy) for best ensemble performance.

Bert Dalton (Keys -- Special Musical Guest, Santa Fe only) Jazz pianist, arranger, educator, and producer Bert Dalton, originally from Chicago, has been living and performing in Santa Fe for 20 years.  He has led a number of groups such as the Chicago Jazz Exchange, Yoboso, the Bert Dalton Trio, the Dalton Brothers Trio, and most recently the Brazil Project.  Bert received his music education at Northern Illinois University, studying with Dr. J. B. Floyd and performing with Ron Modell’s award-winning NIU Jazz Ensemble.  He has performed in concerts, clubs, and jazz festivals throughout the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia.  He has performed with Herbie Mann, Anita O’Day, Bud Shank, Butch Miles, Howard Alden, Frank Morgan, Bobby Shew, Eddie Daniels, Regina Carter, Ali Ryerson, Dr. Art Davis, Gene Lees, Daniel Binelli, Von Freeman, Pete Barbutti, Mike Vax, Don Burrows, Victor Mendoza, Chris Calloway, Greg Abate, Doug Lawrence, and the Smothers Brothers, and has recorded with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton.  In addition, he has opened for Tito Puente,  Pete Escovedo,  Grover Washington Jr., Pancho Sanchez, and the Count Basie Orchestra.  In New Mexico, Bert has performed with John Bartlit, Rob “Milo” Jaramillo, Hillary Smith, Cathryn McGill, Michael Herndon, Daniel Ward, Michael Anthony, John Trentacosta, Jon Gagan, Jan McDonald, Arlen Asher, among many others.  He composed, produced, and recorded the “visionary soundtrack” CD that accompanies “The Shamrock and The Feather,” a published novel written by his wife Dori Dalton.  The 70 piece Allen Philharmonic Symphony performed a concert of Bert’s compositions and arrangements in 2004, including “The Shamrock And The Feather Suite For Orchestra,” “Duke Ellington Medley,” “Comecar de Novo,” and “Where Sea Meets Sky.”  His Latin jazz quartet Yoboso won the 1995 B.E.T Jazz Discovery Competition and was twice awarded Best Recording of the Year by the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition.  Yoboso headlined the 1999 Manly Jazz Festival in Sydney, Australia.  Bert has been Music Director of the National Dance Institute of New Mexico since 1998, currently serving over 6,000 elementary school children throughout the state.  He has authored a pianist’s manual and organized the first Music Director’s Conference for the national Association of National Dance Institutes. 

Maya Kronfeld (Keys - Bay Area Tap Festival Only) 24 year-old Maya Kronfeld is a rhythmically driven piano player and keyboardist working in many different genres.  Born in Berkeley, CA to Israeli parents, she has performed in venues ranging from Lincoln Center (NY) to the Viper Room (LA).  In addition to her work as a leader of the Maya Kronfeld Trio (an original jazz project featured recently on KCSM), Maya can be heard playing jazz and soul music alongside the Bay Area's finest artists, including Dave Ellis, Valerie Troutt and Destani Wolf.  On the national scene, Maya currently tours with Grammy Award-winning artist Van Hunt, and with the Memorials, the new rock band led by drummer phenom Thomas Pridgen.   She appeared recently as the keyboardist for Taylor Eigsti's band "Free Agency."  Maya looks forward to integrating her musical future with her primary interests, which are philosophy and literature.

Lamont Keller (Bass) renowned bassist, teacher/educator, writer and producer.  Lamont started his professional career at the young age of 12. Born in Indiana, and the youngest sibling of 10, music transformed itself into an outlet for him. Taught by his uncle, Lamont picked up the bass and never looked back. He displayed an early affinity for all types of music. By the age of thirteen he was working regularly in Los Angeles with various bands. Soon thereafter, he went on a world tour with a heavy metal band, “Garage Pieces” for three years.  In the late 90’s, Lamont spent years as a top call Los Angeles studio musician, working mainly with Q-Tip and a Tribe called Quest.  He continued working and playing for a veterans list of credits, including Grammy and Dove award winning producers and artists: Digital Underground, Brownstown, Vesta, Kenny Latimore and Kelly Price. Lamont traveled globally, playing for jazz, rock, funk and soul bands, from the Chitlin Circuit to sold out arenas all over Europe.  Lamont Keller is known for his eclectic groove sound and his improvisational skill and utterly unique, free-spirited approach to performance and composition.  He is compared and recognized to be a collective mix between James Jamerson, Ricky Kinchen and Stanley Clarke.  Lamont’s “take no @#$%” approach to the music business, has equipped him with the endurance and focus to maintain during the constant decrease of influential live music.  In the past several years, Keller has also turned his attention to teaching and conducting bass workshops for students interested in the enrichment of music education.  He also tours with a group of artists called “Got Rhythm” featuring tapper, Channing Cook-Holmes, teaching the art of rhythm through movement and music.  Lamont’s passion for music and live performance has become an essential part of his life, but comes second to his family life. Mr. Keller is a devout father of three and committed to them foremost.  He lives by his own personal quote, “I am more than just a musician, I am a man first.”  Lamont’s life has been a reflection of the black musician experience in America that at times, seem insurmountable. Lamont is an excellent example of a musician that can stand the test of time.

John Bartlit (Percussion -- Santa Fe Only) Based in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, John is a prolific and in demand, freelance performer working with a plethora of artist locally, nationally and internationally, in a wide variety of styles: in concert, television, radio and film. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist.  He has spent many years as a classical percussionist, composer, producer, visual artist, clown, playwright and accompanist with professional dance companies as well as leading his own groups. He has worked with many contemporary composers such as John Cage, Lou Harrison, James Tenney and Christian Wolfe to name a very few. As a “jazz artist”, for about the last 25 years, John is primarily a drummer with a long list of names to his credit including John Lewis (MJQ), Gary Foster, Ali Ryerson, Scott Whitfield, Kevin Hayes, Tony Lujan & Chris Calloway.  John can be seen regularly with the Bert Dalton Trio, the Brazil Project, an offshoot of the trio also led by Bert Dalton, is dedicated to the exploration of Brazilian jazz. He is a founding member of Certified Organic, a funky/swingin’ jazz quartet, which celebrates the soulful vibrations made only by a real Hammond B-3 organ. On the first Saturday of every month at El Meson in Santa Fe, he is percussionist and core member of Miel Amarga, a music and dance flamenco troupe which, for about three years running, has enjoyed sold out shows and which showcases his longtime collaboration with guitarist/composer Daniel Ward. He is house drummer at the Albuquerque Center for Spiritual Living (also known affectionately as “Our Lady of Perpetual Be-Bop” for its music program). He is also a member of the Albuquerque funk/soul group Hip Pocket, which features Hillary Smith on vocals.  Other regular/current names of interest associated with John are The New Mexican Marimba Band (Mexican/ Guatemalan folk music), The Alfa-Cats (twin guitar led “jazz-a-billy” swing), Véspüs -Marimba Band (latin, world, ragtime, novelty), The Sukey Jump Band (ukulele led folk/ children’s music), The Links Ensemble (contemporary chamber music/dance/performance art), Cabaret Olé (dance/music comedy), Milo & Friends (jazz/variety), El Project Neat-O (a two person fusion trio), the Pat Melone Quartet (straight ahead jazz), Trifling (sax-bass-drum contemporary jazz), and his co-creation, the ever wacky and surprising SKÜMBAAG (21^st century phantasmagorical rockin’ vaudeville), and the list goes on.

Guest Artists (Santa Fe Only):  Abdoulaye Camara with Fred Simpson, Ibrahimasory Fofana, Hountor Gent, Elise Gent and D'Jeune D'Jeune African Dance Ensemble.