From 29 May to 1 June 2025, we invite you to the 28th edition of the TAP AHEAD Festival and look forward to more than 20 workshops, four stage events, and artists such as Johnathan Morin, Leela Petronio, Andrea Alvergue, Avalon Rathgeb, and Josh Hilberman.
It all started 28 years ago, with the invitation of tap dance legend Dr James "Buster" Brown. In 1997, the motto in the former workshop was: "Step Star Buster Brown in Town!", and the TAP AHEAD Festival was born. 75 stage plays, 21 world premieres, more than 400 workshops, many thousands of visitors and more than a quarter century later, it is among the oldest tap festivals in the world, annually welcoming enthusiastic international dancers and spectators to tanzhaus nrw to celebrate modern tap dance in all its contemporary facets.
The festival will open with Ravel, a piece in which Andrea Alvergue explores the life experiences of several Leipzig migrants through tap dance, music, and visual effects. Following the stream of his documentary Restorative Culture, Johnathan Morin will present himself and his skills at the Foyer. Saturday evening’s Tap Ahead Gala unites all the invited festival artists on one stage. At the conclusion, we will take an exciting look into the future with this year’s residency artist Avalon Rathgeb and her showing on Sunday.
The great international tap community rejoices and turns tanzhaus nrw into a pulsating space full of rhythm, fun, and creativity for four days.
