Aaron Tolson
Encyclopedia
Aaron Tolson has been a tap dance
r since 1986. He is currently the assistant choreographer, co-creator and assistant producer of Imagine Tap
! - a tap show created with Derick Grant. He is also a consultant and writer for Dance Spirit Magazine and an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Plymouth State University
in Plymouth, New Hampshire
and The Boston Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.
. Four years into his dance career he was performing in the Great Tap Reunion at the Apollo Theater
. Soon, Tolson met Julia Boynton in Boston, and she guided him in the direction of tap as a lifestyle. He went to St. John's University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Communication
s, all the while honing his tap technique in Manhattan
. His senior year of college led him to the New York Shakespeare Festival
tap program, also known as Funk U! Tolson became a company member of Manhattan Tap and worked with the show Tap Dogs
. Jumping feet first into choreography, he found a job with Absolut with a tour called Absolut Tap! He choreographed a piece for their second tour and was a dance captain for all of the teams for two years. Tolson started doing competition pieces in New Hampshire
and all over the United States
. He has had students compete in the Miss America
pageant as well as numerous national and international dance competitions.
where he was a featured soloist. The show brought him to Broadway
and Radio City Music Hall
. He was also the dance captain of the Tap Dancers. He still scouts and trains new tap dancers for the show.
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
r since 1986. He is currently the assistant choreographer, co-creator and assistant producer of Imagine Tap
Imagine Tap
Imagine Tap! is a musical revue developed by Derick K. Grant , Zane Mark , Aaron Tolson , and Channing Cook Holmes...
! - a tap show created with Derick Grant. He is also a consultant and writer for Dance Spirit Magazine and an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Plymouth State University
Plymouth State University
Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth State College, is a regional comprehensive university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire and part of the University System of New Hampshire....
in Plymouth, New Hampshire
Plymouth, New Hampshire
Plymouth is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. Plymouth is located at the convergence of the Pemigewasset and Baker rivers. The population was 6,990 at the 2010 census...
and The Boston Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.
Tolson's Training
Tolson started dancing at the age of ten in Lawrence, MassachusettsLawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
. Four years into his dance career he was performing in the Great Tap Reunion at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
. Soon, Tolson met Julia Boynton in Boston, and she guided him in the direction of tap as a lifestyle. He went to St. John's University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Communication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s, all the while honing his tap technique in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. His senior year of college led him to the New York Shakespeare Festival
New York Shakespeare Festival
New York Shakespeare Festival is the previous name of the New York City theatrical producing organization now known as the Public Theater. The Festival produced shows at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, as part of its free Shakespeare in the Park series, at the Public Theatre near Astor Place...
tap program, also known as Funk U! Tolson became a company member of Manhattan Tap and worked with the show Tap Dogs
Tap Dogs
"Tap Dogs" is a tap dance show, created by Australian dancer and choreographer, Dein Perry. The original production of the show had its world premiere in January 1995 at the Sydney Theatre Festival in Australia....
. Jumping feet first into choreography, he found a job with Absolut with a tour called Absolut Tap! He choreographed a piece for their second tour and was a dance captain for all of the teams for two years. Tolson started doing competition pieces in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He has had students compete in the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
pageant as well as numerous national and international dance competitions.
Career highlights
Tolson had a six-year run with RiverdanceRiverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
where he was a featured soloist. The show brought him to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
. He was also the dance captain of the Tap Dancers. He still scouts and trains new tap dancers for the show.
External links
- Aaron Tolson at N.E. Tap.com
- Aaron Tolson personal web site