The Other Tap Festival
October 25 – October 27 2024
Join us in Oslo in October for the second instalment of The Other Tap Festival. Enjoy a weekend in Norway’s capital together with other tap dancers and great tap teachers!
More info coming soon!
Faculty
Max Pollak’s critically acclaimed, ground-breaking approach soars across multiple styles and cultures, merging Afro-Cuban and other folkloric music and dance with tap dance, voice and body percussion. He can be seen every New Year as tap dancing Frosch in Johann Strauss’ «Die Fledermaus» at the Bavarian State Opera. He is the only European artist pictured on a recent official USA postage stamp honoring tap dance. An accomplished musician, performer, award-winning choreographer, composer, and educator, the Austrian native is also co-creator of the Off-Broadway hit show Carmen, to Havana and Back. His first CD RumbaTap was released in 2015.
Anneli Moe has been a central figure on the Norwegian tap scene for many years. She was educated at Bårdar Akademiet and has over the years been one of the most active tap dancers in Norway. She has performed in numerous settings on stage and screen both in Norway and abroad and has also choreographed for shows like Billy Elliot, Book of Mormons and many others. Anneli is the artistic director of Oslo Tap Crew and teaches tap at Bårdar and Kristiania.
Janne Eraker is a tap dancer based in Norway. She has roots in many places; born in Germany, raised in Norway, educated in Rotterdam and New York. Her work spans from improvised concerts to choreographed dance pieces, collaborating with a wide range of artists. In the duo Øy and the performance installation Tap Noir she goes further to trigger samples, sounds and light via contact microphones on the floor. She has also “played” the full size organ of Stavanger Concert House via wireless microphones attached to her shoes. In 2022 Eraker released her first album Gol Variations with the trio One Small Step, and in 2023 she released a double vinyl called Movements for Listening. Her next big project is Soft Ice, a piece with three tap dancers and a musician, premiering in Trondheim in January 2026. Eraker also dances with Sebastian Weber Dance Company, a leading tap dance ensemble in Europe. She received a 3-year artist grant from the Norwegian Arts Council in 2015 and in 2024.
Iselin is a passionate tap dancer who began dancing at the age of 4, exploring various styles including ballet, jazz, hip-hop and more before finding her true calling in tap dance at 16. She is the founder of Allure Tap Company, a leading tap and jazz company in Norway, and now owns Tickle Toes Steppdans, Norway’s only tap school, following in the footsteps of her mentor, Kjersti Evensen. She has joined forces with her husband, world-renowned Mambo artist Alexis Ruiz, expanding Tickle Toes to include Mambo, now called A-custica Dance Academy.
In 2020, Iselin co-founded the initiative «Tap Talk» with Andrew Nemr and Estefania Porqueras, creating a platform for discussions within the tap community. She has traveled the world, learning from renowned dancers such as Jason Samuel Smith, Sarah Reich, Max Pollak, Kazu Kumagai, and many more. During her travels, she has had opportunities to teach, jam, and perform at various global events.
Iselin founded Norway’s first international tap festival, «Tap Oslo» in 2015, and alongside her tap career, she is currently performing and teaching internationally at some of the biggest salsa events with her husband. She has appeared in numerous performances and continues to work on various projects in Oslo. Iselin has also been teaching tap at several institutions, including NSKI Høyskole, Det Norske Teateret, Norsk Ballettinstitutt, Tickle Toes, Musikkteaterforum, and Lillestrøm Kulturskole to mention a few.
Gry E Gåsnes has been active in the tap dance community for many years and she has participated in a number of tap dance festivals, workshops and master classes in many different countries where she has trained with famous tap dancers such as Michelle Dorrance, Max Pollak, Roxane Butterfly og Jason Samuel Smith. Gry has participated in many performances, including as a member of Anneli Moe’s company «Oslo Steppdanskompani». She has taught tap dancing at many different dance schools for 18 years, first in Oslo and now in Trondheim. Gry is especially interested in teaching tap to children and in teaching tap improvisation. She is a member from Trondheim of “Stepperiet” by Janne Eraker.
Rebekka is a musical artist trained from Bårdar Akademiet and Bårdar International. She now works freelance as a dancer, actor, singer and choreographer. Rebekka is a tap dancer in the company «Oslo Tap Crew», started and led by Anneli Moe.
Rebekka is currently active with the performance «Stepp Meg et Dikt», and has been on tour, through «Den Kulturelle Skolesekken», since autumn 2022. From autumn 2024 she will be on tour with «Stepp Surprise», a new performance in which she is also part of the songwriting process. Both performances are under the direction of the company «Steppoetene», led by Håkon Sigernes. In addition, Rebekka teaches tap dance at Bårdar Danseinstitutt, West End Studios, as well as tap- and jazz dance at Halden Danseskole.
Karyna Savenko is a professional dancer and choreographer from Odessa, Ukraine. She now lives in Berlin and is a member of Sebastian Weber Dance Company. She is a Ukranian-, European- and World Tap Dance Champion, as well as Ukranian dance champion in modern-dance. Karyna has her education from SUNPU K. D. Ushinsky and School of art N°4 in Odesa. She’s been teaching tap dance since 2013 and has a lot of experience as a dancer and performer.
Ole Marius has a BA in Musical Theatre from Musikkteaterhøyskolen, PPU from OsloMet and has studied tap dance at Escola Luthier Musica i Dansa in Barcelona. He has appeared in A Chorus Line, Glee and The Addams Family at Lillestrøm Kultursenter. He has been the deputy head for Musikal-i-teten in Oslo, and was the project manager for Musikalenes Verden in 2020, where he has been in charge of tap dance for several years. Ole Marius is a member of Allure Tap Company, led by Iselin Jansen Ruiz.
Lindy Hop
Anna, with a lot of experience in Lindy Hop, Blues, and Balboa, has taught locally and internationally and brings a wealth of knowledge to the technical side of classes. Her precise approach helps dancers build a strong foundation and refine their skills. Ignacio, known for his love of Boogie, Lindy Hop, and Shag, adds a fun, energetic vibe to the classroom. His passion makes every class easygoing and enjoyable, ensuring everyone feels welcome and ready to learn. Together, Anna and Ignacio create the perfect blend of technique and fun, sharing their knowledge and love for dance with students of all levels. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive into Lindy Hop with these two fantastic teachers!
Venue
The Other Tap Festival will be held at Oslo Høyskolen Kristiania, Campus Urtegata right in the heart of Oslo.
It’s easily accessible from Oslo Central Station and Jernbanetorget as well as multiple tram and bus stops nearby.
To plan your trip by public transportation, you can use Ruter’s journey planner here: https://ruter.no/en/journey-planner/
Levels
Level 1: Beginner
You have been tap dancing for a short while and have been introduced to shuffles, flaps and paddles. You can pick up simple choreography when it is not too fast and is taught with a bit of patience. Or you have not been tap dancing at all, want to try something new and hang on as best you can.
Level 2: Intermediate
You have been dancing for some years and your technique is shaping up. You master a good amount of steps, timesteps and other combinations in various tempos. Improvisation is not new and scary and you can use a bit of musicality in your dance.
Level 3: Advanced
You have been dancing for many years and tap is in your bones. Your technique is fluent, and you can execute timesteps and other combination at rather spicy speeds. Improvisation comes naturally and you can pick up choreography quickly.
Schedule
Collaboration with Stepperiet
Stepperiet (The Tappery), led by Janne Eraker and funded by the Arts Council, is an improvisation training for professional tap dancers. In collaboration with The Other Tap Festival we have three fantastic offers for you!
Åpent Stepperi on Sunday
An informal improvisation training for any level, with live music and tons of fun! This is on Sunday October 27th, and is part of the festival schedule. There will be easy tasks, and we’ll all improvise together. You’ll learn some tips and tricks to get more relaxed with improvisation, and some music theory to help you understand more of what’s going on. If you really want the spotlight and some pressure, you’re welcome to improvise alone or with a friend with the musicians at the end of the class, but this is totally up to you!
Stepperi with Max Pollak
On Monday October 28th and Tuesday October 29th, from 10-16, at Dansens Haus (Hausmannsgt. 34). This is a free workshop for professionals, entirely subsidized by the Norwegian Arts Council. Contact Janne at post@janneeraker.com if you want to join. Just ask, in case you’re not sure if it’s right for you. It is possible to take part on one of the days, if you can’t do both.
Salong Concert
Salong concert with Max Pollak, Kouame Sereba, Solveig Slettahjell and Janne Eraker at Riksscenen on Monday October 28th. If you have a festival pass, you’ll get a discount (ask the festival administrators for the code).
The Other Showcase & Jam
In the evening of October 26th, there will be a showcase and jam with live music. In the showcase you’ll get to see some of the best tap dancers in Norway, including the teachers from the festival.
Should you be interested in performing in the show case, we have som spots available. E-mail us at contact@theothertapfestival.com, or use the form at the bottom of the website to let us know if you want to participate.
After the showcase, everyone is welcome to participate in the open jam, so bring your shoes!
The showcase & jam is included in your festival pass. Tickets can be purchased separately to the showcase & jam through TicketCo or in the door (VIPPS only).
Prices
Festival Pass
2000 NOK
The Festival Pass grants you access to all open level classes and classes in the level of your choice, Saturday’s showcase & jam and Sunday’s Åpent Stepperi hosted by Janne Eraker.
Drop In
350 NOK
The Drop In ticket is valid for one class of your choice. Drop in tickets are available to purchase on our website, or at the festival (OBS! Only payable by Vipps if you purchase the ticket at the festival).
Student prices
1000 NOK
We have student discounts on our festival passes for full time students. You will have the same admission as those with a full price festival pass. A valid Student ID must be shown when joining your first class. The student discount is also available for those who are under 20 years old.
About
The Other Tap Festival is Norway’s only tap festival and aims to be a friendly and fresh tap festival bringing together dancers from near and far to Oslo in the early autumn. The festival is the love child of two tap companies, the amateur The Other Tap Company and the professional Offbeat Entertainment company. Emphasis is on growing the community both for professionals and amateurs and having a good time with tap.
The organizers
Offbeat Entertainment began as a passion project for Kamilla Skallerud in 2015 and did some smaller projects in the beginning. In 2021 we decided to really kick things off and gathered nine professional musical theatre performers and dancers in the company. Since then we have committed ourselves to develop our members as tap dancers, as well as contributing to strengthening the Norwegian tap dance community.
The Other Tap Company was started in 2021 and consists of a bunch of enthusiastic tap dancers who like to dance together. We are a mix of professionals and amateurs and the age of the members range from just over 20 to over 60. Common to us all is that we love tap. We are not necessarily here to be the best. We are here to have fun with tap and to strengthen the Norwegian tap dance community by arranging small and large tap dance events.
The Other Tap Festival is made possible with funding and support from
Contact us
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns, feedback or just feel like it. Use the form below or e-mail us at contact@theothertapfestival.com
