RAG UND STEPP (RAG AND TAP)

In this concert, tap dance meets classical music head-on – live, virtuosic and full of surprises. The evening opens with a focus on tap dance itself, an art form made famous by legendary film stars such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who made cinema history with their iconic dance scenes. Long before these moments of brilliance, pioneering teachers and dancers like John Bubbles and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson left a lasting mark on tap dance. Our programme continues this tradition, placing the feet firmly in the spotlight.

And the dancing isn’t limited to the stage – the audience is invited to try a few simple tap dance steps of their own. Please bring shoes with good-sounding soles!

The musical program forms a colorful mosaic of styles and instrumentations. Alexander Lackner’s “Pom Pom Redux” pairs piano and tap dance as a rhythmic duo. Dana Suesse’s Jazz Nocturne introduces the sound world of a Gershwin contemporary, while two movements from Igor Stravinsky’s 1924 Sonata – dedicated to Winaretta Singer-Polignac – show modernism at its most elegant.

Together, Mitra Kotte and Sabine Hasicka bring classics from Gershwin’’s American Songbook to the stage and dance to “Black Diamond”, a lively ragtime by composer Grace Bolen. The result is an evening in which dance, rhythm, and piano music come together to form a vibrant whole – playful, powerful, and full of groove.