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Kittens on wheels by glamour puss studios tap dancing academy
Glamour Puss Studios Tap Dancing Academy was established in 1997 and is a Melbourne tap school specifically for adults and specialising in adult beginner tap dance. More than 300 students attend classes held at either of the two 60s styled studios located in St Kilda, Victoria and Richmond, Victoria. The tap dance school is an active participant in both the global tapping community, working with professional tap dancers from around the world, and the local community, providing free public performances and participating in community events.
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The school teaches students of all ages, sizes, shapes and abilities and has students aged from five to eighty five.
Community and events
The dancers from Glamour Puss Studios participate in many Melbourne community events during the year such as the Myer Christmas Parade.
The dance school is an active supporter of National Tap Dance Day, having led the celebrations in Australia since 2004. Dancers of all abilities perform the Shim Sham Shimmy as part of a free public performance at various locations around Melbourne including Federation Square, Queensbridge and the steps of Parliament House.
In 2009 Glamour Puss Studios created Melbourne Tap Week, extending National Tap Dance Day to a week-long celebration of tap dance.
During 2010 Melbourne Tap Week, the Tapping Glamour Kittens from Glamour Puss Studios performed the world’s first Tap Dancing Flash Mob at Prahran Market, involving over 200 tap dancers, and some very surprised shoppers and stallholders.
2011's Melbourne Tap Week included historical routines by Louis DaPron (Donald O'Connor's choreographer), Leonard Reed (the creator of the Shim Sham Shimmy), LaVaughn Robinson, Ryan Francois (choreographer of the Jitterbug Stroll), Sing Lim and Miriam Nelson (Doris Day's dance coach). In 2011, dancers performed in St Kilda, dancing from the St Kilda pier to Luna Park The dance school also hosted a series of master classes with Rusty Frank during 2011 Melbourne Tap Week.
Glamour Puss has also promoted tap dance history in Australia by teaching traditional tap routines from the masters. The tapping Glamour Kittens were originally taught the Shim Sham Shimmy by Brenda Bufalino, and in both 2007 and 2010, a group of Tapping Glamour Kittens travelled to Las Vegas and attended a master class with Rusty Frank where she taught them the B.S. (Boy Scout) Chorus.
Glamour Puss Studios has hosted many other notable international tap dancers at the studios. Master classes have been hosted by Omar Edwards, who is a co-founder of the Harlem Tap Studio in New York City, and is Savion Glover’s cousin. The school has also welcomed Lynne Jassem, who is a founding member of the American Tap Dance Orchestra.
In 2015 and 2016, Glamour Puss Studios was a participant in the Moomba Parade