Buckeyes on Tap to host first spring showcase Sunday

Jessica Barboza
Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:01:03 +0000
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Buckeyes on Tap, a student dance organization will host its first-ever Spring showcase Sunday. Credit: Courtesy of Vivian Corey

Buckeyes on Tap – a student dance organization at Ohio State – will be tapping into spring with its first-ever spring showcase at the Ohio Union Performance Hall Sunday.

The hour-long showcase will start at 3 p.m. with 21 numbers — including guest performances from Momentum Contemporary Ballet, the Irish Dance Team and Styles Dance Group, Vivian Corey, vice president of Buckeyes on Tap, said. Doors open at 2:15 p.m.

“It’s so great to be like, ‘Hey friends, come to my show, please. It’s free. It’s an hour. I’ve worked for this all semester, and I’m gonna dance my butt off,’” Corey, a fourth-year in dance and exercise science, said. “My favorite part is that we have an opportunity to show all the work we’ve done.”

Cassie Porteus, a third-year in molecular genetics and president of Buckeyes on Tap, said the ticket reservation form is still available through the organization’s Linktree.

Previously, the organization performed as guests for other organizations, Porteus said, but putting on standalone performances had always been the main goal for both Porteus and Corey since becoming members.

“We weren’t in charge, so we couldn’t pay for a venue, we couldn’t fundraise for this, we couldn’t apply for funds, we couldn’t coordinate anything, but even from the moment we first joined we were both like, ‘All right, we’re gonna make this happen one day before we leave this,’” Porteus said.

This event will be the second ever hosted by Buckeyes on Tap after a fall showcase last semester, Porteus said.

“I think we’re going into the spring one, maybe a little bit more chill,” Porteus said. “Trying to pull it together for the first time is stressful, but I feel like now we’re like, ‘Yeah, okay. We can do this. We did it last time. We can do it again.’”

Historically, club officers were the only choreographers, but now the organization’s numbers are choreographed by general members as well, Porteus said.

The 30-member organization consists of tap dancers with a range of backgrounds and experience levels, Corey said.

“We’re not like, ‘You have to be able to be in like a professional tap company,’” Porteus said. “It doesn’t even require that you are a competitive tap dancer but just that you have a background and are comfortable in your shoes.”

Despite the members’ varying levels of experience, the organization does not audition members into specific groups based on skill levels when creating numbers. Instead, Corey said it employs a system by which any member can attend the first three practices for a given number — and past that point, the choreographer will select up to 10 people for said number.

“The way that we do our practices is we have one dance that will maybe have four practices. If it’s a big production-type number, then it’s gonna be a little bit more,” Corey said. “If it’s not a big, huge production number, it can be whatever level the choreographer wants.”

Based on the success of the fall showcase, Porteus said the organization hopes it will have a turnout of around 300 attendees.

“It feels like leaving a legacy on something,” Corey said.