The Essence of Jazz Tap

Leela Petronio is a Franco-American tap dancer and body percussionist. She is a choreographer, teacher and producer and has been part of the European cast of STOMP since 2001. She is the artistic director of the Hip Tap Project, a percussive dance ensemble that combines tap rhythm, hip hop, body percussion and live music in its work. Leela studied with tap masters Sarah Petronio, Jimmy Slyde and Steve Condos. Her eclectic approach has led her to participate in many different projects, including performances with Cirque du Soleil in Italy, a tap concert with a symphony orchestra at Paris' Opéra Comique, the Soul to Sole Festival in Austin, and the Joyce Theater for New York's "Tap City," the International Body Music Festival. In 2012, she was part of the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games with STOMP. She performs regularly in Sarah Petronio's "Jazz in Motion" and "Thelonius". She is part of the international cast of the new show "Body Music - hear dance, see music" directed by Keith Terry, which premiered at the Maison des métallos in Paris in October 2016. Leela has taught rhythm tap and body music workshops in Europe, Brazil, Senegal, Australia, Turkey, Israel and at many international tap festivals in the US. In France, she works regularly with professional multidisciplinary dancers at the National Centre for Dance, among others, has developed a percussive dance programme for music and dance teachers and is very active in youth work around rhythm. She produced the 8th edition of the International Body Music Festival in Paris in October 2016.