Hawkins School of Performing Arts - Sound Out Tap Company

Last December's trip to New York is a special memory for the Sound Out Tap Company. So much so, that Artistic Director Alyson Meador decided to dedicate this year's show to the city that never sleeps! The experience in the Big Apple is the inspiration for "The Rhythms of Christmas - A City Celebration". Four performances are scheduled December 5th - 7th, at Whitney High School in Rocklin. Advanced ticket purchase recommended. For tickets and additional information contact Stages - Northern California Arts at (916) 355-8080.

Busy city workers, frantic shoppers, happy school children and tourists brimming with holiday cheer fill the streets of Manhattan as the curtain goes up for Sound Out Tap Company and their third annual production of the Rhythms of Christmas...with this year's theme - A City Celebration. Based on the success of previous year's shows, advanced ticket purchase is highly recommended.

The Rhythms of Christmas... A City Celebration, conceived and choreographed by Artistic Director Alyson Meador, celebrates the season with a three act performance that transports the audience, via tap dance, from Central Park, through the city streets, with the final act at Radio City Music Hall, home of the most famous of all tap ensembles, the Rockettes. All the dance numbers represent activities or jobs that one might see in New York, around the holiday season; including street cleaners, public transportation workers, business people, shoppers and tourists.

Alyson Meador was able to draw from her own experiences in the "Big Apple". Not only was she born in New York, but her Mother was a Radio City Rockette. Last December twenty one members from Meador's youth company were invited to be part of the tap extravaganza "Tappy Holidays". Sound Out Tap Company performed on Broadway with some of the living legends of the tap world as well as other highly acclaimed youth tap dance groups from across the United States. The trip "home" was the Meador's inspiration for this year's Rhythms of Christmas production.

Appearing with the 28 members from Sound Out Tap Company (which trains at the Hawkins School of Performing Arts in Folsom) will be Core Dance Collective, the award winning "Diamonds" from Lincoln and two tap competition teams from Hawkins (Rhythm Express and Taptastics). Also performing will be special guests from Sound Out's sister companies iMPACT Contemporary Dance and Folsom Lake Civic Ballet. All three companies are all part of Stages - Northern California Performing Arts.

Stages - Northern California Performing Arts is dedicated to promoting public appreciation of and access to, the performing arts in all our surrounding communities, fostering interest and involvement in the performing arts by young people, and providing highly talented, aspiring young artists with pre-professional training and the opportunity to showcase their talents through high-quality public performances. Our programs are carefully crafted to educate and advance childhood understanding of the value of community, promotion of the underserved, growth of character and the value of dedication and hard work. Stages is funded in part by the City of Folsom's Cultural Arts Grant Program and the Sacramento Area Metropolitan Arts Commission with the support from the city and county of Sacramento.

Tickets are $15 for Adults and $12 for children and students with ID and can be purchased by calling Stages at 916-355-8080. Additional discounts for groups of 10 or more. For more information visit our website at www.Stages-PerformingArts.org.

Arts at (916) 355-8080.

Sound Out Tap Company

The Sound Out tappers practice between 6 and 14 hours a week. Their technical abilities are ballet based, and along with intermediate and advanced tap classes they are required to attend jazz/and or musical theatre classes. About 6 times a year high profile, renowned tap instructors/choreographers come to Hawkins School of Performing Arts in Folsom (where Stages is housed) to broaden company member's knowledge of the art of tap through master classes. Under the direction of Alyson Meador, Sound Out, tap company has garnered the highest large group, small group and specialty piece awards at numerous Northern California dance competitions and is definitely creating a buzz, not only with national dance judges, but with tap enthusiasts across the region.

Sound Out, tap company is part of Stages - Northern California Performing Arts. Stages is comprised of three non-profit regional youth dance companies (Folsom Lake Civic Ballet, iMPACT, contemporary dance company and Sound Out, tap company) with 48 members between the ages of 10 and 18. Stages - Northern California Performing Arts is dedicated to promoting public appreciation of and access to the performing arts in communities across Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado counties and beyond, fostering an interest and involvement in the performing arts by young people, and providing highly talented, aspiring young artists with pre-professional training and the opportunity to showcase their talents through high-quality public performances.