The Toronto International Tap Dance Festival (TITDF), produced by Toffan Rhythm Projects with support from Harbourfront Centre, is proud to announce the full festival program August 15-18, 2024 showcasing legacy, tradition, and innovation in tap dance from across North America. After sold out programming in 2022, the third edition of this biennial festival expands to a four day event for 2024, with the theme of duality - two legacies, two commissions, two percussionists, and two mediums of expression.

The Toronto International Tap Dance Festival will begin on Thursday, August 15 with Restorative Culture, a 2021 film project produced by Luminato, curated by Travis Knights. This documentary explores Indigenous Tap Dancer Johnathan Morin’s journey in dance and culture. The screening will be followed by a short set featuring Jonathan Morin and live jazz trio, plus a Q&A.

On Friday, August 16 TITDF will present Genesis, featuring a headline set from Brenda Bufalino, a pioneer of the 1970s tap renaissance and creator of the American Tap Dance Orchestra, and dancers from the Brenda Bufalino Residency Program. The evening will open with commission debuts from Ryan Foley, an established and celebrated dancer and teacher, and Victoria Miller, an emerging artist forging her path through consistent musical collaborations.

On Saturday, August 17 the Festival will present Convergence, a double bill featuring Danny Nielsen’s In Conversation, and Michela Marino Lerman’s band Love Movement. In Conversation is Danny Nielsen's collaboration with renowned Bulgarian pianist/percussionist Kristian Alexandrov which delves into the symbiotic relationship between tap dance and jazz piano. Love Movement is an immersive seven piece ensemble featuring Russell Hall that incorporates original music, spirituals, jazz, traditional and electronic tap boards, merging the highest levels of musicianship and hoofing.

Closing the festival on Sunday, August 18 is Rhythm Lives: Honouring the Legacy of Ethel Bruneau (1936-2023). Born in NYC, Ethel Bruneau was a veteran performer of top variety shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, moving to Montreal in 1953 while on tour with Cab Calloway. Featuring members of the Bruneau family and other prominent acts, Rhythm Lives will be curated by distinguished tap dancers Travis Knights and Tanya Knights, who began their journeys under Ethel’s tutelage.

The Toronto International Tap Dance Festival will also include panel discussions, workshops, clinics, and masterclasses with festival artists, the TITDF Nightly Jams hosted by Veronica Simpson, and the Brenda Bufalino Residency Program.

The Toronto International Tap Dance Festival presents leading artists in the global scene, nurtures the development of Canadian excellence in tap, and aims to be a focal platform for professional bodies of tap dance repertory. The Festival connects and explores multiple perspectives of culture, background, generation, and aesthetic.

Toronto International Tap Dance Festival

August 15-18, 2024

Performances nightly at 7:30pm

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West

Full TITDF Schedule: www.toffanrhythmprojects.com