Legendary tap dancers to be honored Feb. 22

The College of Southern Nevada Performing Arts Center and the Ira Aldridge Theatre Company will present their fifth "Hands Across the Arts" benefit Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre on CSN's Cheyenne campus, to celebrate Black History Month and raise much-needed funding for performing arts students and programs.

This year's benefit features the performance of "Tap in Time," written, directed and choreographed by Lindell Blake. It chronicles the rich history of the timeless rhythms and unforgettable soul of tap dance in America. A cast of eight dancers will shuffle their way back in time from the present to the buck dance.

Blake, a world-class entertainer himself, has appeared in numerous music videos and films, has a dance company called Spoken Words/Spoken Feet and welcomes this opportunity to showcase the evolution of the dance he loves so much.

"From tap's ominous beginnings to the golden era of entertainment, to near extinction and now to the high-stepping sounds of happy feet on big screens," Blake said, "the feet have not always been happy. While the sound, tone and movement were one thing, the message conveyed in that time of American history is another."

The event will honor notable tap dancers Bunny Briggs and Prince Spencer with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Both residents of Las Vegas, Briggs, 89, and Spencer, 95, have received numerous accolades for their performances in clubs, in film and on television in the United States and internationally.

Briggs was inducted into the American Tap Dancing Hall of Fame in 2006 and received a Tony Award nomination for Broadway's "Black and Blue." Spencer was part of the 1920s dance troupe Four Step Brothers, which continued to perform onstage for nearly 40 years. The group has been recognized for its successful efforts to break down racial barriers and inspire others worldwide to follow in their footsteps.

The awards presentation will begin at 7 p.m. and be followed immediately by the performance of "Tap in Time." Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors. Ticket prices include a post-show hors d'oeuvres and wine reception. Group rates are available. For reservations, call the CSN box office at 651-LIVE (5483).

"Hands Across the Arts" was established in 2008 by the CSN Performing Arts Center with the Ira Aldridge Theatre Company to fund the development of, and access to, the arts for underserved populations in the Las Vegas community.

In recognition of the many cultural programs in our community, local arts organizations are invited to display materials in the lobby at the HATA event.

Additional performances of "Tap in Time" will be held Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.