MASS MoCA will present legendary tap dancer Dianne Walker at 4 p.m. Saturday. She will be joined by a group of tap dancing friends - many of them up-and-coming tap stars - for an all-out jam session.
Among that group of dancers will be Pittsfield's Stefanie Weber. Weber readily admits that sometimes it feels as if she is the tap dance scene in Berkshires.
Although there are various jam sessions, classes, concerts and performances that Weber and others organize in the area, she says that "getting dancers out of their studios where their loyalties lie is a challenge." But if anyone is up to the challenge, Weber is.
Spreading tap in a variety of ways, including teaching in regular studios and in non-traditional spaces, through her art (her current passion), and through impromptu performances and appearances, Weber is gradually building a community of tap enthusiasts in the Berkshires.
She credits Walker as being her tap mentor and the inspiration for her ability to find her part in proliferating tap dance beyond the studio walls.
Weber describes her involvement with Walker as "something that was written on my soul before I even knew how to read it." Weber first encountered Walker on video in a Rhythm Tap class she was sitting in on at Indiana University.
With her interest piqued by Walker's work, she continued her training, which eventually led her to becoming a scholarship student for a week-long series of classes at Jacob's Pillow in Southern Berkshire County.
There Weber met Walker for the first time and soon after became a student with Walker and Jimmy Slyde as part of a year-long residency in Pittsfield through Jacob's Pillow. Weber was among three students that were picked to train privately with Walker.
When asked about Walker as a teacher, Weber drew connections between spiritual teachings which suggest that when the student is ready, the teacher will arrive. "Dianne goes beyond teaching the steps and the history of tap" said Weber. Describing Walker as having an incredible clarity, both in performances and her teaching abilities, Weber praises her mentor for her openness and her ability to work intuitively.
"Having Dianne as a mentor taught me to bring my shoes everywhere with me and be ready for anything. Using tap, Dianne taught me about respect, and part of that respect means showing up and taking risks."
Though less than a week away, Weber confesses that Saturday's performance is still in formation. "It seems to me that she is always in the process, really thinking things through and waiting for them to click," Weber says.
What makes this kind of process so exciting is that Walker is creating a one of a kind performance for the MASS MoCA crowd on Saturday. Weber urges anyone that is interested in tap to come out and see this innovative performance. "Dianne always has the ability to make a wide range of connections through her work… she is a natural-born storyteller."
For more information on this event visit www.massmoca.org.
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