Rhapsody in Taps January 19, 2008

Celebrating the tap tradition and exploring innovative choreography for more than 25 years, Rhapsody in Taps is a leader in the worldwide resurgence of tap dance. On January 19, the troupe of seven tap dancers along with five jazz musicians and percussionists will perform Laughing with Tears, a five-part work that blends tap dancing with the infectious melodies and rhythms of Jewish Klezmer music.

The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Playing to a packed house, Rhapsody in Taps elicited the kind of fervor usually reserved for jazz greats or a prized athletic team. They created an energy as inexorable as a speeding train, and no less beautiful."

Rhapsody in Taps has toured worldwide while maintaining annual home seasons in Los Angeles, Calif. The company has worked with many of America's tap dance and jazz legends, including Gregory Hines, who created a dynamic tap work for the troupe in 1990.

For the past 16 years, the troupe has presented a special children's program for students of the Los Angeles Unified School District at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre.

$25, $30, $35, $45 & $50; Box office hours Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and one hour prior to each performance.

Official Website: http://www.atthegrand.org