AUSTRALIA'S LEADING
SUPPLIER OF CORPORATE & SPECIAL EVENT ENTERTAINMENT
DANCE PRODUCTION SHOWS
TAP DOGS
BASED: Melbourne,
Australia
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Push Play to watch a video of Tap Dogs
Dein Perry’s industrial
strength rock ‘n’ roll tap show is legendary, having won both the prestigious
Olivier and Obie awards for its unique reinvention of tap dancing.
Innovative, clever, raw and
sexy – all words used to describe TAP DOGS, a unique theatrical experience.
TAP DOGS are currently
taking the world by storm with their unprecedented tap show that combines the
strength and power of workmen with the precision and talent of tap dancing.
The show started with six guys from a steel town north of Sydney, Australia.
Olivier Award-winning choreographer Dein Perry headed the team with
designer/director Nigel Triffitt, and composer Andrew Wilkie and created TAP
DOGS; an 80 minute reinvention of tap for the New Millenium.
Australian Dein Perry, creator and choreographer of TAP DOGS, has come a long
way from the garage behind his dance teacher house in Newcastle, a steel town
north of Sydney where, as young boy, he and the “Dogs” learned how to tap. At
the age of 17, with no opportunities in sight for a dancing career, he earned
his union papers as an industrial machinist before moving to Sydney where he
tried to break into show business. Small chorus parts in Broadway-style musicals
led to Dein’s big break when he was cast in the long running Sydney production
of 42nd STREET. When it closed, Dein decided to create a contemporary show
around the themes of his industrial experience with his Newcastle tap dancing
mates.
With a small government grant, Dein contacted his old friends, who had also
taken up various ‘real’ jobs by this time, and formed ‘Tap Brothers’, a very
early incarnation of TAP DOGS. From this Dein was offered the chance to
choreograph the West End Musical, HOT SHOE SHUFFLE which brought the group to
London and earned Dein his first Olivier Award in 1995. A subsequent offer from
the Sydney Theatre Company led to the collaboration with eclectic designer and
director NIGEL TRIFFITT, which resulted in the creation of TAP DOGS.
TAP DOGS was the instant hit of the Sydney Theatre Festival where it had its
world premiere in January 1995 – it caused an equal sensation at the Edinburgh
Festival later that year. TAP DOGS went on to play to packed houses at Sadler’s
Wells in London; return tours of Australia; a West End engagement, for which
Dein won a second consecutive Olivier Award in 1996 for his choreography; and an
off Broadway, New York season in 1997. So far the company have won 11
International Awards including a Pegasus Award at the Spoleto Festival in Italy
and an Obie in New York.
The Australian dance sensation returned home in 2000 to take part in the opening
ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. 1000 TAP DOGS from companies around the
world performed to an audience of 3.4 billion viewers as the event was televised
across the world.
The TAP DOGS story has gone on to immortalized in the movie BOOTMEN, directed by
Dein Perry and inspired by his TAP DOGS experiences. The stage show continues to
wow audiences all over the world with 2002 seeing TAP DOGS perform in Venezuela
and South Africa before returning to the UK for another regional tour.
TAP DOGS is an 80 minute show performed without an intermission
