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Interviews Exclusive Interview With The Great Olympic Tap Dancer: Travis Knights
| Exclusive Interview With The Great Olympic Tap Dancer: Travis Knights |
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| Written by Patricia Turnier |
| Sunday, 15 May 2011 18:03 |
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Throughout his career, Knights has won many awards such as the Golden Reel Award in 2000, the YTV Achievement Awards and Specialty Award-Tap Dance in 1997, the Gold Medal for Canada in the International Dance Competition in Germany (1999), etc. He also danced at different events in Canada and the U.S. His talent and dedication have drawn large audiences in Genova, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. to name a few. Knights’ body of work have been chronicled in Montreal Gazette, Spectator, Suburban, Montreal Community Contact, Who’s Who in Black Canada from Dawn P. Williams, etc. In 2006, Knights was contracted to be the principle motion capture dancer for the video game adaptation of the Warner Brothers picture Happy Feet. He is currently working with Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, Texas under the Artistic Direction of the incomparable Acia Gray. Travis Knights wears many hats. He is a tap performer, a choreographer, a speaker, a teacher and believer who is inspired by his family. It is important to note that he does not rely only on his artistic talent. He is multi-faceted. In terms of education, he was a student in the Commerce Program at John Abbott College in Montreal and in 2006 he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business at Concordia University. Knights’ education will allow him longevity and ability to switch hats easily. He is young and has already accomplished so much. We are looking forward for his next contributions and we believe that Knights just began to blow audiences away around the world. For Travis Knights, tap is about sharing and giving while connecting with people on an emotional level or giving positive energy to their lives. Tap is Travis’ language. He has worked with la crème de la crème in the Tap Dance and Entertainment Industries. He remains modest, unassuming and unpretentious. He takes his career very seriously by practicing eight hours per day to refine his techniques and by being careful with his eating habits. This allows him to be on scene 80 minutes without taking a break. In this respect, he has a lot of discipline and knows where he is going professionally. He perceives himself as a soldier of tap dance and is very dedicated to this art form. Tap dance will never die and with Travis Knights on the throne, it will continue to thrive. He is a star for today and tomorrow. In January 2011, Mega Diversities had the great pleasure to speak to Travis Knights from a location in Texas. Interview conducted by the Editress-in-Chief Patricia Turnier who holds a master’s degree in Law, LL.M.
PATRICIA TURNIER TALKS TO TRAVIS KNIGHTS: P.T. In your book, who is the best tap dancer of all time and why? T.K. Since tap dance is an art form with different styles, in my book it is difficult to choose just one person. It is not a field like a race where you can see clearly who won it. The only race that you can run in an art form is with yourself. So, I wouldn’t like to give an answer which would seem arbitrary. However, if I really have to name someone, it would be Jimmy Slyde. He was a veteran tap dancer. He brought originality in the dance scene during the 1940s and the 1950s era. He innovated a tap style mixed with jazz. He mastered the basics and used sliding cascades of taps close to the floor. That was awesome and for this trademark, he was named the « King of Slides »! It is important to mention that Slyde danced with the big bands (comprising those of the legendaries Count Basie and Duke Ellington) throughout the U.S. He had a deep sense of the art which included a near-poetic dance style mixed with jazz. I am inspired by Slyde because he used techniques that I want to express in my routines. His art definitely speaks to me . It allows me to give the audience something specific. ruly, I think that tap dance is still being developed and is growing. In this respect, it is not easy for me to choose one person as an icon in this art form. To be honest, I believe that the greatest tap dancer of all time is not born yet. P.T. My God! [Laughs] So, not Gene Kelly, Charlie Chaplin, etc? T.K. They were all wonderful dancers who contributed a great deal in this American art form. I believe that Gene Kelly was different from Fred Astaire for qualitative reasons. It is possible to poll several people and say who is the best. Nevertheless, I believe in this art form, hence the performers express different things with their dance. For me, it is a hard question to answer when it comes to art. But if I have to choose a few people beside Jimmy Slyde, I can say that Gregory Hines was definitely awesome. You can see his style in my dance. Hines is everywhere in me. Bunny Briggs is great also. While he was active, he danced everywhere and could migrate from all social classes. He performed in the streets, in hallways, at hot-dog stands and for the elite society. His style was soft, delicate and endowed with humor. This was his trademark. He used improvisation which made him innovative and I like to do the same with smoothness in my routines. They were artists who can make other performers like me feel insecure to the point that we would be tempted to quit [Laugh out loud]. For instance, when I saw the Nicholas Brothers’ performances in the movie Stormy Weather with Bill Robinson, I wanted to stop dancing [Laughs]. I said to myself: “OK, Travis, you are going to reassess your life’’[Laughs].
P.T. Some dance performers think that tap is a language that the whole world can understand without any dialogue at all. Do you agree with this statement? If so, why? T.K. I totally agree with this statement. I try to teach this principal in my classes. I think it is important to communicate to the students that they are learning tap dance as a world language. Regularly, there are words added to the dictionary. English develops constantly and I see the same phenomenon with tap dance which is growing. Tap dancers are musicians who are connected with rhythm, tone, sounds and musical scale. In other words, we use the language of music which is universal. You can go to a ballet show and see the ballerinas move in a specific way while communicating with the audience. Tap dance can do a similar thing. However, it brings more with the power of sounds which convey communication with musicality beyond movement. People from any nation will understand the language with the feet of the dancers which creates all kind of emotions: humor, etc. It brings also intelligence. In this respect, there are many ways to describe the language and the linguistic choices from the diversity of tap dancers. So to speak, Jimmy Slyde used to say that different dances have diverse sounds. Some dances are heavy, others are light. With Slyde’s perspective, being sound-orientated was important and this is my philosophy as a dancer. Tap dance is an original art form. Being able to make music with your feet and dancing at the same time is nearly a spiritual experience. P.T. Before, we used to see musicals with people such as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly or the Nicholas Brothers. In the 1930s, tap had become an integral part of Hollywood musicals and was the premier form of theatrical dance in the U.S. By the 1950s, tap dance had fallen out of vogue with American audiences and many prominent dancers were unable to find work. How do you explain the decline of tap dance since the 1950s? T.K. Tap dancing arose at the same time as jazz in America. The experts of tap will tell you that the tap dancers informed or taught the musicians (such as the drummer) how to swing. Both of those art forms, tap and jazz, are directly correlated. In the 1950s rock&roll started to come through and gave birth later to other forms of popular music. This is how the decline of tap (a popular trend at the time) started in America. However, I have a strong faith that tap is still evolving and will stay alive for a very long time. P.T. In the ‘80s, we had a revival of tap dancing with ambassador of this art like Paula Abdul, Gregory and Rupert Hines. You have been involved in the 1990s with the popular Broadway show Bring In da Noise, Bring In da Funk and later with Tap Dogs. However, what needs to be done to regain the status that tap dancing once had as one of the most important American dance forms? T.K. Savion Glover brought a new form of tap dance which definitely contributes to the evolution of this genre. His new style completely revolutionized what tap was. He created the show Bring In da Noise, Bring In da Funk. I believe it debuted in New York circa 1995. Glover introduced a hip hop element which is awesome and a brilliant way to attract the new generation with tap. It is a fabulous tool to modernize the sound. So, we went from swinging to be-bopping to jazzing and later to hip-hopping. This revolutionary idea that Glover had, brought growth to tap in a different angle. It takes also more popular artists such as Puff Daddy, who tapped in the past on TV to put this art form on the map. In fact, incorporating more tap with its visual power in hip-hop videos would definitely bring this dance to the status it once had since hip-hop is a worldwide phenomenon. On popular shows, if we see tap dance among the contestants in Dancing with the stars or So You Think You Can Dance, it would be another great platform. All these components would set the trend globally. What strikes people is when they realize the wide range of what tap can do. It is possible to tap dance a cappella and on any form of music: reggae, classical, jazz, country, etc. It can offer to the public a wide exploration of different styles and it would allow the audience to discover the large scale of this art form’s heritage. There is a certain form of hierarchy in the dance realm. For example, Ballet is seen as a high class European art form. For me tap requires the same level of discipline and even more. I worked on different tone and sounds to make sure that I am the best musician that I can be. It is important to communicate this to the audience and to let the public know that tap is not limited only to jazz for instance. I want to add that the last Winter Olympics gave worldwide exposure to this art form. It is a great way to keep this dance on the map, so it takes major events like this one to give tap its rightful place. For the public, tap dancing is fun, entertaining, a cool thing to watch. The best tap dancers are the ones who present changes in their style when it gets moody, when music transforms while the dancers tell a story with their feet. To put a focus on telling stories would definitely take this art form to a higher level. I believe that dance is a great medium to communicate important messages to the audience and this artistry is definitely a part of the process. P.T. Can you talk to us about one of your greatest mentors in tap dancing, Ethel Bruneau? T.K. She is the second or third grandmother that I never had. She`s wonderful. She is the apple of my eyes. She`s the one who taught me how to shuffle and swing. She comes from Harlem and moved to Montreal in the early ‘50s. At that time, she came to work with Cab Calloway. It was the era in Montreal where night clubs had a lot of acts. Ethel Bruneau loved the city and decided to stay. And because she stayed, decades later she met a young kid named Travis Knights [Laughs], taught me tap dance and changed my life. She introduced magic in my life with tap dance. She`s immensely important to me. P.T. I believe that she is one of the greatest teachers and we saw a concrete result with you ending up as a performer at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. T.K. Absolutely! P.T. How was your experience with Gregory Hines at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 1996? T.K. This was one of the highlights in my dancing career. At that time, Gregory Hines came to Montreal with Diane Walker, an amazing female tap dancer. In terms of dance language, she has a lot to bring to the table. I was 13 years old at the time and excited while sitting with my mother in the audience. CBC News spoke about me. They portrayed me as a young tap dancer who is going to see Gregory Hines. This legend was a generous human being and asked all the tap dancers in the audience to come on the stage and show what we’ve got. I was a shy person and said I will not do it [Laughs] even if I had my tap shoes. My mother leaned on me and said: “In life there are certain moments when you have a choice to make and if you make the wrong one, you will regret it for the rest of your life.” She added: “This is one of those moments.” So, I went up on stage. I always was big on studying the steps. So, on the scene I did a choreography from the movie ‘’Tap’’ which Gregory Hines was in. When he saw me, he said: ‘’What?’’ [Laughs] and he stopped me. He said after: “Do that again.’’ Afterward, he added: “Let’s do it together’’. So, we did it together. P.T. Wow! T.K. It was a surreal and an amazing experience. CBC filmed this event and it went all over Canada. The very next day, I got my first tap dance job. I obtained my first paying gig thanks to the generosity of Hines. P.T. I strongly believe that people who give back like that, are among the greatest. T.K. I completely agree. The opportunities that I got since then allowed me to see the world to its great length. I feel truly blessed for this. P.T. You work hard for it also.
P.T. Tell us about your experience in the filming of the motion picture Bojangles. T.K. This experience was amazing. The audition I attended was in Toronto and I didn’t even know about it. However, Hines remembered me from the Jazz Fest and the rest is history. So again, with Hines’ generosity, I got the gig in Bojangles. I worked with one of the greatest tap choreographers, Henry Legang. It was an incredible learning experience. Savion Glover was also on the movie set. It was an unreal event for me to be surrounded by these icons as a teenager, I was about 16 at the time. My knees were shaking when we had to dance [Laughs]. At the time, we had to do improvisation and Savion had asked me: ‘’Hey, dude! Are you OK?” [Laughs]. I was so nervous but I am very good at hiding my emotions [Laughs]. After that, I became more relaxed and comfortable. I said to myself: “If at this young age, I am surrounded by phenomenal legendary tap dancers, it is because they feel that I can bring something valid to the table.” I became less intimidated. It is important to mention that Hines and Savior were generous to let me grow and have my place on the set. P.T. They knew how to put you at ease. T.K Exactly. Hines and Savion are among the greatest teachers. It changed my life. P.T. What did it mean to you to be part of a movie portraying the life of the legend Bill Robinson, famously named Bojangles? T.K. Bojangles was considered the King of Tap in the early twentieth century and many reviews hailed him as the best tap dancer of all time. He brought a lot of charisma, dignity and charm with wit in his dance. He had several trademarks that he introduced in his performance such as the “stair dance ”. His footwork was complex, distinguished and often improvised. Robinson started to make Hollywood movies in the 1930s, in an era when the industry offered few opportunities to Blacks and there were unwritten racial codes inside the films and outside, in real life. His most popular movies were made with the child star Shirley Temple, such as The Littlest Colonel (1935). She used to say about Bojangles: “The first thing I noted was the way his arms and legs moved with a silky, muscular grace.” Robinson’s career spanned 50 years and he was a key player in the Hollywood’s artistic scene. In this respect, I felt that I was part of the legacy of tap dance and it was awesome to participate in this movie which portrays an historic moment in the American dance form. I felt that my experience as a tap dancer intertwined with the story of Bojangles. It was a question of telling a story with my feet. With the motion picture, I got a real education of tap dance and all the sacrifices that were made. I got a more in depth knowledge of whom came before, and it was a vehicle to pay tribute to people who paved the way for us. I have a thorough respect for these people who had to fight, toil and sweat, sometimes with tears. I felt connected and I learned more about what it means to be a Black man in America. Prior to the movie, I was resisting stereotypes related to what I can and cannot be or do. Bojangles had also to face those issues in his movies and in his life. After the film, it made me deemphasize on what I wanted other people to think of me and focused more on what I wished to communicate as a performer. The Bojangles movie experience inspired me as an artist to become stronger by refining my dance work.
P.T. What does it mean to you the International Tap Dance Day (the 25th of May) created in the honor of Bojangles? T.K. Growing up, it is something that Ethel [Bruneau] taught me. Her courses were not only about tap dancing but also about learning the history behind it. There is always an event going on during Tap Dance Day to celebrate this art form. The Bojangles movie allowed me even more to better understand the magnitude of his contribution and idiosyncrasies to the dance. It opened my eyes and ears. It made me discover more about this amazing man. He was a major star like Ethel Waters and Paul Robeson. He delighted the public with the lightness of his tap and unique style with a jovial manner. He expressed a palpable sense of optimism despite the hurdles that he had to face with his African American community at his time and the Depression era in the American society. The 25th of May means a lot to me. We honor everybody who contributed to the dance, it is a way of paying homage to them. It is great that it is on Robinson’s birthday. At the time, he was considered the mayor of Harlem. It was a big deal. As a performer, I try to approach tap dance with integrity. It did a lot for me and I hope to do a lot with it. P.T. How did you feel when you had the great honor to perform as a principal tap dancer at the Opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver? T.K. [Screams and Laughs] It felt Ggggrrreat! [Laughs]. I am still excited about it. This event was definitely one of the highlights of my career and an intense moment. It surpassed my wildest dreams. It was exciting to perform at the Olympics. However, it was even more fascinating to dance with 21 principal tap professionals. During the daily rehearsals, we worked on the routine for one month. I was in heaven. It is rare to have the opportunity to be with top tap dancers. As you depicted it earlier, the status of tap dance is not like it was before. In major cities, the community of tap dance is small. It is not like the hip-hop or the ballet community. So, it was a real special experience that I will always cherish. We danced until our feet were blue and pink [Laughs]. On the day of the performance at the Olympics, the experience was surreal. I was in denial of what I was exactly going to do [Laughs]. I don’t come from a wealthy family. I remembered the financial struggles of my parents to send me to Minneapolis, NY, Detroit or wherever the tap festival I had to go when I was a child. Because of their sacrifices, I ended up in the Olympics. Billions of people watched us during our performance in the Olympics, but the first thing which came into my mind was my parents’ support. Their help allowed me now to be employed by the great Tapestry Dance Company in Texas. The sacrifices of my parents gave me the opportunity to work with Hines and Glover. I don’t even know how to thank my parents for not only birthing me but for supporting my artistic path. P.T. I strongly believe that supporting the dream of a child is one of the greatest gifts that a parent can give. T.K. Definitely. I would like to add that the circumstances of the audition for the Olympics were driven by forces that I didn’t plan at all. It seems that when something is really part of your destiny it will come to you in a way that nothing will stop it from happening because it was meant to be. I was at the time in Vancouver, in August 2009, for a conference on tap dance. I was a speaking guest. At the exact same time, in the same city, there was an audition for the Olympics. I went, even if it wasn’t planned. I recognized the magic of it. I was in the right place at the right time. I feel that my life is blessed and it forces me to do things well. At the same time, I know that I worked hard to get to where I am. T.K. Absolutely. I think it is pretty effective to do all the routines in my head before and after rehearsals. I choreograph often mentally. I listen to the song and I imagine a new number. The mental method is essential as much as the physical process. P.T. You said in the past to the media that you were an aspiring film director. Do you have any interesting project in this realm for the future? If you have also other projects in the future, do you mind to share them with us? T.K. I can’t answer the second question. It is a secret for now. P.T. So, you are going to keep us in suspense [Laughs] T.K. Exactly. About your first question, my best friend in high school had a passion for films. When we had projects, we used to write something down and shoot it afterwards. He would edit it at the time with a VCR and later with a computer. Now, I have put together a proposal and it is about what you asked me earlier regarding how to put tap back on the map. The general public knows about a couple of tap dancers but not their full stories. I want also the public to discover the versatility and the great potential of this art form. Like I said before, it is possible to do tap on all kinds of music: reggae, classical, country and so on. It is not at all restricted to jazz and its derivatives. P.T. Is your project going to be like a documentary? T.K. It will be better than that. Without giving too many details because it has to be approved, I will use YouTube, the social media to bring the entire tap dance community together. A lot of exciting revolutionary and evolutionary things are happening in this art form. In this respect, people need to know about that. By bringing the tap dancers together it will allow the public to grip it. We will present the heritage of this art form which will be devoid of any stereotypes related to minstrels for instance. P.T. Who would you like to collaborate with musically (through dancing) and cinematically that you have never worked before? And tell us why. T.K. I would say Spike Lee, Michel Gondry and Erykah Badu. Starting with Spike Lee, I was really inspired and fascinated by the way he produced Malcolm X. He didn’t have conventional funding. I am not comfortable with this word but the elite Black Hollywood made donations which allowed Lee to make his movie. This gave him the opportunity to create a chef-d’oeuvre. He said in an interview that he would like to make in the future a musical about Michel Gondry who created so many things visually while using his imagination. He did a lot of music videos for Björk, Kylie Minogue, etc. He made major motion pictures such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep. The imagination and the artistry required to create The Science of Sleep were awesome. In my book, it is hard to beat this. Michel Gondry is definitely someone that I would love to work with. I strongly believe that he’s the one who can turn around the actual public perception of tap. Finally, I love Erykah Badu as a singer and musician. Whether she knows it or not, I consider her a jazz singer. Her voice is sultry and I believe that we could do great work together. I have been listening to her for a long time. I hear and understand her voice. I would love to have the opportunity to contribute to it musically. At least once, maybe two, what about three times? [Laughs]. Erykah Badu proves that jazz is attainable to the general public. I believe that the mixing of her music genre with my tap contribution would be a very interesting collaboration. P.T. What advice do you have for young people who want to follow in your tapsteps? T.K. [Laughs] I would say that their voices are incredibly important. They can bring everything that happened to them, in other words, their experiences in their tap dance. Use it, acknowledge it and be true to what you have to say. If nobody listens, try to understand why that is. However, it is important to be unique and not imitate. If you are imitating you have to know why. But, I believe that it is always best to bring originality to the scene. For a kid, it is normal to imitate because he is still forming and discovering what dance style applies best to him. With time, the maturity will come. As an artist, I am still forming. You never end your development if you want to go forward. It is good to watch and study tap dance footages. If I am imitating, I never forget to figure out what I want to communicate. You have to analyze what certain steps appeal to you. I would say also to young people that they can follow their dreams if they are willing to work very hard. Do not limit yourself. Personally, I go as much as I can to every show to pick up new tap dance moves. This allows me to broaden my horizons. P.T. To finish, do you have a message for our readers? T.K. Tap dance is coming back and stay tuned [Laughs]. P.T. I did tap dance for over 12 years and this art form is one of my many passions. It was the icing on the cake interviewing you. So, thanks Mr. Knights, it was an honor and a real pleasure to speak to you! Travis Knights’ Education : • Bachelor of Commerce in International Management, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), June 2006 • D.D.C.-Commerce, Johan Abbott College, May 2002 Employment : Current: Tapestry Dance Company in Texas June 2010 until November 2010 : Tap Dogs, North American Tour August 2007-2009 : Vancouver Tap Dance Society, Performer and Instructor October 2004-2007 : 8 Count Dance Center-Tap Teacher/Intermediate and Advanced
1999 : Tap dancer in the Broadway production Bring in ‘ Da Noise, Bring in’ Da Funk
Official Web site : www.travisknights.com
April 2010: Flow, Choreographer & Performer February 2010: Opening Ceremony to the Winter Olympics, Feature Tap Dancer September 2009: Canadian Tap Dance Conference, Speaker January 2009 : «Tous sur moi» September 2008: «Fall for Dance Festival», Performer June 2008: Cirque du Soleil Macau 2009, Tap Consultant May 2008: Tribute to Bill Robinson, Soloist and Ensemble April 2008: So You Think You Can Dance Commercial, CTV April 2008: Diary of a Tap Dancer, Soloist and Ensemble February-March 2008: Wonderland, A Tap Tribute to Stevie Wonder, soloist and Ensemble Playhouse Square, Cleveland, Oh Aaron Davis Hall, New York, NY August 2007: Cirque du Soleil, Research Project Tap Dancer August 2006: «Planète Blues» Festiblues International de Montréal with Grégory July 2006: Canada Day Celebration on Parliament Hill January 2006: «Le Match des Étoiles» Special Feature – Radio Canada Television July 2005: Just For Laughs Gala Series with Bruce Stegman and Patrick Huard March 2001: Gala Télé Métro-Star, Soloist July 2000: MOVIE BOJANGLES-Gregory Hines, Principal dancer June 2000: CFCF 12 Documentary Variations on a New Generation, featured artist December 1999: GOLD MEDAL, Small Group Tap dance Worlds’ Championship June 1998: Montreal International Jazz Festival, Solo/Group Performance December 1997: Promo with Tap Dogs – Christiane Charest Show, Channel 5 November 1997: Claude Blanchard Special – CBC Television September 1997: Francis – Quatre Saisons Television – Soloist December 1996: Toronto Raptors Game – Skydome, Toronto, ON October 1996: Cha Ba Da, Television Show with Grégory Charles, Performer |
Travis Knights was born to dance. He is a native of Quebec. His father is from Trinidad and his mother from Nova Scotia. Everything began for Knights in Montreal. He started tap dancing in 1993 at the age of ten at the Ethel Bruneau Dance Studio in Montreal. It is important to note that Mrs. Bruneau, called the «
