Rusty E. Frank

Rusty Frank is a Tap Dancer and Lindy Hopper, producer, writer, and dance preservationist. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book TAP! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories 1900-1955, the producer of the one-hour television special "TAP! Tempo of America" (recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Grant), and the producer of "Leonard Reed's Shim Sham Shimmy," "Let's Lindy Hop!", and "Lindy Hop" instructional video tapes. Rusty was featured in "Fascinating Rhythms", the BBC documentary on the history of tap. Rusty is part of the Smithsonian Institute's Jazz Oral History project, a contributing author in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Dance, the Encylopeadia Britannica, and many other reference works.

Rusty began tap dancing at the age of six, studying with many of the great tap masters, including her mentor, Louis DaPron, as well as Brenda Bufalino, Steve Condos, Gene Nelson, Miriam Nelson, LaVaughn Robinson, Bob Scheerer, Lou Wills, Jr., and Jon Zerby. She has tap danced professionally over the years with The San Francisco Tap Troupe, Six Feet (Wayne Doba, Rodney Price), Pedal Extremities (Walter Freeman, Mark Mendonca, Michael Rainey), Tapology (Patti Meagher), The Rhythm Rascals (Walter Freeman), Mulligan and Whitmore "Tops in Taps" (Chester Whitmore), The Rhythm Pals (Alfred Desio), and currently with Gregory Gast. Rusty has had featured roles in many musical theatre productions, including "42nd Street," "Babes In Arms," "Dames at Sea," and "Stepping Out."

In 1996, Rusty added another great American dance to her repertoire -- Lindy Hop, also known as Jitterbug or Swing Dance. She moved to the United Kingdom for two years and partnered with world-renowned English Lindy Hopper Simon Selmon, together making numerous television, movie, radio, festival, and special event appearances. The highlight for the team included a fifty-one city European tour as the specialty dance act for the big band stage show "In The Mood - A Tribute to Glenn Miller."

Rusty returned to the United States in 1998, making her home in Los Angeles, California. From 1998-2002, she worked with Peter Flahiff, and starting in 2003, she works with Ron Campbell and Giovanni Quintero as her Rhythm Pals: As a Lindy Hoper and Tap Dancer she ha appeared on national television, in films, at corporate themed events and private functions, at Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm. She teaches extensively throughout the world and her home base -- Southern California, including every Wednesday at her swing club "Rusty's Rhythym Club," as private teachers, and guest teachers at the world-famous Derby, in Hollywood, California.

Rusty is a highly sought after teacher of both Tap and Lindy Hop at international dance camps, including the Herrang Dance Camp, Sweden; Boogie Baren's, Germany; London Lindy Hop Festival, England; Mainz Dance Camp, Germany; International Tap Dance Camp, Finland; Tappin', Belgium; and nationally at Swing Camp Catalina, California; Harvest Moon Swing Out, California; Flying Home; Washington, DC; Detroit Tap Festival; and the St. Louis Tap Festival.

Rusty owns and operates On Tap! through which she promotes dance productions, offers special dance workshops, presents historical video programs, and markets dance supplies. [Updated bio 06/03]

RUSTY E. FRANK
225 Whiting Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
tel/fax 310.606.5606
email: rusty@swingshiftontap.com
web: http://www.SwingshiftOnTap.com/