Everett Smith . King of Tap

Dapper dancer Everett Smith could barely sit still at a recent community event . If there was even a slight volume of music, Everett would be tapping his feet or silently snapping his fingers . It was obvious from those moments that Everett was born to dance. From national touring shows; Tap Dogs to stage performances in Grease and Footloose and dancing alongside musical heavy hitters such as Tom Cochrane , Katy Perry and others Everett doesn't seem to miss a step. Often remembered from " So You Think You Can Dance Canada " in 2009 , Everett was the only tap dancer to make the finals . Everett shared the stage with country superstar Terri Clark raising funds for cancer research . I was so lucky to have gotten to interview him just recently.... 1. what styles of dance do you excel at other than tap ? I pride myself in being a very diverse dancer and I credit my broad range of ability to the amazing mentors that I’ve had throughout my upbringing and throughout my years of training. They didn’t train me in just a single genre, they trained me to be an entertainer across all forms of dance. Our dance studio, Bringing Tap Back, is actually expanding starting September 2014! We will be offering ballet, jazz, hip hop, movement and partnering as well as our extensive tap programming. I believe that every tap dancer should be well-rounded and fully-backed and supported with technical training in all genres. 2) at what age did you begin to dance and was it love at first step or did you grow to love it ? I started at the age of 3. My parents threw me into it because I had an abundance of energy! Apparently I wasn’t very keen on dancing for the first couple of weeks as my mother recalls, but ever since I got the hang of it I’ve never looked back! 3) as the uncle of a 13 year old boy who takes jazz,ballet and tap I ask , were you teased or tormented being a boy who danced ? How did you overcome this ? Yes I was teased and tormented, I overcame it by learning to run faster!! With all seriousness, I had great parents who were really supportive and told me to keep my chin up, to always believe in my dreams, to stay positive and that things will always work out in the end, and here we are! 4) Dancing alongside country superstar terri clark must have been thrilling. Which other entertainer would you love to get on stage with and kick up your heels ? I would like to get on stage with an artist like Justin Timberlake. Someone who again, isn’t just a single-genre artist; who can pick up any instrument and play it with ease! 5) speaking of Terri clark..you danced alongside her in "tapville" and raised funds for cancer research. What are some of your favorite charitable causes ? Have you done other charity events ? I co-founded a charitable cause called “two tappers, one cause” with all proceeds going to our local community’s food bank. We’ve had two very successful events with that! As well, I was part of “tapping for toonies”, where we helped Tim Horton’s raise money for Camp Day. I am often a guest speaker at elementary and high schools in the area as a motivational speaker where I talk about bullying and other issues related to my profession as a male dancer. 6) if not dancing , what do you think you would be doing for a living ? It’s a hard question to answer because I’m quite the hobbiest! I’m not really sure to be completely honest, but everything that I seem to be interested in is somewhat related to the arts whether it be painting, drawing, architecture, prop set builds etc. 7) tap seems to be everywhere now. What do you think attributes to its huge poplularity. I think that a new young and aggressive approach of the dance has definitely sparked some interest within our younger community. As a tap community, we continue to pull from and learn from the teachings of our mentors while continuing to form and develop our own voices. As a tap dancer, we’re finding more opportunities through social media and televised programming to share what we love! 8) if given the opportunity to be in any past or present broadway show, which would it be ? I would have loved to be in a broadway show called “Black and Blue” which opened on broadway in 1989 and closed in 1991. The show was choreographed by immaculate tap dancers such as Henry LeTang, Fayard Nicholas and included dancers such as Savion Glover, Jimmy Slide, Lon Chaney, Bunny Briggs and Diane Walker. Many of which I still continue to look up to today. 9) serious final question. Could you teach someone like me , with two left feet to dance ? Anyone can learn how to tap dance. It’s a funny saying “having 2 left feet”. I personally am only equipped with one left foot and still I’m able to create just as much beautiful music as that of my right. Looking forward to working with your two left feet! ........... With every step to the dance floor Everett makes ; comes forth his passion for dance and inspiration for others to do the same. While some think entertainment artists are stars for winning awards and standing ovations ; I believe Everett is a star because he gives back. I had admired Everett as a dancer prior to the interview but after learning more about the man in the tap shoes , I respect him as the giving person I had learned about . For more about Everett .check out http://www.bringingtapback.com Photos Copyright @2014 Laura Domnar