All That Tap XXI scheduled for Saturday, July 28 at the Touhill

The connections between jazz music and tap dancing will be on display once again during All That Tap XXI, the grand finale of the week-long St. Louis Tap Festival that will take place at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, July 28 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Pianist Carolbeth True's trio (pictured) will provide the music for a cast of dancers including Bob Scheerer, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Logan Miller, Denise Caston, Martin 'Tre' Dumas III, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, Robin Reed, Evan Ruggiero. and the festival's founder, Robert L. Reed.

(Jazz and tap have been associated throughout the history of both art forms, and tap dancing has been an interest of a number of notable jazz musicians, including drummers such as Buddy Rich (who started in show business as a child tap dancer), Max Roach and Louis Bellson. For more on the connection between jazz music and tap dancing, see here, here, here and here. )

The spontaneous nature of tap also will be highlighted at another of the festival's events, a "tap jam" to be held at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25 at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, 7730 Bonhomme Ave in Clayton. The free event is billed as "an evening of live music and tap improvisation" and will feature appearances from the Tap Festival's faculty.

Tickets for All That Tap XXI are $35 for general admission, and can be purchased by calling 314-516-4949 or online at http://www.touhill.org/.

(Edited 6/29/12 to fix a typo.)