Roxane Butterfly

Roxane Butterfly is a tap dancer and choreographer. Hailing from Toulon (Southern France), she is the first European tap-dancer to have gained the status of permanent resident of America in the quality of Hoofer. Known for her conceptual approach of the form and her daring musical experimentations, Butterflyhas been a figure on the international tap scene since the early nineties.

It was her mentor, the bebop tap dancer Jimmy Slyde, who nicknamed her ´Butterfly` because of her light and fast dance style.[1] Born Roxane Semadeni, it is the name Butterfly that was to accompany her career ever since her encounteer with Slyde.[2]

Artistic achievements

Summary

First European dance percussionist to have gained the status of permanent resident of America in the quality of Hoofer, she has made herself known for her conceptual approach of the tap dance form, her daring musical experimentations, and her involvement for the woman cause in the field and beyond. Her numerous and adventurous collaborations with artists from the arabic music, flamenco, jazz and world-music environments have consequently helped transformed the musical tap landscape in America and Europe.[3]

Butterflyhas revived the presence of tap on the stages of many international dance and music festivals, venues and schools such as the Nice Jazz Festival (1996), Jacob's Pillow (United States, 2001), ImpulsTanz in Vienna (Austria, 2002), DanceSalad (Houston 2002), American Dance Festival in Durham (2004), Harkness Dance Festival (New York City, 2005), GlobalFest (New York City 2006), Institut del Teatre (Barcelona 2010), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona 2012)

Her break through as a choreographer goes back to 1998, when she became known for her pioneering work with her all women ensemble: BeauteeZ´n The Beat.[4] She later toured internationally with her company Roxane Butterfly´s Worldbeats.

Roxane Butterfly is the only woman of her generation who has led a worldwide solo-career under her own name, presenting original work in Africa, the Middle-East, Europe, South and North America, Asia and the Caribbeans. Her multiple achievements include teaching at universities, lecturing at world-dance conferences and music-ethnology events, publishing in dance and music magazines in French and English, coaching actors and dancers such as Pablo Veron (Tango Lesson 1997, by Sally Potter), appearing in films and multi-media projects (notably the world-touring video-dance-installation “Slow Dance” by David Michalek), radio, television, directing and choreographing for commercials: HSBC commercial, Istanbul 2007 etc.… In 2005, she attracted to Barcelona American fundings to work on her celebrated flamenco-tap fusión project Djellaba Groove[5] and to form her first European tap-company.

In recent years

While representing a direct link to the generation of her mentors, the Original Hoofers, Butterfly pushes the art-form further and passing on the knowledge she has received from the masters teaching and performing worldwide.[6] She founded the Jimmy Slyde Institute in Barcelona, a study and creative center that serves as a platform for innovative European contemporary tap works.[7] She founded the Euro-Tap-Coalition a not-for-profit organization that helps to consolidate the presence of tap dance in Europe.

Roxane Butterfly´s music credits as a feet-percussionist

Butterfy has jammed and shared the bill with some of the jazz musicians such as George Benson, James Carter, Stanley Jordan, Roy Haynes, Graham Haynes, Phil Woods, Benny Powell, Les Paul, Denis Charles…

She was a featured soloist with the New York Virtuosi Orchestra (Danny Kaye Playhouse, New York City/ 2000), Stamford Philharmonic, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra among many others… and was invited to numerous international festivals like Jazz à Toulon, The Nice Jazz Festival, Festival d' Un Monde á L'Autre (Lyon, France ), Clifford Brown Jazz Festival (United States), Nuits D´Afrique at Kola Jazz (Montreal), and world-music stage : (ex) her Djellaba Groove Project opened the renowned GlobalFest at the Public Theater (New York City 2006), Summerstage (Central Park, New York City, 2006), Lincoln Center Outdoors (New York City 2007), Festival Rabat Africa (Morocco 2010), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona 2012) etc. …

Awards and marks of distinction

References
  1. Times Union, November 2, 2011: "Roxane Butterfly's 'Tap Experience' explores new terrain"
  2. BBC RADIO 3, November 22, 2011: "Between The Ears – Tap City"
  3. New York Times, March 10, 2008: "An American Dance Form Fluent in Many Languages"
  4. New York Times, November 10, 2014: "Hear Those Tapping Shoes? That’s the Sound of Empowerment"
  5. New York Times, July 7, 2006: "International Dancers Mix Their Traditions Into American Tap"
  6. New York Times, April 18, 2010: "Hoofers Pay Tribute to the Tapper Jimmy Slyde"
  7. Dance Teacher, May 5, 2011: "Technique: Roxane Butterfly"
  8. Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch", 2002
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