Monday, 8/25/97 Creator Perry unleashes Australia’s eclectic Tap
Dogs on Wadsworth stage DANCE: Australian group returns to Los
Angeles with popular tap show
By Cheryl Klein Daily Bruin Senior Staff Think of them as STOMP
down under. Or don’t. Dein Perry, creator of the Australian dance
group Tap Dogs seems pretty cool with it either way. You’d expect
most artists to get defensive, proclaiming the originality of their
work, annoyed at being compared to another group. But perhaps Perry
realizes that the stark sets, addictive percussion and industrial
feel that made Americans love STOMP is also what makes those same
non-Gene Kelly fans scramble to see Tap Dogs, returning to Los
Angeles at the Wadsworth Theater Sept. 2. So what’s the difference?
"We’re tap dancers," Perry says. Simplicity is big with Perry – in
speech, in artistic inspiration. Though he’s been tapping since he
was 4 and did his time in traditional theater, Perry has at times
distanced himself from show biz – most notably for the six years he
was an industrial mechanic. He started getting parts, but his brush
with the blue-collar world remained with him. "In Australia, you
get these imported musicals. They sort of go in big slushes," Perry
explains. "For a while there’ll be a lot and then there will be
nothing. … That’s when we started thinking about putting together
our own group." First came "Tap Brothers," part of a show called
"Hot Shoe Shuffle." "It was very different (from Tap Dogs) – a
top-hat-and-tails number," Perry says. The funding for the project
came from a small government grant. "It’s a small system, but it’s
good. It gave my career a kick start." Indeed. From there, the man
who starred in the long-running Sydney production of "42nd Street"
gave tradition the boot, exchanging formal wear for work clothes
and show tunes for hip hop, heavy metal and grunge. Maybe their
logo says it all. The two sketchy footprints adorning banners
throughout Westwood let people know that this is a show you see for
the footwork – the tapping, the rhythm, the noise. "It can get
quite loud," Perry says quietly. "It’s a bit like a rock concert
that way." Perry typically choreographs routines in a studio with
his fellow dancers, trying out new steps and working with Andrew
Wilkie, who creates the group’s eclectic mix of music. And Perry
prides the group on being eclectic itself. "We’re not just a lineup
of guys who all look the same, all the same height. We try to get
that across on the stage," Perry says. As for the stage, "It’s
almost like a huge prop. It’s got different surfaces we tap on …
it has a lot of metal," Perry says. "You can’t paint it and make it
pretty. It would just get all scratched up again. But the uglier it
is, the better." Audiences seem to agree, especially American ones.
"American audiences are more responsive," Perry says. "They’ve seen
a lot of shows and they know how to show their appreciation. The
audience reaction plays a huge part. It’s a physically demanding
show and the applause helps give energy back to the dancers." In
the past few years, Americans have embraced Tap Dogs, STOMP and
"Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk," Savion Glover’s Broadway
show that conveys African American history through noisy, funky tap
dancing. All three shows are a far cry from Fred Astaire. "All
those things are a part of the new generation of tap dancers.
They’re younger and they’re doing it their own way," Perry says. So
has this trend reached other dance forms? Perry doesn’t have a lot
to say on the subject. He’s almost sheepish as he says, "I don’t
know about other kinds of dance. I don’t get a chance to see that
many shows. I’m just sort of tap crazy, I guess." But thanks to
him, so is his home country. Though Australia doesn’t have an
official tap company, Perry says that he’s been seeing more and
more tap shows on visits between tours. Tap Dogs has played no
small part in tap’s popularity. So how does it make him feel?
"Good." DANCE: Tap Dogs performs Sept. 2 through Oct. 5 at the
Veterans Wadsworth Theater. On Sept. 9, proceeds from the
performance will benefit the Kevin Jeske Memorial Fund, honoring
the UCLA box office manager who was killed last year during the run
of Tap Dogs. Tickets cost $19 to $39. For more information, call
825-2101. Previous Daily Bruin Story Jamming ‘Jelly’ pushes
tapping, non-stop fun to hilt