Tap Dogs is Australian dancer Dein Perry's life's work
Tap Dogs creator Dein Perry may have hung up his work boots, but he still relishes his role as choreographer
Whatever else Dein Perry does in his career, Tap Dogs will be his legacy. The unlikely hit was first conceived in 1995 by the Australian native, a tap dancing specialist from the city of Newcastle in New South Wales. The revue, which features six male dancers and two female percussionists, has toured the world for almost 20 years.
It has won multiple awards, rave reviews, and featured in the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
After enduring three decades' wear and tear as a dancer, Perry retired himself from performing around 2005. But he wasn't through with Tap Dogs. He is still its choreographer, and the touring production will kick off its Hong Kong run on May 20.
At a recent rehearsal in Dubai, Perry is putting the boys through their paces, tweaking a routine that involves dribbling a basketball while tapping. It's a complicated move and the guys don't have Kobe Bryant's skills. But when they get it right, it's clever, and hilarious.
"Every time I see it, I think there is something else that could be funnier," Perry says. "We think Tap Dogs is ever-evolving. It's important we do, otherwise the show gets stale. It's much funnier now than it was. For a show without dialogue, humour is really important."
