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Washington Square News, United States - November 16, 2007
TAP THAT!
World's fastest tap dancer blows your mind.
By Issie Lapowsky

I had to tap dance in a musical once - dressed as the Statue of Liberty, no less. Oh, it was embarrassing, but more than that, it was a hell of a lot of work. From then on, I've had a crazy kind of respect for dancers, especially those who have mastered the art that is the tap dance. Last weekend I went to the New Victory Theater to see its newest production "Tapeire," a Celtic tap and musical fusion starring James Devine, befitting the family friendly performance space.

When Devine takes center stage clad in a polo, cargo shorts and well-worn tap shoes, he certainly does not disappoint. He is soon joined by fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, percussionist Paul Jennings and electric harpist Phamie Gow. They each engage Devine, the Guinness Book of World Record's fastest dancer in the world (38 taps a second, ladies and gents), in a near battle of rhythm and melody.

There is a Celtic flair to it all, but this symphony of music and dance has a modern energy, creating unremitting beats you can't help but move to. Sweating profusely, with index fingers sharply splayed in concentration, Devine taps his soul out, even while dancing on a block with a surface no larger than a tray table top. He is economical in his use of this limited space, but shows no sense of fear or doubt, often looking up to the audience with a "Look, Ma, no hands!" expression on his face.

In the background, a large projection screen displays old-fashioned black and white photographs of Irish life and dance, sometimes using text to explain various styles of dance employed by Devine. As soon as these educational excerpts flash onto the screen, a sudden murmur erupts among the audience - the sound of parents slowly whispering the words to their enchanted children. It only proves that this is a production that would not and could not take place on any other stage on Broadway.

I felt the same way after watching last year's "New York Legends of Hip Hop," starring Washington Square Park's own Tic and Tac. It's so clear that the New Vic houses only raw, unpretentious, organic theater that engages all audiences without flashiness or gimmicks. The theater itself has a style all its own and the talent to sustain it.

Accompanying Devine's skill are the fiendish abilities of the three musicians who join him onstage. As percussionist, Jennings plays everything from drums to spoons to typewriter, for god's sakes.

Gow, the lone woman in the show, brings elegance to the form with her easy strokes of the electric harp.

Then there's the offbeat Ashley MacIsaac, a fiddler with a mohawk, whose sheer intensity is evident in the bow strings that visibly fray as he plays. He gives Celtic music a punk-meets-rock 'n' roll edge, and he adds sporadic moments of humor to the driving force of the performances. While singing the traditional lilting nonsense melody of an Irish folk song, he bursts intermittently into "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me" and later, "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard." He creates a rebel form in Irish tradition, which is precisely what Devine's style of dance embodies.

Devine's musicality in dance enables him to create a steady hook every time, even without the aid of his accompanists. It's a show unmatched in its connection and drive, making it simply delightful. Note: "Delightful" is a word I use sparingly, but it applies here. It's so delightful, in fact, that after the curtain call the audience applauded Devine and company into an encore, a rare treat I've never before witnessed on a New York City stage. The audience reaction was spontaneous and real, so like the show whose momentum it was yearning to perpetuate.

Up on the screen, a quote by Samuel Beckett appears, which reads, "Dance first. Think later. It's the natural form." It is this purity and natural flow that make "Tapeire" so universally, unavoidably enjoyable.

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