Diary of a Tap Dancer

Trailblazing tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel and longtime collaborator director Torya Beard (Chasing Magic, Funny Girl) return to A.R.T. this holiday season to share the joyful, resilient, and liberating spirit of tap. The electric new play weaves together dance, narrative, and song to reveal the power of reclaiming language, culture, and one’s own identity. This world-premiere production traces Ayodele’s life from her roots in The Bronx and Puerto Rico, while celebrating the extraordinary and often-overlooked women tap dancers who paved the way.

Role of Projections

In Diary of a Tap Dancer, the multimedia world weaves together three element: space, time, and spirit. Through the use of color, texture, movement, and figures, the multimedia conjures the past, present and future

Space: The actually physical and ephemeral locations the story takes us as well as the media. Bronx, Puerto Rico, NYU, Africa, the rehearsal room, diary, 

Time: Sets us in time. When are we and with who are we. The past of the United States. The past of the tradition of Tap. Ayodele’s past. Our shared present. Our collective future. Transitions between it all. 

Spirit: Connects us to ancestors, family, collaborators, and future generations. Tap ancestors. Enslaved ancestors. Blood ancestors.