News Reporter
Last Saturday, Choate hosted an outstanding performance of “Buckets and Tap Shoe”s by the dance company “Ten Foot Five.” The group was founded by Minneapolis-based brothers Rick and Andy Ausland in 1997, when they decided to team up with three friends for a dance competition. This first event gave the group its name: five guys, ten feet. To spread word of their new troup, they performed on downtown sidewalks on a regular basis. They eventually gathered more and more fans with their unique performances, which involve banging rhythm into 5-gallon buckets and tap dancing to groovy music with saxophone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. They have performed in 14 states and 4 countries and were recently voted 2005 Best of the Twin Cities – Dance Performance.
Saturday’s show started out with a tap dancing routine by four people: Rick and Andy Ausland, Ricci Milan, and Kaleena Miller. The routine started out quiet and simple, but it slowly grew and became complicated, impressive, and dynamic. At the peak of the routine the stage opened up to reveal the drummer, Pete Elledge, the saxophonist, Allegra Lingo, and later the bass player, Jeremy Mundth.
After the introduction, each dancer showcased their individual talent in a solo. Each routine was unique to the dancer and set to the music of the saxophone, guitar, and drums. For the next part of the show, the lights suddenly turned off in the auditorium, and there was a long silence. Then, the flashlights came out. The dancers focused flashlight beams around their feet, attracting undivided attention toward the choreography. They later waved the flashlights around and focused them in a pool of light on the stage, creating a very exciting atmosphere. Helen Yuen ‘08 described this portion of the performance as “very innovative.”
The dancers saved the bucket-dancing portion of the show, as extraordinary as the crowd-raising tap dance routines, for the finale. Audience participation was key. The performers handed out drumsticks and brought people onstage, to bang freely on the numerous buckets sprawled all over the theater. This special interaction with the audience made this group different from any other group of tap dancers.
Throughout the show, the performers displayed vibrant enthusiasm. Kayla Restifo ’09 describes her favorite part of the performance as “when that guy was drumming on the buckets and he did it so hard he broke his drumstick in half. That was pretty sweet.” The frequent changes of clothing and shoes added to the show’s dynamic feel, as well as the random bursts of laughter they would insert while performing and the comical singing. At the end of each section they received thunderous applause and well-deserved cheering. Ten Foot Five’s stunning performance was complimented by everyone in the audience, for they succeeded in showcasing their talent and devised a show that everyone could enjoy.
