Dancing Shoes

Bringing Soul to Sole: Tapestry's annual tap festival showcases an American artform

As the only full-time tap company in the country, Tapestry Dance Company has made a name by venturing near and far to spread the American art of tap dance. Last fall, the professional company traveled to China for a month-long trek where they performed the award-winning show, The Souls of Our Feet to international audiences, many of whom were unfamiliar with the indigenous art form.

This week, Tapestry brings its mission home with 12th Annual Soul to Sole Festival, an Austin-based tap conference and festival that began on Monday, May 28, and runs through Sunday, June 3.

Soul to Sole Festival brings teachers and dancers from around the world to Austin — also home to the International Tap Association — for a week-long celebration of tap. At the heart of the festival is an intensive program that includes 42 master classes, seven full choreography exercises, freestyle "tap jams" and panel discussions.

Taught by an impressive list of accomplished teachers ranging from Tapestry co-founder Acia Gray to guests from Chicago, New York City and Paris, Soul to Sole Festival has tracks fit for students of all levels, novice to master.

The festival also has offerings for those who aren't ready to break out their dancing shoes quite yet. In addition to a full schedule of classes, Tapestry will close out this year's festival with two special performances at the Long Center for the Performing Arts that are open to the public.

Friday, June 1: Soul to Sole Showcase

Join Tapestry and the students of the 12th annual Soul to Sole Festival for a showcase wrapping up the week’s events with performances by festival attendees.

Saturday, June 2: Friends In Time/ Soul to Sole Faculty Concert

The Soul to Sole faculty will show off their skills at a special Saturday evening showcase. Featuring international artists, as well as local and national soloists and companies, the Faculty Concert will take audience members on a diverse trip through the unique world of rhythm tap.

Immediately after the Soul to Sole Festival, Tapestry Dance Company is headed north to continue its mission of spreading the art of tap through a series of performances in Trois Rivieres, Montreal, Canada.

---

For more information about this weekend's Soul to Sole Festival performances, visit www.tapestry.org.

unspecified

Sonic Boost

Musical gala spotlights 20 Austin acts including Nemegata, Quentin Arispe

Photo courtesy of Spaceflight Records

undefined

On January 18, charitable organization Sonic Guild will award $150,000 in grants to 20 deserving local bands and solo artists at the Sonic Guild Ball. For the first time ever, tickets are available to the public for this ceremony and show.

This is the 11th year this organization has supported the Austin music scene, though readers might know the organization by its previous name, Black Fret. This public charity is headquartered here in Austin and is on a mission to support artists here (as well as in Seattle and parts of Colorado, now) with a publicly available annual membership.

In return for annual dues, members get to see a bunch of shows and attend private events; and their memberships support local music with grants. Over these years, the group has awarded grants and payments to local musicians, venues, and music businesses totaling over $6 million.

This year's grant recipients are:

Rob Baird
West 22nd
Cactus Lee
The Point
DAIISTAR
Parker Woodland
Nemegata
Deer Fellow
Elijah Delgado
Grocery Bag
Quentin Arispe
Shelley King
Geto Gala
Next of Kin
promqueen
Lew Apollo
S. L. Houser
Harvest Thieves
TV's Daniel
Stella and the Very Messed

These artists were selected through a year-long process where Sonic Guild members, advisors, and prior grant recipients nominated, lobbied for, and finally voted on their favorite artists.

These 20 winners will receive not only grants at the upcoming Sonic Guild Ball, but also mentoring, and will be paid for any performance they do for Sonic Guild audiences in the future. In fact, half of the awarded bands will be performing at the ball itself.

In between performances there will be videos and live testimonials telling the stories of how past grant winners have used their funds to boost their music careers with album recordings, tours, instruments, and more.

“Naming these 20 2024 Sonic Guild Artists puts us at over 200 individual acts we have recognized with a Sonic Guild grant,” said co-founder and Executive Director of Sonic Guild Austin Matt Ott in a press release. “Every member that joins Sonic Guild sends a powerful message to our city’s musicians that their contributions to our culture matters. We must support our music scene as our great city grows to make sure it thrives for generations to come.”

The 2024 Sonic Guild Ball will be held at the Long Center for the first time ever. Individual public tickets are available online and range between $24 and $130 depending on the seat.

Austinites can also become members of Sonic Guild and have access to more than 30 live shows this next season, and will get to vote for the lucky artists that will be awarded with grants at next year's Sonic Guild Ball.

galas fundraisers music live music