Toronto International Tap Dance Festival presents MILESTONES
August 21 @ 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
TOFFAN RHYTHM PROJECTS PRESENT
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL TAP DANCE FESTIVAL
Program 1: Friday, August 21st – Milestones
Opening this year’s festival, we’ll pay tribute to Joey Hollingsworth – a tap dancer, singer, and conga player from London, ON, celebrating his 90th birthday a few short weeks following our event. Joey was the first Black man to appear on CBC television in 1954, as a competitor on “Pick the Stars.” Other TV appearances included the Ed Sullivan Show, Wayne and Shuster, and Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood. We then shift our focus to Heather Cornell. Marking her 70th year, Cornell reflects on a career spanning more than five decades. Widely recognized for her impact on the evolution of tap dance, her work bridges improvisation, composition, and pedagogy, honours her mentors, and distinctly roots tap as the intersection of music, dance, and theatre. As co-founder and artistic director of Manhattan Tap, various solo and collaborative projects, she’s spent 40+ years abroad and has recently returned to Ontario as her home base, bringing with her a substantial artistic lineage and international career.
Closing the evening: Bril Barrett (Chicago) – acclaimed solo artist, outreach trailblazer, and leader in training some of the world’s most sought after tap dancers through his company MADD Rhythms, celebrating 25 years. Barrett’s credits include Riverdance and Imagine Tap, and in 2024 he received the National Heritage Fellowship, the United States’ highest honour in the folk and traditional arts. He is widely recognized for connecting contemporary practice with tap dance’s rich Black American roots.
SPONSOR A SEAT: By purchasing another ticket for our “sponsor a seat” initiative, you’re helping TRP offer accessibility for more students, young artists, and families from underserved regions to experience professional tap dance.
Ticket Information
$48 – plus CIF & HST
Run time: 90 minutes
The balcony and rows D through M in the orchestra are stair access only. Rows A, B, N and Boxes can be accessed without stairs.
