Appalachian Flatfooting

“This is really fun,” said the tap dancer and choreographer @calebteicher. “I do just feel the pleasure of dancing — and dancing that’s momentum-based. It’s where your movement sprouts from momentum that either comes from intention or from something you feel in the music.” And there’s plenty to feel in the score, created by @chrisceliz, a beatboxer who performs with Caleb’s company in “Bzzz” on Friday at the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival. In this section, 7 dancers explore Appalachian flatfooting, a percussive form that follows the pattern step, scuff, drag, brush, step. When they all join in unison, the stage turns into an explosion of sound and spirit. For Caleb, it has to do with movement being initiated from the center of the body. “It’s our greatest place of weight," he told the #nytimes writer @giadk. “So in this piece it’s coming from a nice bouncy engine in my body. It just kind of flies out from there.”

If you were to ask me, I'd say this was clogging, as flatfooting is more subtle, and the foot barely leaves the ground. But whatever you call it, it's a nice joyful dance sequence. And that's what's important. (via Nag on the Lake)