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The Star-Ledger, United States - November 10, 2007
TAPPING TO AMERICAN FUNK WITH IRISH SPUNK
James Devine knows a thing or two about traditional step-dancing.
By Robert Johnson

Irish dancer James Devine knows a thing or two about traditional step-dancing. A former Grand Slam champion who took top honors on the competition circuit, Devine starred in "Lord of the Dance" in 1996 and choreographed his own vehicle, "Gaelforce," in 1998. He can easily identify the ingredients that go into making a typically high-octane, Celtic road show.

"Tapéire," the production that opened last night at the New Victory Theater, is something else, though. An experimental fusion of Irish music with jazz and funk, "Tapéire" (a composite of "tap" and "Eire") melds step-dancing with the percussive technique American rhythm tap. Devine explains that in "Tapéire" he returns to the most traditional form of Irish dance, a floor-hugging style called "Sean-Nós," and uses it as a springboard for innovation.

"I wanted to produce something that was not about the glamour of the large-scale productions, where you have 34 dancers all kicking their legs up at the same time," says Devine. "I wanted to do a Celtic-themed dance show without using that formula."

Instead of the usual colleens in runic embroidery who dazzle viewers with their smiles as they advance in clattering ranks, "Tapéire" focuses on the musical creativity of Devine and his associates, who include fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, electric harpist Phamie Gow and percussionist Paul Jennings. The drummer plays traditional instruments like the goatskin "bodhran," and also borrows items like the flamenco "cajón."

Devine points out that unlike other Celtic spectacles, too numerous to mention, "Tapéire" is 65 percent improvised.

"Most modern Irish dance shows use pre-recorded taps and music, and play it back when they're performing, whereas our show is 100 percent live," he says. "I'm just improvising and jamming with my feet."

Throughout "Tapéire," micro-cameras follow the performers and veejay Tom Cassetta mixes the images, adding another element of spontaneity to the production.

Devine says he discovered tap dancing when he bought a ticket to see "Bring In 'da Noise, Bring In 'da Funk" on Broadway. He began to study tap three years later. Whereas step-dancers perform high on the balls of their feet, with their heels never touching the ground, tappers use many parts of their feet to create a variety of sounds.

Step-dancing, says Devine, is about performing fast and intricate choreography, while tapping reflects musical inspiration.

He says he found common ground, however, in the technique of the old "Sean-Nós" dancing masters, who performed close to the floor in tightly confined spaces by the kitchen hearth. In one segment of "Tapéire," Devine, who at 31 still holds the title "Fastest Dancer in the World" in "The Guinness Book of World Records," dances on a platform 1-foot square.

"In a way, it's the best way to see the art form, because dance is all about balance," Devine says. Then he acknowledges the daring and competitive spirit that has fueled his career: "You do get quite close to the edge."

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