About Us
West Coast Tap was founded in March 2003 by Jennifer Bishop and Carmelle Cachero. Founding members were Shelley Stewart Hunt, Keri Minty, Melissa Frakman, Melissa Lipkowski, Monique Trottier, Tracie Henry, Amy Burns, Kerry Lackner and Jenny Stewart. The collective was formed to serve the needs of professional tap dancers, instructors, choreographers and, most of all, anyone with a passion for tap dance. West Coast Tap has established regular tap jams, tap talks at the Vancouver Public Library, a scholarship fund and annual Tap Day celebrations to educate dancers and the public about tap dance. As a non-profit organization, West Coast Tap's purpose and mission is to provide an opportunity for tap dancers of all levels to network and participate in a collaborative environment and to promote tap dancing as an art form by educating the public through performances and instruction.Purpose:
1. To provide an opportunity for tap dancers of all levels and affiliations to network and participate in a collaborative environment.2. To promote, develop and preserve the art of Tap Dancing by educating the public through special performances and workshops.
3. To create an identity for the art of Tap Dancing on the West Coast.
Goals:
1. To create a strong network of tap dancers and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds; we aim to bring together dancers of all levels and affiliations.2. To establish and organize an annual Tap Dance Day Celebration in the Vancouver area.
3. To provide opportunities for tappers of all levels and affiliations to access guest instructors at our special workshops.
4. To establish a resource library for tap dancers; this will include videos, books, music, etc.
5. To promote any and all tap dancing events on the West Coast; we value the contributions of both studio/company affiliated, and unaffiliated tap dancers.
6. To provide scholarships to tap dancers to aid in the advancement of their training.
Board Members:
Keri Minty PresidentGordon Roberts, Vice-President
Katherine Hay, Treasurer
Melanie Minty, Secretary
Alison Found, Member at Large
Mike McPherson, Member at Large
Kim Klassen, Member at Large
Carol Seitz, Member at Large
Honorary Lifetime Members:
Jim HibbardDr. Jeni LeGon
William Orlowski
Leonard Gibson
Heather Cornell