From the smallest beginnings, we can never truly know what is in store for the future. For dancers and artists alike, there is an anticipation that comes with attending class to rehearsing, leading into hitting the stage. Starting as a performer touring around the world, Tony Waag is no stranger to what the journey of small beginnings can bring. Waag made his earliest strides starting out with a touring ensemble, the American Tap Dance Orchestra, which was founded over 40 years ago.
Under the mentorship of Brenda Buffalino, Waag had the chance to perform in locations that many would only dream of while meeting famous tappers who shared that same love for the artform. One of Waag’s earliest achievements of many was becoming Artistic Director of Tap City, the New York City Tap Festival, which soon would lead to heading American Tap Dance Company. Although fostering year-round education programs and building 40 years of archives would soon come to a halt with Covid, Waag’s drive to continue the flame that is tap dance did not waver.
“When Covid struck, we had to close ATDC, although later on we were able to get it back up and running,” Waag tells Dance Informa. “After that, American Tap Dance Foundation served as a new phase for us where our approach was project by project.”
While American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) will be receiving some well-deserved recognition for its many contributions to the tap community, this year will be one of celebration for Waag as well, as he will be granted the Lifetime Achievement Award this July. This will not only commemorate his contributions as a performer but as one of the many pillars in the tap community.
“I’m delighted to be receiving this award and happy to be acknowledged,” Waag shares. “This was not expected at all. I plan to celebrate along with regrouping with this moment. This was all made possible by our supporters, funders, teachers and artists, so I’m proud of that. I’ve handed out numerous awards and created plenty of awards, so it is nice to be on the other side.”
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is not an end game for Waag but rather an accelerant for more to come and further growth that stems beyond. Although he is not sure of what the future brings with this award, it is a chance for him to take it all in and just breathe for a moment. The momentum will continue to build, according to Waag.
“This achievement will give me a chance to take a breath and a moment to myself, but I’m seeing there is more work to do still,” says Waag. “There is such a rich history with tap, and I want to continue to share and preserve that as best as possible. I am working on a documentary amongst other things, and I’m freer to tackle what I’m passionate about. I must remember I started out as a tap dancer before I became a founder, so there is no pressure of dancing for a living. I’m dancing for myself now.”
No one can truly predict what may happen in the future as they celebrate one accomplishment to the next. It is the unknown that brings about that anxiousness or excitement and opens the door for new goals to be accomplished. For ADTF, Waag hopes to embark on one of the larger parts of a project in the works that will reach not only tap dancers put other percussive dance styles.
“My hope is to pursue opening a percussive arts center,” Waag reveals. “There are hundreds of percussive dancers besides tap, from Flamenco to Irish step dance. I want this to be a collaborative effort to bring all those percussive styles into one place. It’s sad that there are not more rehearsal spaces available for these dancers. The arenas for tap dancers to rehearse and perform is very limited, so that’s our next challenge. NYC deserves it and should sponsor it. Overall, these next steps will be dedicated to re-inventing, taking a pause and continuing to perpetuate the artform.”
For more information on American Tap Dance Foundation, visit www.atdf.org.
By Monique Jackson of Dance Informa.
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