Heels of Thunder showcases a week of toe tapping.
When Heels of Thunder first got together, its members launched a research effort. Not to find out how their chosen dance style was evolving worldwide, and not to locate teachers or recruit new members. They were trying to figure out what to wear.
As it turns out, anything goes in clogging, which means costume choices were open for debate.
Founder Mary Jensen said that discussion can get heated when a group of women “of a certain age” start to lob wardrobe commentary at each other ranging from “I don’t do short sleeves” to “That shows too much chest.”
“Boy, if you think that isn’t interesting,” Jensen said.
H.O.T. members exude a collective tongue-in-cheek sparkle that comes from mutual fondness, a joy of movement and enough life experience to understand the value of a sense of humor.
“We call it ‘chronological giftedness,’” dancer Judy Whitehead said.
The dance troupe began in 1999 when several members of the Bethany Lutheran choir discovered that they shared a history in tap. After digging out her own taps and finding a pair of shoes at Goodwill, Jensen set up her garage as a rehearsal space.
She said the group had a great time and “didn’t actually look half bad.” They formalized their efforts, assembled a live bluegrass/country band, Natural Disaster, and pursued some gigs.
The 2000 Folklife Festival in Seattle put them on the map, and seven years later they lead workshops and perform regularly at venues like Waterfront Park, area farmers markets and women’s retreats.
This weekend, they’ll perform in the “Look Who’s Dancing” showcase, part of the island’s week-long Make Your Move dance program of workshops and performances.
At the beginning, the troupe grappled with its persona as a tap group. According to Jensen, people generally associate tap with younger dancers in tiny outfits, which just wasn’t H.O.T. But clogging, a dance form that originated as a percussive accompaniment for the fiddle, didn’t come with the same baggage.
“If you clog, it doesn’t matter what your age is,” Jensen said.
Growing up in Lewiston, Ida., with a mother who was “a hermit” and a father who traveled during the week, dance constituted Jensen’s main social outlet. Her mother signed her up for lessons when she was three years old.
She studied tap and ballet and choreographed her own dances, gamely pursuing any activity that involved movement. She was even a majorette.
“You got to wear much cuter outfits as a majorette than if you were in the band,” she said.
Dance remained Jensen’s avocation through college. When she emerged, she said, “I had a fabulous degree in French and Dance from the University of Idaho. They should never let college students make those decisions.”
In an effort to avoid a permanent future at minimum wage, Jensen sought out a graduate program that would afford maximum job security. A career book pointed to speech and language pathology. She graduated with a master’s degree from Idaho State at 25 and has worked in the field ever since.
Jensen works with both ends of the age spectrum. With youngsters at Wilkes Elementary, she teaches skills such as articulation and speech fluency. But she also helps young adults with social communication and life skills.
Although Jensen refers to dance as something she does “on the side,” she also sees a clear connection between it and her work in the school system.
She said that teaching dance to adults has increased her sensitivity to the factors that can impede young students’ learning success, especially when they aren’t able to communicate what they’re struggling with.
“Adults tell you when it’s not working,” Jensen said. “Kids can’t say, ‘You know, I’m more of a visual learner.’”
In addition to Make Your Move’s emphasis on dance as a means to health and vitality, the event series may strengthen the ties among community dancers, many of whom don’t know each other or follow each other’s work.
“Who’s out there?” Jensen said. “We started looking in the paper to see who was doing what and who everybody was. That was part of this – to connect and at least know.”
***********
MYM highlights
April 21: Workshops will run between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at various venues. The showcase performance featuring tap artist Brenda Bufalino starts at 3:30 at Bainbridge Cinemas.
April 22: Bufalino teaches master tap from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Bainbridge Ballet.
Ongoing: Dance-themed photos will be on display April 20 – 29 in Winslow and at Make Your Move venues. A photo contest winner will be announced April 21.
For a complete listing, visit www.makeyourmovebi.com.
