“A Masterly Tapper” New York Times.
Mentored by Gregory Hines, Andrew is considered one of the most diverse tap dance artists today.
An international performer, choreographer, educator and speaker, Andrew’s work explores tap dance as a vehicle for storytelling and community building. He has played with Grammy Award-winning musicians across multiple genres, founded and directed the tap dance company Cats Paying Dues, and co-founded the Tap Legacy™ Foundation, Inc. (along with Hines).
Andrew mentored with Savion Glover and Gregory Hines, has played with Grammy Award-winning musicians across multiple genres, and danced at the
- opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival
- the Jerry Lewis Telethon
- Winter Olympics Arts Festival
- Nijinsky Awards in Monaco
to name just a few of his awards. See below for links to Andrew’s bio and several videos mentioned during the show.
Musings on Mastery with Andrew Nemr
Tap emerged about 150 years ago. It’s an American melding of African and European percussive dance traditions.
I didn’t know this history when I was a kid watching musicals from the 40’s with Sammy Davis Jr., Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, James Cagney and Ginger Rogers. In the movies, the characters experienced personal challenges. But, their love of dance and song helped them put life into perspective. Artists of all kinds inspire me to think about life from different perspectives and in a more holistic way.
Andrew says that “dance is not about technique, it’s about life and how dancing is a part of it.”
During this interview, Andrew shares with us his personal journey
- of self-expression and self-discovery
- from taking his first dance class at 3 years old and how that inspired his life-long love and commitment to tap
- his experience mentoring with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover
- how trust, play, and fun impact his relationships and his performances with others
- advice on values, decision-making, and leading others
See below for show notes and links to Andrew’s bio, websites, and videos. Please let me know how you enjoy this talk with master tapper, Andrew Nemr.
Listen to Andrew Nemr discuss Mastery here:
Subscribe to Inspired Wisdom on iTunes and Google Play
Highlights from the Show
Bio and Links
- Andrew Nemr’s website
- Follow Andrew on Facebook on Instagram and on Twitter
- Dancing Around Labels TEDxCERN
- A Tap Dancers craft on TEDED: Andrew narrates the history of tap and demonstrates tap dancing (2012)
- Tap that dulcimer on TEDX
- 360 video for Google Arts and Culture 2018
- The Joy of Tap dance with Andrew Nemr: Dancer Andrew Nemr invited special guests from the Bay area to join his dance company, Cats Paying Dues, for this special performance. The group met only once before they took the stage, but relied on their shared knowledge of classic dances such as the Shim Sham and BS Chorus to put together a piece that was as joyful as it was borderline improve on Vimeo
- Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. tribute to Sammy. At the end of the video, the two have a tap-off.
- Sammy Davis Jr from 1969 on youtube
Inspired Wisdom
Cynder Niemela, MA, MBA is an award-winning author and internationally recognized expert in executive coaching and developing global teams. An American growing up in the Middle East and Europe, Cynder leverages her international experience working in the Middle East as one of a few women permitted to work in Saudi Arabia. First, as a marine biologist followed by years of developing leaders and teams for Saudi-ARAMCO. Mission: Interview people from 100 countries who are working with heart and mind for positive social impact.
Thanks for this interview. I was particularly interested in the mentoring components, and I liked the way you brought out the life stories and voice of this great dancer.