Dancer

I never really stop and think about should I put my hat on this way or that, not thinking that little JoJo down the street would be copying that. I'm more conscious about it now and tell the kids that it's not about the shoes or what kind of shoes... it's all about the dance.

I never really stop and think about should I put my hat on this way or that, not thinking that little JoJo down the street would be copying that. I'm more conscious about it now and tell the kids that it's not about the shoes or what kind of shoes... it's all about the dance.

I want to entertain, but I'm interested in a whole range of feelings.

Whatever you do, just learn about what you're doing; get into it.

Tap's foundation is jazz, just like hip-hop, so relating tap-dancing to rap is natural for me.

There are people who take tap class, do a tap dance. And then there are people who know the dance, who know why they take tap classes. Who know why they do 20 shuffles, or 50 shuffles, before they go on.

I like to be around dancers who are totally committed to the art form, totally committed to the men and women around them.

There's no dancer alive better than those of the 1950s and 1960s. It's only the energy that changes. Every now and then, someone like me comes along, and people say, 'Oh, this guy is this new thing.' But that's not so. There is no me without them. The tradition just goes on.

I'm still growing, still learning. I'm still open and vulnerable enough to know there's much more to be taught to me and learned by me. I hope I don't reach my pinnacle on this earth where I think I know it all.

I feel it's my duty, my job, now to allow people to hear the dance to different genres of music, to ensure audiences have the chance to listen to tap dancing up against all these other styles.

I'm thankful I am able to continue to share the joy and the inspiration tap brings.

For me, the importance in learning about the dance is using it as a voice. It's not about a step, it's about a way to express oneself.

There are many different styles of, and approaches to, tap. My own leans towards a more intellectual view: tap dancing not just for the sake of entertainment but to educate and spark emotion.

When you think about John Coltrane, in my opinion - and I think I share this opinion with a lot of people - his approach to music changed other people's approach to music.

I wake up, and I'm in the zone... My performance is the continuation of my life.

I want to share what I have, and I'd rather share it with people that are a little bit more open-minded.

I deal with more complex rhythmical patterns than a regular tap dancer. I even think in rhythms.

I've come to realize that people dance for reasons of their own.

I like to express myself inside of the work that is given, and I let the dancers do the same.

If someone wants to be very tight about authenticity or ownership, it just sounds kind of competitive to me.