LINDA SOHL-ELLISON, Artistic Director and Choreographer, co-founded Rhapsody In Taps with Toni Tack in 1981. Linda has a BFA from Ohio University in Dance and Graphic Design and an MA from UCLA. Her training includes studies under the great tap masters Foster Johnson, Eddie Brown, Honi Coles and Buster Brown. Recognized for her choreographic innovation in tap, she has been awarded five Choreographers’ Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, two Irvine Fellowships in Dance (1999, 2001) and a Dance: Creation to Performance grant (2006) from the James Irvine Foundation. In 1999 Linda was nominated for the prestigious Alpert Award in Dance. She has received Choreography Fellowships from the California Arts Council, Arts Council for Long Beach, Public Corporation for the Arts, National Association for Regional Ballet and California Community Foundation. In 2006 she received a Lester Horton Dance Award for Outstanding Choreography from the DRC and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Ohio University. A Professor of Dance at Orange Coast College where she has taught many dance forms since 1978, Linda has toured throughout the United States, Asia, France and Germany teaching and performing. She was the founder and director of the Southern California Tap Festival from 1993 - 97 and has appeared on many festivals and in tap documentaries.

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PAULINE HAGINO, founding member of Rhapsody in Taps and assistant rehearsal director, has supported the company for 25 years with her artistry and unwavering commitment. Her interest lies in developing musicality and broadening the format of rhythm tap to include other expressive qualities and elements of dance that are not associated with tap. Pauline has also studied modern dance with Louise Burns, Viola Farber, Larry Clarke and performed with Jeff Slayton and Dancers. She has taught at CSU Long Beach, Mount San Antonio College, MiraCosta College, the Jones-Ludin Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is currently on the faculty at Orange Coast College and DeFore Dance Center. Pauline is a certified Pilates and Gyrokinesis instructor.
http://www.geocities.com/phagino/index.html

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BOB CARROLL, soloist, has tapped in film, television and stage productions. His mentor was the late Louis DaPron. Bob is a former member and soloist with Manhattan Tap and was part of the original cast and touring company of Caution: Men at Work, Tap. He has worked as a tap coach/advisor for 20th Century Fox Studios and with many noted choreographers including Heather Cornell, Alfred Desio, Twyla Tharp and Debbie Allen. Bob has taught workshops in the U.S. and Japan and currently teaches tap at Santa Monica College.

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MINDY MILLARD COPELAND, is currently on staff at Santa Ana College, Saddleback College, and Santiago Canyon College. She has studied extensively with tap masters Sam Weber, Fred Strickler, Linda Sohl-Ellison, Mark Mendonca and Christy Hernandez. She is the founder and artistic director of Tap Overload, a young rhythm tap company. Mindy has appeared in the short film Tap Heat, starring Arthur Duncan and Jason Samuels Smith, where she performed choreography by Danny Daniels. She also danced on the 2003 Jerry Lewis Telethon live national television broadcast in an Emmy-winning tribute to tap dancing where she shared the stage with Fayard Nicholas of the legendary Nicholas Brothers.
www.tapoverload.com         mindy.allabouttap.com

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GABE COPELAND, has studied with many tap greats including extensive training with Joy Hewitt, Chance Taylor, and Linda Sohl-Ellison. He has had the honor of sharing the stage with Dianne Walker and has also worked with the legendary Chester Whitmore in various projects. Gabe is a choreographer and performer for Tap Overload and has performed in many musical theater and dance productions throughout LA and Orange County. In 2005 Gabe was nominated for a Lester Horton award for best male dancer by the DRC.
gabe.allabouttap.com

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DAPHNE ARETA, (apprentice) has a BA from USC in Communications and a minor in Journalism. Her dance training includes twelve years of intensive study at the Freddie Finn Dance Studio in Riverside where she currently teaches tap, jazz, and lyrical, in addition to tap studies and master classes with Joey Letteri, Jason Samuels Smith, Linda Sohl-Ellison and others. A trained vocalist, Daphne was a member and featured soloist with the New America Singers choir with whom she toured Germany, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, and Australia.

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MARK MARCHILLO, (apprentice) takes his tap influences from mentor Dean Barlow (of Paula Abdul fame), and friend Miriam Nelson. He studied classical ballet at the Marin Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School, performing with the San Francisco Ballet as a teenager. As a child, Mark studied under film choreographer Marguerite Derricks (jazz) for many years. He has performed in TV and films including the PBS series American Family, and feature film The Cardinal Code. His choreography credits include several music videos, the TV pilot Dragon Tales and two feature films. A graduate of the USC film school, he is also a professional filmmaker.

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Brittney McBride, (apprentice) has a BA in Dance and Psychology from UC Riverside where she studied tap with Fred Strickler and modern dance with Susan Rose, Kelly King, and Wendy Rogers. A scholarship recipient for 4 years, she toured with UCR’s Gluck Tap and Contemporary Dance Ensembles. Brittney also trained with Paul and Arlene Kennedy at Universal Dance Design and has taken master classes with Savion Glover and others. She directs an after school program for Champions at New West Charter Middle School and teaches tap and hip-hop at Dancers Studio in Riverside.

HOLLY SCHEALL-MEHLING, began studying tap with former RIT member Monie Adamson. She has an MFA in dance from the University of California Irvine and BA in theater from California State University Chico. Holly performed with the Chico Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Chico City Light Opera and appeared on Fox’s MADTV. She has taught tap, ballet, jazz and Pilates at UC Irvine and Chapman University, Irvine Valley College and Ballet Pacifica Conservatory. Holly is the Dance Director/Teacher at Saint Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano.

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TIM MESSINA Musical Director and woodwinds, studied at the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. He also studied privately with clarinet virtuoso Eddie Daniels and saxophonist George Coleman. In addition, he had the good fortune to work with Dizzy Gillespie. He has recorded with Tony Bennett, Prince, U2 and Bob Dylan, various film soundtracks and has played in the pit orchestras for numerous shows on Broadway including Cabaret, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Dream Girls and Sophisticated Ladies. Tim currently tours with the Brian Setzer Orchestra and many other artists.

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JOE ROTONDI, pianist, began studying piano with his father, Joe Rotondi, Sr., at age five. A Grammy Award winner, he has toured internationally and with many Latin jazz greats: Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, Paquito D’Rivera, Alex Acuna, Nestor Torres and with renowned Salsa artists Celia Cruz, Israel “Cachao” Lopez and Giovanni Hidalgo. Joe was the regular pianist on the Paul Rodriguez TV show. He has performed with Doc Severinsen and with pop acts, Jose Feliciano, Vikki Carr, and Ricky Martin. His recording credits include CD’s with Herb Alpert, master congero Francisco Aguabella, Tolú, KLON Latin Jazz Allstars, Latin jazz violinist Susie Hansen and Pete Escovedo. Joe recorded two albums with the famous Mexican composer, Armando Manzanero, is featured on Linda Ronstadt’s Grammy Award winning album, “Frenesi,” and can be heard on the soundtracks of “Dirty Dancing” and “Mambo Kings.”

JARDINE WILSON, plays acoustic bass, electric bass and chapman stick. He has studied extensively with highly regarded instructors Bill Rene, Roberto Miranda and Paul Edwards of the group Kittyhawk. Jardine has performed and recorded with Thelma Houston, The Fifth Dimension, Johnnie Otis and Coke Escaveto. Currently he plays with various artists in local jazz clubs in the L.A. area and works as a sound engineer.

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CHRIS BLONDAL, drummer, was born in Calgary Alberta Canada. His training began at age seven in Vancouver where he was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles. He studied with the principal percussionist for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and performed with several junior orchestras, and small percussion ensembles. Chris has extensive tour experience in cruise ship entertainment, performing with jazz and show bands. In Los Angeles he studied with Joe Porcaro, Alex Acuna, David Garabaldi, Richard Wilson and Carlos Vega and has performed with jazz artists David Gafield, Mark Isham and Phill Upchurch. Chris has recorded on film scores and sound tracks including: “Fight Club,” “Nurse Betty,” and “The Slums of Beverly Hills” and maintains a career as a performer and educator.

BOB FERNANDEZ, is a world percussion musician who has performed and recorded music from his Cuban heritage and music from the 20th century western classical repertoire since the early 1970’s. He has received degrees from CalArts, USC and has studied Latin and Afro-Cuban music with master Pedro Orta and Francisco Aguabella in the United States and traditional and contemporary styles of Cuban percussion in Havana with Maestros Changuito, Angel Bolanos and Julio Guerra. Bob composes, performs and records in various groups in California, is presently on the faculty at California State University, L.A. and has authored a book “The Afro-Cuban Tradition: Folk Musics of Cuba.” He has worked with John Cage, John Adams, Frank Zappa and did a three-year world tour with Barry Manilow. His grants and awards include: American Composers Forum/Artist Residencies, Composer’s Suitcase Pilot Series, National Endowment for the Arts Consortium Commission and a California Arts Council touring grant.

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MONTI ELLISON, is an accomplished percussionist/drummer, composer and performer. He has performed worldwide as a soloist with Harry Belafonte, Stephanie Mills, Lonnie Liston Smith, Little Steven and others. As a dance musician he spent 15 years at the Alvin Ailey School in New York where he was head staff musician and currently he is an accompanist at CSU, Long Beach, Loyola Marymount, Orange Coast College and St. Joseph’s Ballet. He has composed numerous scores including Judith Jamison’s “Divining” for the Ailey company, percussion score for the New York based Urban Arts Corps’ production of “Alice in Wonderland” directed by Vinette Carroll and choreographed by Talley Beatty; “J5A6Z7Z8” for jazz choreographer Jose Meier; “Dat’s Right,” “Espiritu,” “Riptide,” “FOIL/Copper, Zinc, Brass” and “Stroke of the Oarsmen” for Rhapsody in Taps and compositions for the Monti Ellison Percussion Ensemble. Monti also teaches African dance and African drumming.

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LEO CHELYAPOV, composer and clarinetist, graduated from the Moscow College of Musical Arts and immigrated to California in 1992. As a klezmer musician he is devoted to infusing pure, traditional Jewish folk music into the fabric of American pop culture. Leo was commissioned to arrange "Klezmer Dances" for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, which they recorded with him in 1998. He has recorded two CD's with Hollywood Klezmer and was interviewed for Yale Strom's published book on klezmer music. Leo's crossover endeavors into jazz music include concerts with jazz luminaries Buddy Collette, Abe Most, Herb Jeffries and Bobby Rodriguez as well as performances at the 2002 Playboy Jazz Festival with his Hollywood Klezmer Jazz Quintet. In 2004, he performed the world premier of David Stern's Clarinet Concerto with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. Leo's commercial work includes performances on the film soundtrack for "Private Parts," with rock bands The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Porno for Pyros, and performances on MTV, Late Night with David Letterman, and at Madison Square Garden.
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GILDO MAHONES, former RIT pianist and music director (1994-2005), has performed worldwide for more than 35 years with many artists in the jazz and entertainment industry including Lester Young, Jazz Modes, Lambert, Handricks & Ross, Benny Carter, Milt Jackson, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, O.C. Smith, Lou Rawls and Joe Williams, to name a few. He has worked as a musical director for the stage productions "Evolution of the Blues" at the Westwood Playhouse and "The Charlatan" and "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" at the Mark Taper Forum. Gildo's numerous recording credits include five albums with vocalist Lorez Alexandria ("Harlem Butterfly" was nominated for a Grammy) and three of his own albums, "I'm Shooting High," "Gildo Mahones Soulful Piano" and "For All We Know."

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JACK LE COMPTE, drummer, born and educated in Philadelphia, came to Los Angeles in 1980 to further his music career. He has since performed with Anita O'Day, Barbara Morrison, Julie Kelly, Gladys Knight, Diane Sure, Buddy Colette's Jazz America, Jack Sheldon, Teddy Edwards, Milcho Leviev, Bill Henderson, Sonny Craver, Rebecca Parrish to name a few. Jack's film appearances include "Bird", The Charlie Parker story, "The Sinatra Story", "For The Boys", and "Lush Life". Jack offers his talents to support several youth programs including: Music Center on Tour and Jazz After School Program for the Los Angeles Center for Education Research.

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ARTHUR DUNCAN*, is a tap dancer, vocalist and actor who has performed throughout the world. He was a featured personality in the movie, "Tap," starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr. and toured in the Broadway show "My One and Only" with Tommy Tune. Arthur joined Bob Hope on several tours, performed both at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. His television credits include guest appearances in "Diagnosis of a Murder" with Dick Van Dyke, "Columbo" with Peter Faulk, and was a regular on the weekly "Lawrence Welk Show," to name just a few. Arthur is a dedicated mentor and shares his experiences through lecture demonstrations and master tap classes.

*Arthur Duncan is available on a limited basis for guest appearances with Rhapsody In Taps.

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FRED STRICKLER, has been dancing professionally since 1961, including concert tours in seventeen countries as well as four film/video documentaries aired on PBS, NBC, Bravo and Britain's Channel 4 Television. A founding member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, Eyes Wide Open Dance Theatre and his own group, Fred Strickler & Friends, Fred has also been a featured dancer with Rhapsody in Taps (1992-2003) and the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company. Since 1983 he has performed his very own version of the Tap Dance Concerto with many orchestras, including a concert with the National Symphony in front of the U.S. Capitol for an audience of 70,000. An active choreographer, Strickler has created original works for tap, modern and ballet companies and has received numerous fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council. As a touring artist/educator, he has conducted hundreds of workshops and master classes throughout the U.S. and abroad. He was a Distinguished Professor of Dance at U.C. Riverside, where he taught for more than 40 years.
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STEVE ZEE, has danced with many noted tap dancers including Gregory Hines and the Nicholas Brothers. He has been a member of Rhapsody In Taps, a featured soloist in the Jazz Tap Ensemble, an artist in residence at the Chicago Human Rhythm Project and has performed and taught across the United States, Canada, Brazil and Germany. Steve edited the Oral History/Biography of tap master Stan Kahn, which is on file at the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum and he has made three instructional tap videos. As a theater artist, Steve trained at UCLA, the Sorbonne/Universite de Paris III and with the Piccolo Teatro di Milano. He is currently on faculty at Cal State Long Beach, the Culver City High School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts and is the Artistic Director of LA Ironworks, a new nonprofit arts organization for young aspiring tap dancers.

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CLAIRE BERGEN, violinist, has been studying klezmer music since 1996. She founded her first klezmer band as a student at Pomona College, and has since performed with various ensembles in New York, Los Angeles and Krakow, Poland. She has studied with contemporary klezmer violinists Deborah Strauss, Alicia Svigals and Cookie Segelstein. She performed with klezmer/hip hop artist Socalled as a member of the Alef Project, which was featured at the 2004 Yiddishkayt Festival in Los Angeles. Claire holds a BA in music from Pomona College and is on the faculty of the Los Angeles Music and Art School and the Rainbow Music Academy.

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