Feat x Feet taps New York professional for annual show

A great taste of talent will be featured when the Whitefish local Feat x Feet youth tap ensemble performs its annual summer show Friday, June 21, at 8 p.m., at the O’Shaughnessy Center downtown. This show features tap Professional Derick K. Grant of New York City.

Grant is a professional tap dancer based in New York City. Each summer he makes a yearly trip to Whitefish to be apart of the outstanding experience for the students of Feat x Feet. Grant started under the direction of two-time Tony Award winning director George C. Wolfe, he was an original company member and dance captain for BRING IN DA NOISE, BRING IN DA FUNK, at both the Public Theater and on Broadway. He was also the tap choreographer for the TV hit “So You Think You Can Dance?” Derick created “Imagine Tap” that had a successful run in Chicago, and “A Night Out: Tap!” which toured the country for three months. Grant is a faculty member of Steps on Broadway in NYC, where he teaches liberally in an effort to celebrate, nurture, and cultivate the future of the language and art form of tap.

This show will not only be featuring the Tap Ensemble and Grant, as well as some of the alumni who will be coming into town to perform for the event.

Ashley Smith is the owner and artistic director for Feat x Feet. She’s been bringing tap professionals to the Flathead for the summer workshop for the past 22 years.

“I love watching the kids get that experience,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a fun show. “It’s a really amazing coming together of musicians, professionals and our local students all on one stage. It’s very unique and upbeat.”

“One of the blessings of coming here has been the consistency,” Grant said. “Coming every year and seeing the growth, being part of this community, part of the village raising these kids ... I’m grateful. “Seeing [the students] grow over the years is so cool. It really has become home away from home.”

For many of these students tap has become more than just a week working with Derick.

“Derick is a huge inspiration and role model in my life and in the life of others,” Olivia Potthoff said. “I feel so fortunate to be able to have a close relationship with him through tap dancing, also having someone like Miss Ashley, who continues to bring him out annually has been such a blessing to me.”

Derick teaches us such a unique style of dance and I am so thankful he can bring his New York influence to the Valley,” Lauren Schulz said.

“Having traveled around the U.S. for dance and studied from various professionals, I can truly say that there is not one person out there like Derick Grant,” Gabbi Paulson added.

Feat x Feet would like to thank their show sponsors, Potthoff Dentistry, Glacier Bank and Tupelo Grille.

The company will be joined on stage by the workshop’s attendees as well as Blue Avenue, a Whitefish band with Rmi Strauser on saxophone, Connor Racicot on piano, Alex Campbell on bass, and Ethan Potthoff on the drums. Tickets are $25 and are all reserved seats. Beer, wine and other beverages will be sold throughout the evening as well as some treats. The show is at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7:30 p.m. For tickets call 471-4400 or visit www.featbyfeet.com.