T I M E S T E P S
Genesis of an image.
The abstract and brief chronicles of a work born from obsession, shaped by a single haunting question: how do you carry the weight of your magic in a world where you have no power?
Mythic ReMix
The Red Tap Shoes draws from a collide-o-scope of folk tales, myths, and literary fragments from both the African diaspora and the Western canon.
This jazz-age landscape is built from the ruins of the Oedipus myth and the legend of the Flying Africans; the Faustian bargain and the poetry of T.S. Eliot and Paul Laurence Dunbar; and the deep-well tradition of spirituals and the Blues.
These sources are employed in the spirit of transformation, homage, and theatrical signifying.
A Celebration of Syncopation
The Red Tap Shoes serves as a celebration of the evolution of African American musical traditions.
VANCE HOLMES
Vance Holmes
Vance Holmes is a playwright, composer, director, and jazz pianist whose work moves at the crossroads of music, myth, and theatrical storytelling. A self-described song-and-dance man and lifelong tap dancer, he creates original works that weave jazz, folklore, and literary tradition into richly stylized performance.
Originally from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Holmes holds a B.F.A. in Music Theater from West Virginia University, an M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Minnesota, and a Master’s in Urban Education from Metropolitan State University. His work is grounded in both practice and study - an ongoing pursuit of craft that informs his writing for the stage. He is based in the Twin Cities, where he continues to write, compose, and develop new work.