Repertoire

Stair Dance photo

Stair Dance

Choreography: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1928)
The athletic Stair Dance showcases Robinson's inventive style and was featured on Broadway in "Blackbirds of 1928." Robinson performed a version of his signature piece as a duet with Shirley Temple in "The Little Colonel" in 1935.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon



Doin' the New Low Down

Doin' the New Low Down

Choreography: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1928)
Also featured in "Blackbirds of 1928," this number is classic Bill Robinson, highlighting his light and elegant style. Our version is a small chorus piece with the same emphasis on elegance and ease.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Put Me to the Test photo

Put Me to the Test

Choreography: Evan E. Evans & Helen Evans (1930s)
George Burns learned this vaudville piece from the choreographers and he was delighted when they gave him permission to teach the piece to Fred Astaire for the 1937 film "A Damsel in Distress." Originally performed on screen by Fred Astaire, George Burns, and Gracie Allen, this comedic piece is an audience favorite.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Lullaby photo

Lullaby of Broadway

Choreography: Busby Berkeley (1935)
The original was the famous production number from "Gold Diggers of 1935" that featured a huge cast of tap dancers. Our smaller cast version features the same quick steps and syncronized patterns. We loved performing it with student dancers from CPMA Middle School.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Duet photo

Duet from "The Littlest Rebel"

Choreography: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1935)
A charming duet from "The Littlest Rebel," this piece was one of many Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson film partnerships.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon




Lucky Numbers photo

Lucky Numbers

Choreography: Fayard Nicholas (1936)
This delightful duet from "The Black Network" was a showcase for the charm and style of the youthful Nicholas Brothers.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Begin the Beguine photo

Begin the Beguine

Choreography: Fred Astaire, Bobby Connolly, Hermes Pan & Eleanor Powell (1940)
The lively classic duet was first performed by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell in "Broadway Melody of 1940."

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Softshoe photo

Taking a Chance on Love: Coles and Atkins Softshoe

Choreography: Honi Coles & Cholly Atkins (late 1940s)
Affectionately known as the slowest softshoe, this duet is pure elegance. Our version is charmingly performed by the mother/daughter duo of Nancy Boskin-Mullen and Adi Mullen.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Bouncin the  Blues photo

Bouncin' the Blues

Choreography: Robert Alton & Hermes Pan (1949)
"The Barklays of Broadway" was the tenth film Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together and this lively number from the film is a favorite duet of many tap dancers.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Main Street photo

Main Street

Choreography: Gene Kelly (1949)
This sweet duet from "On the Town" featured Gene Kelly dancing with the talented Vera Ellen.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Dancin' Man photo

I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man

Choreography: Fred Astaire, Robert Alton (1952)
This whimsical sand-dance number from "The Belle of New York" showcased the precision of Astaire's technique.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon




Moses Supposes photo

Moses Supposes

Choreography: Gene Kelly (1952)
Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor performed one of our all-time favorite duets in this comedic piece from "Singin' in the Rain."

Photo by Sheryl Coulon



Routine Number One photo

Leon Collins' Routine #1

Choreography: Leon Collins (1970s)
Created as a teaching routine, this elegant tap composition embodies Collins’ signature melodic style.

Photo by Steven Wetherbee
Nice & Easy photo

Nice & Easy

Choreography: Gene Kelly (1973)
Gene Kelly joined Frank Sinatra as his guest in the television special nicknamed "Ol' Blue Eyes is Back" after the album Sinatra had released a month earlier. This lighthearted piece showcased Kelly's elegant style.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon



Waiting Room (excerpt from Life Could Be a Dream)

Choreography: Pat Catterson (1980)
Originally choreographed as a tap solo in an evening length modern dance piece, dancers’ gestures convey a sense of merely going through the motions.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann
Flight of the Bumblebee

Flight of the Bumblebee

Choreography: Leon Collins (circa 1983)
Choregraphed to the Rimsky-Korsakov classic, this dance is a delightful study in speed and clarity.

Photo by Raymond Elstad
Begin the Beguine photo

Begin the Beguine

Choreography: Leon Collins (circa 1983)
The piece is another example of Collins' groundbreaking bebop style of tap dance, with free-form rhythms that follow the melody instead of simply holding the beat.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
BS Chorus photo

Eddie Brown's B.S. Chorus

Choreography: Eddie Brown (circa 1984)
This intricate work is quintessential Eddie Brown, known for his "scientific rhythm." Pam Thompson-Spinner, protégé of the late, great, tap master, learned the steps first-hand and passed them on to the Company.

Photo by Kevin Charles Patterson
Swing Louis! photo

Swing Louis!

Choreography by Louis DaPron (1984); staging by Pam Thompson-Spinner (2016)
This piece is a tribute to one of Thompson-Spinner's teachers, Louis DaPron, based on his famous warm up and on other classic Louis DaPron steps.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Laura photo

Laura

Choreography: James "Buster" Brown
Performed to a swinging up tempo version of the title song from the 1944 film "Laura," this Paddle and Roll number is Buster Brown's signature piece.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Shiny Stockings photo

Shiny Stockings

Choreography: Honi Coles (1990)
Originally titled "Cole's Cuts," this piece was created at the 1990 Dance Umbrella Jazz Tap Festival in Boston and premiered at The Great Tap Reunion a week later.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Clogging photo

Crucial Country Breakdown

Choreography: Group choreography by Rosina Didyk; solos based on choreography by Gary Larsen; restaged by Nancy Boskin-Mullen (1998)
This Appalachian clogging style dance premiered at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center in a performance by AMAN Folk Ensemble. Fast footwork and joyful partnering make it an audience favorite.

Photo by Kevin Charles Patterson
D3 photo

D3

Choreography: Pam Thompson-Spinner (1998)
D3 is Thompson-Spinner's homage to her mentors and teachers. Woven throughout the choreography are rhythms and themes inspired by Eddie Brown, Fred Strickler and Stan Mazin.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon

Hum Drum

Choreography: Pam Thompson-Spinner (2003)
Inspired by Savion Glover and Keith Terry, this piece features quirky, off-beat rhythm changes and incorporates vocalizations. The piece was most recently accompanied by original poetry that was written and spoken by Ernie McCray at the 2014 San Diego International Fringe Festival.

Stick to the Rhythm photo

Stick to the Rhythm

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen
Tap dancers play with the rhythms of the Philippines in this tinikling-inspired piece. Bamboo poles set the beat while dancers leap in and out of the moving sticks.

Photo by Marilen Tran
Crosswalk photo

Crosswalk

Choreography: Keith Terry (2006)
Choreographed for California Rhythm Project, this body music piece in 12/8 time is an exploration of rhythm and "the body as a beat box."

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Meeting Place photo

Meeting Place

Choreography: Donna Flournoy (2008)
This gospel music inspired piece features a vibrant cast of characters in Sunday hats and dresses. Friends greet one another, a little girl plays pranks and small groups of dancers blend into a larger whole as they all make their way to the meeting place to join in dance together.

Photo by Sue Brenner
Achin' Feelin' photo

Achin' Feelin'

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2009)
True love is hard to find and even harder to keep, but that doesn't stop a young man from trying in this duet inspired by Berkley Hart lyrics.

Photo by Kevin Charles Patterson
Chan Chan photo

Chan Chan

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2011)
A wandering band of dancers circles the stage in a Cuban flavored tap number. In a dance shaped by the traditional music of the island nation, chugs and digs play the drum beat for this lyrical voyage through Latin rhythms.

Photo by Kevin Charles Patterson
This Land Is photo

This Land Is

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2012)
Originally choreographed as a "rock the vote" number with a retro groove, each dancer in this quartet has the chance to make her voice heard. Later versions feature a larger cast and the piece rolls its way to a rousing tap jam finale.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
We Create the World photo

We Create the World We Live In

Choreography: Summer Briggs (2012)
A dynamic fusion of tap rhythms and street sounds. Dancers create a collage of beats as they start their early morning work day.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann
On Green Dolphin Street photo

On Green Dolphin Street

Choreography: Pam Thompson-Spinner (2013)
In this piece, a jazz beat is overlaid with complicated rhythms, from bolero to swing with steps inspired by Eddie Brown and Honi Coles, culminating in a sand dance in the style of Sandman Sims.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
From the Sole photo

From the Sole

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2013)
A trio of dancers plays with rhythm, riffs and crawls accompanied by an a cappella version of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" mixed with a traditional Brazilian melody.

Best Is Yet to Come photo

Air

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2014)
This piece premiered at Mesa College and is part of a suite of dances created in memory of the choregrapher's father. It was inspired by his love of all kinds of music, and by memories of music the family played at home during her childhood.

Photo by Sheryl Coulon
Best Is Yet to Come photo

The Best Is Yet to Come

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen & Pam Thompson-Spinner (2014)
Boy meets girl in this elegant duet inspired by the iconic stair dances of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Shirley Temple, the Nicholas Brothers, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers. A new romance blossoms as our dancers play with variations on a theme.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann



Busker photo

Busker

Choreography: Summer Briggs (2014)
A street performer wows the crowd with her clever rhythms and precision taps. “What’s the sound of one girl tapping? Pure joy.” – Janice Steinberg, San Diego Story

Photo by Kimber Ely
Coffee, To Go! photo

Coffee, To Go!

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2014)
An ever-increasing tempo drives this Broadway style number. A coffee cart line transforms into a chorus of riffs and stomps as dancers chase a caffeine rush.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann
Fork in the Road photo

Fork in the Road

Choreography: Sara Dickman & Cari Goodwin (2014)
A playful mix of taps, percussion and live vocals.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann
Restore to Factory Settings photo

Restore to Factory Settings

Choreography: Nancy Boskin-Mullen (2014)
A techno beat drives dancers in trench coats in this athletic tap piece. Imprisoned by the rhythm of work, they move with angular precision, one by one trying to break away from the tedium of the daily grind, but they are pulled back into their rut with no hope for freedom. Until…

Photo by Bruce Folkmann
Skip It photo

Skip It

Choreography: Pam Thompson-Spinner (2014)
This exuberant slice of life number is a playground romp as hop scotch, jump rope and basketball dances are interspersed with body music and variations on classic rhythms.

Photo by Bruce Folkmann




Bharata(p) Natyam photo

Bharata(p) Natyam

Choreography: Divya Devaguptapu, Nancy Boskin-Mullen, Summer Briggs (2015)
A charming blend of tap dance and classical Indian dance, this piece is a study of univeral rhythms.

Photo by Steven Wetherbee
Holoholo Ka'a photo

Holoholo Ka'a

Choreography: Vincent Padilla (2015)
Traditional tap dance and traditional polynesian dance are combined in this fun mix of rhythmic dance genres.

Photo by Steven Wetherbee
La Rumba y El Ritmo photo

La Rumba y El Ritmo

Choreography: Chloe Arnold (2015)
Created for California Rhythm Project by world-renowned tap star Chloe Arnold, this salsa-inspired piece thrills with fast footwork, hot music, and latin style.

Photo by Steven Wetherbee
Tangos photo

Tangos

Choreography: Kristina Cobarrubia (2015)
Complicated rhythms drive the tempo of this emotionally intense flamenco piece choreographed for California Rhythm Project by Kristina Cobarrubia of Flamenco Arana.

Photo by Marilen Tran
Tap Africa photo

Tap Africa

Choregraphy: Summer Briggs (2015)
This high spirited piece combines West African rhythms with the toe-tapping sounds of rhythm tap.

Photo by Steven Wetherbee