National Tap Dance Day Master Class
with Thelma Goldberg
Nora Clark
and Laura Sicignano

Sunday May 25, 2014
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Encore Studio of Dance,
Tumbling, Music & Theatre
1999 Hickory Avenue #102
Harahan, LA 70123
(map to Encore below...)
Thelma Goldberg Master Class:
With an emphasis on release, relaxation and readiness, dancers will explore exercises that strengthen both small and large movements from brushes to spanks, to heel sounds and more. Working with progressively more challenging rhythm phrases increases articulation and precision. With solid technique and exact rhythmic goals, dancers learn to "play the notes" like musicians. In Thelma’s Masterclasses, you will dance with joy and clarity to swinging combinations of rhythms that will have you singing from head to toe.
Nora Clark Master Class: Challenge yourself to an intense Rhythm Tap Technique class exploring rudiments influenced by the Condos Brothers, stationary and traveling drills, and an intricate combination focusing on clear rhythms and style
Laura Sicignano Master Class: Learn the basics of tap improvisation in this master class. You will practice listening to the dancers around you and responding to the music they create. This will help you have a rhythmic dialogue with the music and each other. This class will help you to move out of your usual patterns and start trying new ideas. In this class you will work both with and without music to challenge you and help develop your improvisation skills.
Master Class Instructors
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Thelma Larkin Goldberg grew up in Cambridge, MA, studying dance at Bates School of Dance in Central Square. After earning her B.S. in Special Education from Lesley College/University in 1974, she taught in the Boston Public School system, earning her Masters in Special Education from Regis College while starting a family and relocating to Lexington, MA. After starting The Dance Inn in 1983 in the dining room of her home, Thelma eventually found her way to the rich tap scene in the Boston area, studying at the Leon Collins studio in Brookline and meeting many of the friends and associates that have continued to inspire her since then. In 1997 she started Dance Inn Productions, a non-profit organization, and served as its Executive Director, producing annual International Tap Dance Day Festivals that honored master tappers with the Tapestry Award for Teaching. Among the dancers she celebrated were Dianne Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Sarah Petronio, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde and Billy Siegenfeld. Thelma has taught at several festivals around the country and was on faculty at the Boston Conservatory for many years. She founded and directed the Pre-Professional Program of Tap City, The New York City Tap Festival; and is artistic director of the Legacy Dance Company, the pre-professional program of The Dance Inn. Her studio has now grown to two locations and she continues to teach fifteen hours a week while supervising a passionate group of young faculty. Her goal is to dance forever!
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Nora  Clark is originally from rural Vermont where she danced with the New England Dance Ensemble and The Company at Dancers’ Corner from age 6 to 18. There she competed and performed nationally in ballet, jazz and tap. She received scholarships and titles from dance organizations such as New York City Dance Alliance and American Dance Awards. In 2005, Nora was honored to teach a tribute class for the late Dr. Leonard Reed at both the St. Louis Tap Festival and the LA Tap Fest. In 2006, she moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College and began dancing with  M.A.D.D. Rhythms, where she was a principle dancer and choreographer. Television  and  film  credits include  local  news  performances  on  WGN  and  ABC  and  The  Simpsons  Movie  premier.  Nora  has  choreographed  for  The  Detroit  Tap  Repertory  and  has  had students  in  multiple  regions  win  overall  titles  at  organizations  such  as  Dance  Masters  of  America  and Platinum  National  Dance  Competition with  her  choreography.  Additionally,  in  2010  she  taught  and  performed  at  the  St.  Louis  Tap  Festival  and  Snow tapped,  a  Motor  City  Dance  Productions,  Inc.  workshop.  In  May  of  2010,  Nora  graduated  with  honors  from  Columbia  College  Chicago,  receiving  her  Bachelors  of  Arts  in  Writing  and  Producing  for  Television.  She  worked  at  Long  Tail  Media  Group  as  a  producer  for  the  Internet  broadcast,  sketch  comedy  show,  Friday  Nite  Bytes,  until moving  to  Savannah,  GA  in  2011  to  teach  &  choreograph  throughout  the  Southeast.  In  2013,  she  made another  move  to  New  Orleans,  LA,  where  she  is  currently  working  in  film  production.  She  is  thrilled  to  be  part of  the  growing  and  enthusiastic  tap  scene  in  NO.
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Laura Sicignano began dancing at the age of 13 where she joined the apprentice company at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center. She really began her tap dance training 3 years later with Alfred Lowe. She went on to dance for his company while she was still living in Houston. Laura attended the University of New Mexico where she danced for the Bill Evans Rhythm Ensemble for 4 years. After college she continued her training with Acia Gray and Jason Janas of Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, Texas. Laura then moved to Chicago where she began dancing for Chicago Tap Theater under Mark Yonally. She also danced with the Cartier Collective for a year. While in Chicago, Laura enjoyed dancing with a swing band called the Sons of Susan. Laura is a recent transplant to New Orleans and is excited to join Gulf Coast Theatre on Tap in their first season