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Is Tap considered music or dance? Maybe it’s both! To decide for yourself, James Devine and the production team of Tapeire have made extraordinary efforts to ensure a multi-sensory experience where you can see and hear the performance no matter where you sit; here’s how:
Microphones are strapped to Mr. Devine’s feet so that even at 38 taps per second, every tap can be heard all the way in the back row of the balcony; each singular tap is made crystal-clear.
Cameras perched on the edge of the stage project live, real-time images of the dancers and musicians alike. Footage of Devine’s tapping switches with a closer look at the musicians to show you the relationship between movement and rhythm.
Historical documentation of Irish Dance forms are projected throughout the show to emphasize how various dance styles have been influenced by, or are attributed to, Irish or Celtic traditions. In fact, Devine has been credited with creating a critically acclaimed style of “Celtic Tap,” a fusion of Irish Dance with Rhythm Tap.
And just like tap, the music of Tapeire is fascinating to see and hear as it mixes the traditional with the new. Here are just some of the instruments you may see:
Bodhrán (baw-rahn)
A shallow one-sided drum usually made of goatskin stretched over a wooden frame; although it’s existed in Ireland for centuries, it was rarely used in professional music performance until the 1960s!
Harp
A small instrument that can be played on the knee; centuries ago, the harp became a symbol of Celtic tradition for the countries of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany.
Fiddle or Violin
A stringed instrument originally made with a wooden body and strings made from sheep guts; today, the strings are made of metal. Considered a mainstay of Celtic music, there are many different styles of Irish fiddle playing.
Flute and Time Whistles
A wind instrument consisting of a tube with a series of fingerholes/keys, its earliest form had six holes and a range of up to eight musical scales; modern Irish flutes closely resemble this simple structure and are almost always made of wood.
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