A.J. Russo's mother took him to see Tap Dogs in St. Louis, Mo., when he was a 13-year-old boy. "I had been dancing since I was 2," Russo said by phone from Akron, Ohio, "and I was always interested in dancing. But to see six guys tapping for an hour and 20 minutes in an industrial setting was so overwhelming.
"I knew then that I wanted to do a Tap Dogs show. I wanted to be a part of it."
Four years later, Russo was on the road with Tap Dogs, taking home-schooling classes so he could graduate from high school. "I spent all of my senior year on the road with Tap Dogs. I left high school and danced. I was able to graduate on time, however, thanks to the classes I took on the road."
Being a part of Tap Dogs still hits Russo hard each time he walks out onstage. "Every night as I'm dancing, it takes me back. I look around and my mind is screaming, 'You're doing this! You've come full circle!' It's just amazing to me."
Russo has been in Tap Dogs for four years, and this is the third year he's been on tour with the company. "I remember seeing Sheldon Perry (Tap Dogs' principal dancer) and wanting to work with him. And now, I'm working with him. I get to see him every night. And he's amazing."
Dance has been in Russo's life since he was born; his mother owned a dance studio in St. Charles, Mo. "I took lessons from my mom and from other members of my family. I wasn't forced into it, though. It wasn't like my mom said, 'Well, I'm a dance instructor and you will take class from me.' It wasn't anything like that. No, I just liked to dance."
As he matured, Russo started focusing more on tap dancing than any other style. "There was something exciting about it. And these days, it seems tap dancing is losing ground in the world of dance. And I want to make sure it can still be a contender."
Tap Dogs was created 10 years ago by Sheldon Perry's older brother, choreographer Dein Perry, and designer/director Nigel Triffitt. The two tapped in to composer Andrew Wilkie's music and created an industrial setting for a new, tough and tumble take on tap.
This year, the Dogs are adding two new selections to the production. "We've gone back to the original idea of six guys dancing as opposed to last year," said Russo. "Last year, we dropped a guy and added two women. But this time we're back to the original concept. We are, however, adding some new elements in the production. And that was a challenge."
The troupe rehearsed a total of two weeks before heading out on the road for this tour. "We had a few new dancers join, so they worked with the material for a week on their own. Then the rest of us worked with them and worked on the new material for an additional week. And then we took off on tour."
There isn't a lot of time for the dancers to rehearse while on the road, said Russo. "We used the performances we do each night as our rehearsals. I love performing on stage, and that only drives me to do better each night."
The drawback of touring is not being able to get used to a city or town. "If we have a couple of days in a city, we can let loose a bit and relax, but for most of the tour, we are in a new city every few hours. So each place is a new place. If I have a couple of hours before the show, I do look up the closest attractions and visit them just so I can say I did what I was supposed to in that city.
"Still, being on the road is great. It's great bringing dance to people. And it's good traveling with the company. However, it is a good thing that we do have our own individual rooms at the hotel. Sometimes you just have to get away."
This summer Russo is going to do some tap workshops throughout the country. "I am starting this class called Tapademics. I'll go and hold workshops at schools and other places to spread the art of tap dancing."
If you go
What: Tap Dogs
Where: Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26, 2 p.m.
How much: $22.50-$37.50
Phone: 581-7100
E-mail: scott@desnews.com