What a treat, to be invited back to the Kansas City Art Institute, where I had the pleasure of teaching in the legendary printmaking department from 1997-2002. In addition to making a four-color silkscreen of this image to be called "A Sorry Print,"
the very kind faculty, students and techs at KCAI helped me realize my dream of capturing the legendary steps of my first tap dance teacher, BIllie Mahoney, on etching plates. In her 80s and still going strong with teaching and tapping, Billie agreed to spend some time in the printshop with us, where we got a little documentation along with marks on three zinc plates,two covered with hard ground, and one covered with soft ground.
She did the "old soft shoe" (of course) on the soft ground plate, proofs of which are visible in the images below the one of mark-maker extraordinaire, Hugh Merrill, inspecting the results.
After a little rehearsal,
Billie got busy on the hard ground! (She only needs spotting on slippery cement floors!)
Steps she employed included the Cincinnati, Cramp Rolls, Time Step, and Paddle and Roll!
Love how the gallery lights are lighting up this star!
Tune in for the results when these proofs turn into prints! Oops--don't forget clean-up!
Thank you, KCAI Printmaking Chair, Miguel Rivera for doing the dirty work when the dancing ended and it was "rag time"!
So good to be back home in Kansas City with Miguel Rivera, Erin Zona (now on faculty and among my first KCAI students, all of whom were dazzlingly brilliant), Hugh Merrill, and Billie Mahoney!
And thanks to Brian Reeves for buying me my first taps, without which Billie would likely not have danced into my life!