Shoes Reviews
“Choreographer/director Sharon Leahy, who works stylishly and lovingly with traditional material takes the spirit and Rhythmic foot-work of clogging and tap and sets them in inventive, whistle-clean musical and spatial configurations. Really smart stuff.”
Deborah Jowitt - The Village Voice
“…draws on deeply rooted traditions and takes them to the unexpected realms…the interest in rhythm as a means of establishing a community on stage, and then extending it to the audience was captivation in its authenticity…”
H. B. Kronen - Union News
“…a company of first-rate dancers and superb musicians presented a cohesive, yet varied program that was a delight from end to end…Leahy has created a whole new language by combining straightforward step-dance moves with intriguing shifts, turns, jumps and ensemble pattern…the musical and spoken interludes combined with the dance to weave a colorful, tightly knit tapestry…”
Karen Campbell - The Boston Globe
“The choreography turns rhythm into a three dimensional experience.”
Marty Munson - The Morning Call (Allentown, PA)
“…Rhythm in Shoes has the power to lift the audience out of their seats…warmth, skill and relaxed precision of the dancers are ably supported by Good’s musicianship at the head of a wonderful six-member onstage string band… breathes new life into traditional forms…represents serious play…”
D. J. McDonald - The Berkshire Eagle
“…a rhythmic tour de force.”
Barbara Zuck - The Columbus Dispatch
“A foot-stomping, hand clapping amalgam of America’s cultural heritage…Percussive tension, emotional power and theatrical depth…the total effect is mesmerizing…”
Alice Kaderlan - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
“Think of an aesthetic as all inclusive as Walt Whitman’s, with music and tapping feet in place of poetry and you’ll have a glimpse of what Rhythm in Shoes is all about…What they do is as difficult to describe as it is to forget.”
Susan L Peña - Reading Eagle Times
“A Rhythm in Shoes performance is much more than expected…Leahy and dancers have the knack for making the simplest of ideas blossom in multiple directions with wit and invention…a company that adds body and mind to the flashing feet of clogging…”
Terry Morris - Dayton Daily News
“how interesting to see the range of this lively dance form carried from the barns of Appalachia to the mean streets of today, and done with such expressivenesssuch unexpectedness that it almost makes you gasp.”
Mike Steele - Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“…an unexpected treat. From their dramatic, compelling ‘Streets of the Capitol’ to their hootin’ and hollerin’ rollicking hoedown of a finale, ‘Rhythm Tracks,’ their use of tap, clogging, and percussive rhythm in general was not just lively and accomplished; it was intelligent, tasteful, and provocative.”
Amanda Smith - Dance Magazine