IRA BERNSTEIN

Included below is biographical information on Ira Bernstein and concert formats in which he appears. This information was obtained directly from Ira. I find him a great example of an artist adapting and diversifying in order to create a viable career in the arts and dancing in particular. Ira performs, teaches, produces, writes and appears in venues throughout the world.[PJC]

• Official Ten Toe Percussion Web Site
• There is a sound clip of Ira's work on the Sounds of Tap Page.
• Ira regularly lists performance dates on the Tap Calendar Page. Use your 'find' command and search on 'Ira' or 'Bernstein.'

Ten Toe Percussion

Ira Bernstein

179 Flint Street

Asheville, NC 28801

Tel./Fax. (704) 255-9393

Email: ira@tentoepercussion.com

Web: http://www.tentoepercussion.com/

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

IRA BERNSTEIN is regarded as one of the most versatile and accomplished performers of percussive tap, clog and step dancing in America. His repertoire is a wide array of dances that all share a common thread: to produce rhythmic, percussive sounds. In a very literal sense, IRA is a drummer - - his feet are the sticks and the floor is the drum - - which is why he refers to his art as "TEN TOE PERCUSSION."

IRA BERNSTEIN has performed all across the United States, as well as in England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Canada. A few selected performance credits are the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, England; the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Germany; the Edinburgh Jazz Festival in Scotland; the Theatre du Huitieme in Lyon, France; the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany; the Colorado, Boston and Portland Jazz Tap Festivals; Town Hall and Symphony Space in New York City; and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

Concerts of TEN TOE PERCUSSION include an eclectic mix of jazz tap dancing, Appalachian flatfoot clogging, English clogging, Canadian step dancing, Irish step dancing and South African boot dancing. IRA's knowledge of so many different styles of percussive step dancing gives him a depth and uniqueness in performance that few other dancers can achieve. He wears a variety of different footwear (tap shoes, wooden clogs, fiberglass tipped shoes and rubber boots) to produce different tones, volumes and dynamics of sound specific to the different dances. The message clearly comes across that the sound of the dances is as important as the visual element.

IRA BERNSTEIN has shared the stage with many of the world's greatest tap dancers, including Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde, Howard "Sandman" Sims, Buster Brown, LaVaughn Robinson, Brenda Bufalino, and noted ensembles such as the American Tap Dance Orchestra, the Jazz Tap Ensemble and Manhattan Tap. He has studied with some of the legendary masters: Charles "Honi" Coles, Steve Condos and Eddie Brown, as well as Mr. Sims, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Bufalino. IRA is a former member of the American Tap Dance Orchestra of New York City and the Fiddle Puppet Dancers (now Footworks) of Annapolis, MD, and is currently a guest soloist with the Vanaver Caravan of New Paltz, NY. He also directs his own company, the TEN TOE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE, a collective of internationally renowned step dance soloists.

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IRA BERNSTEIN: PERCUSSIVE TAP, CLOG AND STEP DANCING PROGRAMS AND FORMATS AVAILABLE

• FULL-LENGTH CONCERTS: IRA BERNSTEIN IN CONCERT! is a dynamic, full-length performance (two forty-five minute halves with an intermission) of percussive step dancing from a wide range of traditions accompanied by some of the best dance musicians in the country. Ideal for presenters who want an exciting, out of the ordinary, easy-to-produce dance program for small halls (up to 750 seats).
  
  
• CONCERT SETS: IRA BERNSTEIN can perform a solo set as part of a multi-act concert. Concert sets can be a single number (usually his signature piece, "The American Suite") or a small selection of numbers chosen from his full repertoire of percussive step dances.
  
  
• FESTIVALS: IRA BERNSTEIN can participate in festivals as a performer, a presenter of educational programs, a leader of participatory workshops (tap dancing, Appalachian clogging, English clogging, French-Canadian step dancing, Cape Breton step dancing, Jitterbug swing dancing, and Cajun and Zydeco dancing), or as a participant in theme workshops.
  
  
• THE TEN TOE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE: THE TEN TOE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE is a collective of internationally renowned percussive step dance soloists with musicians coordinated and directed by IRA BERNSTEIN. It is suitable for medium to large-size concerts and festivals. Master classes and workshops are available in conjunction with performances.
  
  
• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

  TAP DANCING: ROOTS AND RELATIONS (ADULT/COLLEGE)

  highlights tap dancing and illustrates its historic and stylistic connections to the other traditional forms of percussive step dancing.
  
  

  STEPS AROUND THE WORLD (K-12)

  is a general overview of the percussive step dances from the U.S., Canada, England and Ireland. It also includes a variety of traditional percussion instruments (spoons, bones, triangle, washboard and hambone) and two mini-workshops for audience participation (Appalachian clogging and hambone).
  
  

  TAP THROUGH TIME (K-12)

  focuses specifically on the variety of expressions of tap dancing as a uniquely American art form with a history that is traced back to a mixing of African and European roots. Audience participation and question and answer are integral components of the show.
  
  

• MASTER CLASSES and WORKSHOPS: IRA BERNSTEIN is available to teach MASTER CLASSES and WORKSHOPS in tap dancing, Appalachian clogging, English clogging, French-Canadian step dancing, Cape Breton step dancing, Jitterbug swing dancing, and Cajun and Zydeco dancing.