The Pilsen Step Festival begins. Over a hundred tap dancers will perform on the square today

The jubilee 10th year of the Pilsen Step Festival will be opened by the Flash mob.On Thursday, May 9, at 5 p.m., the song Shim Sham will be heard on Republiky Square, to which the members of the organizing Step by Step Studio and the guests of the festival will tap together. The program will start at 4 p.m. with demonstrations of tap dancing in the streets. The international festival, which is the largest tap dance event in the west of Bohemia, will last until Sunday, May 12. It will offer performances by tap studios and international stars as well as workshops. The Pilsen Step Festival culminates in the Tap Dance Show in Měšťanská beseda on Saturday, May 11 from 7 p.m.

More than a hundred performers will gather at the Flash mob on Republic Square. “We again chose the Shim Sham tap dance chorus, whose choreography is known by most tap dancers around the world. No problem so guests who come to the festival already on Thursday can join us,” said Kamila Borovská from the organizing Step by step studio. The song Shim Sham lasts only a few minutes, so the tap dancers repeat it three times in the square with breaks.

The star of this year’s festival will be Daniel Borak, Swiss with Czech roots, multiple world champion. In Pilsen, he will present his international group Tap Dan’s Company for the first time, which will perform on Friday at 5 p.m. in the ALFA Theater.

Tap Dan’s Company will also be present on Saturday evening at the big Tap Dance show in Měšťanská beseda. Among the other stars, the audience can look forward to Kira von Kayser (Germany) or Igor Bezdieniezhnykh (Ukraine), and tap studios and soloists from Prague, Pilsen, Hradec Králové, Poland and Germany will also perform. The tap show will be accompanied by Roman Vojtek and Petr Borovský. The last tickets are available through the Citizen’s Talk system.

The domestic Step by step studio is mainly represented at the festival by choreographies that advanced to the Czech Championship in Prague. Among them, there will be three solo performances by juniors and one in the adult category, as well as one group of juniors and four formations. “The qualification took place at the end of April in Říčany. We are happy with all those who progressed, but we were particularly pleased that all four formations fought for participation in the CR Championship – we succeeded in the categories of children, juniors and both categories of adults. The formations will be part of the Stepařské show program, we will present solos at U Branky,” said Kamila Borovská.

Friday evening will belong to improvisation. In a unique atmosphere supported by a live Tap Jam Band, foreign stars will excel on stage in the DEPO2015 cafe together with members of tap studios. The rhythmic TAP JAM starts at 8 p.m. and admission is free.

On Saturday, May 11, tap studios, groups, and soloists will take turns with demonstrations of their compositions on the U Branky outdoor stage from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In the afternoon, an open workshop for the public led by world champion Igor Bezdieniezhnykh will take place in the DEPO2015 Studio from 3:30 p.m., where those interested can try tap dancing. Tap shoes will be available for rent on site. Free entry.

The Pilsen Step Festival is organized by SPOLEK KROK and the organizer is Step by step studio.
Pilsen Tap Festival / Pilsen Tap Festival 10th year

9/5 Thursday
center of city
16:00 – 16:45 Tap dancing in the streets

Republic square
17:00 – 17:30
FLASH MOB
More than a hundred tap dancers in the city center

10. 5. Friday
Theater ALFA
17:00 – 18:00
TAP DAN’S COMPANY
An international project of tap dancers from Switzerland led by Daniel Borak. Tickets

Cafe DEPO2015
20:00 – 22:00
TAP JAM free admission

11. 5. Saturday
At Branka’s
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
Demonstrations of tap dance groups and studios on an outdoor stage

DEPO2015, Step by step studio
12:30 – 1:45 p.m
Tap workshop for children – for registered users only
15:30 – 17:00
Tap workshop for the public
Try tap dance under the guidance of Igor Bezdieniezhnykh, tap shoes for rent

Town talk
19:00 – 21:30
Tap dance show
The best that contemporary step has to offer. Tickets Town talk

12. 5. Sunday
Tap dance workshops for registered tap dancers

Daniela Vítová