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Diary of a Tap Dancer

  • Dec 12, 2024 - Jan 4, 2025

  • Loeb Drama Center

  • Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission

  • Run Time

    2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission

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Captivating! Ambitious and disarmingly entertaining. Casel is a marvel. She radiates.

The Boston Globe


Trailblazing tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel and longtime collaborator director Torya Beard (Chasing Magic, Funny Girl) return to A.R.T. this holiday season to share the joyful, resilient, and liberating spirit of tap. The electric new play weaves together dance, narrative, and song to reveal the power of reclaiming language, culture, and one’s own identity. This world-premiere production traces Ayodele’s life from her roots in The Bronx and Puerto Rico, while celebrating the extraordinary and often-overlooked women tap dancers who paved the way.

This production contains racial slurs, discusses domestic violence and drug use, and includes historical references to enslaved and oppressed people. It also contains haze and flashing lights. Recommended for ages 13+.

Written and Choreographed by Ayodele Casel
Directed by Torya Beard

Notable dates

Opening Night: 12/18
Member Night: 12/19 at 7:30PM
ASL Interpreted: 12/20 at 7:30PM
Audio Described: 12/21 at 2PM
Open Captioned: 12/22 at 2PM
Sensory Inclusive: 12/22 at 2PM

Production Sponsors
Leslie and Howard Appleby

Accessibility

Find out about our theater’s accessibility.

Find out about our theater’s accessibility.

Plan Your Visit

Information on getting to the theater, local restaurants, and the Loeb Drama Center, including restrooms and concessions.

Information on getting to the theater, local restaurants, and the Loeb Drama Center, including restrooms and concessions.

Ticketing Policies

Learn about our ticketing policies and discounts, including for seniors, EBT cardholders, students, and audience members under 25.

Learn about our ticketing policies and discounts, including for seniors, EBT cardholders, students, and audience members under 25.

Content Key

Language 2 out of 5     
Violence 1 out of 5     
Sexuality 1 out of 5     
Substance Use 1 out of 5     

Language 2 out of 5     
Violence 1 out of 5     
Sexuality 1 out of 5     
Substance Use 1 out of 5     

Ticket Offers

Sold Out

The remaining performances of Diary of a Tap Dancer are sold out, however tickets may become available as inventory allows due to returns. Check back daily!

Concierge Ticketing Service

There may be an extremely limited number of tickets available through our Concierge Ticketing Service benefit, which begins at a gift of $1,000. To become a member or upgrade your membership to access any remaining tickets please contact DonorEmails@amrep.org.

All Discounts

Standard tickets start at $35, and discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under the age of 25, Blue Star families, EBT card holders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others.

More Info

 

Audience members entering the theater.

Take Five

All Performances (Except DEC 18 7:30PM)
$5 Tickets

Take Five invites community members who feel attending theater is financially out of reach or want to take a chance on something new to experience the A.R.T. with a $5 ticket. These tickets are sold out for Diary of a Tap Dancer.

More Info

All Performances (Except DEC 18 7:30PM)
$5 Tickets

Take Five invites community members who feel attending theater is financially out of reach or want to take a chance on something new to experience the A.R.T. with a $5 ticket. These tickets are sold out for Diary of a Tap Dancer.

More Info

Photos & Videos

Ayodele Casel in a white tux shirt and slacks dances center stage underneath a spotlight and encircled by the rest of the cast, also dancing in white outfits, while black-and-white historical images of Black tap dancers are projected onto the walls of the set.

Production Photos

9 items
Ayodele Casel in a brown jacket and black jacket raises one arm as she taps in the center of the rehearsal stage, with the other performers around her dancing in unison.

Peek into Rehearsal

11 items
A group shot of the cast and the director arranged in two rows.

The First Rehearsal

13 items

Press Coverage

Reviews

Ayodele Casel in a white vest, pants, and tap shoes, dances center stage lit by multiple spotlights, while other members of the cast face the wall of the set behind her.

WBUR

A rich theatrical memoir told with heart. Smartly directed… brimming with honesty and resilience. Full of remarkable dancing, a generous tribute to tap.

Read full article

A rich theatrical memoir told with heart. Smartly directed… brimming with honesty and resilience. Full of remarkable dancing, a generous tribute to tap.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a white tux shirt and slacks dances center stage underneath a spotlight and encircled by the rest of the cast, also dancing in white outfits, while black-and-white historical images of Black tap dancers are projected onto the walls of the set.

The Boston Globe

Captivating! Ambitious and disarmingly entertaining. An engaging storyteller and brilliant dancer…Casel is a marvel. She radiates.

Read full article

Captivating! Ambitious and disarmingly entertaining. An engaging storyteller and brilliant dancer…Casel is a marvel. She radiates.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a blue and yellow track jacket strikes a pose, her arms raised on either side of her and her face and updo hairstyle in profile.

New York Stage Review

★★★★☆ Unmissable! An unforgettable night at the theater. Diary of a Tap Dancer triumphs.

Read full article

★★★★☆ Unmissable! An unforgettable night at the theater. Diary of a Tap Dancer triumphs.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a grey and red sweatshrit, loose white pants, and sneakers, laughs and points to her right.

BroadwayWorld

A forward-focused celebration. [Casel] firmly establishes herself here as a terrific writer, actor, choreographer, and cultural historian whose work matters and whose name should be remembered.

Read full article

A forward-focused celebration. [Casel] firmly establishes herself here as a terrific writer, actor, choreographer, and cultural historian whose work matters and whose name should be remembered.

Read full article

Liberty Styles in a white outfit and a pink turban, sits in a chair and reaches down to touch the shoulder of Ayodele Casel, who sits on the ground in a white outfit with one leg outstretched looking up at them.

Joyce’s Choices

Joyful, inspiring, eye-opening spectacle. This show is a revelation and gift!

Read full article

Joyful, inspiring, eye-opening spectacle. This show is a revelation and gift!

Read full article

The cast in sweatshirts and loose, white pants, sit gathered on steps, with Ayodele in a blue and yellow track jacket at the center. Ki’Leigh Williams in a pink tie-dye, Selena graphic T-shirt plays an air guitar.

Stage and Cinema

Part autobiography, part history, and all entertainment… this innovative production is slated to become a classic.

Read full article

Part autobiography, part history, and all entertainment… this innovative production is slated to become a classic.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a black graphic T-shirt and navy capri pants sits on steps, extending her arms to rest her fingertips on the floor on either side of her.

Theater Mirror

Jubilant. [Casel is a] bold guide who unlocks the enchantment and triumph of the human spirit that is the essence of tap.

Read full article

Jubilant. [Casel is a] bold guide who unlocks the enchantment and triumph of the human spirit that is the essence of tap.

Read full article

View More Close

Ayodele Casel in a white vest, pants, and tap shoes, dances center stage lit by multiple spotlights, while other members of the cast face the wall of the set behind her.

Slow Muse

Extraordinary! Diary of a Tap Dancer has magic… full of passion and charisma.

Read full article

Extraordinary! Diary of a Tap Dancer has magic… full of passion and charisma.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a blue and yellow track jacket strikes a pose, her arms raised on either side of her and her face and updo hairstyle in profile.

New England Theatre Geek

Resplendent and endlessly creative. A testament to the power of artistic expression.

Read full article

Resplendent and endlessly creative. A testament to the power of artistic expression.

Read full article

The cast in sweatshirts and loose, white pants, sit gathered on steps, with Ayodele in a blue and yellow track jacket at the center. Ki’Leigh Williams in a pink tie-dye, Selena graphic T-shirt plays an air guitar.

The Sleepless Critic

A powerful and profound statement. Snappy, exciting and sleek choreography commands the stage.

Read full article

A powerful and profound statement. Snappy, exciting and sleek choreography commands the stage.

Read full article

Features

Ayodele Casel in a sparkly jacket lefts one leg in front of a studio background.

Dance Magazine

Diary of a Tap Dancer Returns With a New Format and New Perspectives

“In searching for other people’s history, you realize you must tend to your own, as well,” [Ayodele Casel] says. “Tap dancers deal with time in a very specific way artistically. This show is about how we deal with it on a larger continuum.”

Read full article

“In searching for other people’s history, you realize you must tend to your own, as well,” [Ayodele Casel] says. “Tap dancers deal with time in a very specific way artistically. This show is about how we deal with it on a larger continuum.”

Read full article

Ayodele Casel sitting and speaking, with a chyron for CBS Boston

CBS Boston

Diary of a Tap Dancer pays tribute to women “whose stories were erased”

“The opportunity to tell my story has fulfilled something in me that I’ve been searching for,” says Ayodele Casel. “I was very compelled to just say their names, just bring [these women] into the space.”

Read full article

“The opportunity to tell my story has fulfilled something in me that I’ve been searching for,” says Ayodele Casel. “I was very compelled to just say their names, just bring [these women] into the space.”

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in glasses, a high bun, and a brown jacket, speaks into a hand-held microphone while also holding a piece of paper.

The Boston Globe

Dance and narrative combine in Diary of a Tap Dancer

“I always say everyone who sees me is going to know who [these dancers] are,” Casel said. “I’m going to bring them into every space that I occupy.”And by chronicling her own life alongside theirs in Diary of a Tap Dancer, Casel secures her legacy as a tap legend in her own right.

Read full article

“I always say everyone who sees me is going to know who [these dancers] are,” Casel said. “I’m going to bring them into every space that I occupy.”And by chronicling her own life alongside theirs in Diary of a Tap Dancer, Casel secures her legacy as a tap legend in her own right.

Read full article

On the left, Ayodele Casel in an eggplant-colored sweatshirt listens; on the right, Karen Holmes Ward in a leopard print jacket speaks.

WCVB CityLine

Celebrating overlooked stories of women of color in tap

“I have charged my life and career with speaking and uplifting the names of the Black women tap dancers that were very prominent in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, whose names you do not know,” Casel says.

Read full article

“I have charged my life and career with speaking and uplifting the names of the Black women tap dancers that were very prominent in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, whose names you do not know,” Casel says.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a blue and yellow track jacket strikes a pose, her arms raised on either side of her and her face and updo hairstyle in profile.

GBH’s The Culture Show

Ayodele Casel, Will Gusakov, and Nina MacLaughlin

“What do we lose in the culture of an art form when we aren’t inclusive in considering who the contributors are? It seems a worthy investigation,” [says Casel].

Read full article

“What do we lose in the culture of an art form when we aren’t inclusive in considering who the contributors are? It seems a worthy investigation,” [says Casel].

Read full article

Liberty Styles in profile with buzzed blonde hair with a blue lightning bolt shaved in, oversized red glasses, and a square gold earring.

EDGE Media

Liberty Styles on Liberating Tap

“The theme is very much about honoring people who may not have gotten their flowers when they were alive, and narrative justice around who gets to tell their stories. It touches on why things are erased, lost in history… and it’s also got tap dance in it, so it’s really fun and very vibrant,” [said performer Liberty Styles.]

Read full article

“The theme is very much about honoring people who may not have gotten their flowers when they were alive, and narrative justice around who gets to tell their stories. It touches on why things are erased, lost in history… and it’s also got tap dance in it, so it’s really fun and very vibrant,” [said performer Liberty Styles.]

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a dark floral blouse with her braid falling over her shoulder crosses her arms and smiles straight into the camera.

The Harvard Gazette

Life stories with a beat you can dance to

“I just felt like as a woman of color in these tap shoes, that it was my responsibility to bring them with me so that as folks get to learn about me, they also inevitably learn about them,” [said Ayodele Casel].

Read full article

“I just felt like as a woman of color in these tap shoes, that it was my responsibility to bring them with me so that as folks get to learn about me, they also inevitably learn about them,” [said Ayodele Casel].

Read full article

Quynn L. Johnson in a yellow leather jacket and with her braids falling over her shoulder smiles broadly.

The Harvard Crimson

Quynn Johnson Helps Bring Tap Dance Centerstage

Johnson said, “I hope that [audiences] are more inquisitive and curious about the tap dancers that are being named, about the tap—specifically the female tap—dancers that have been erased, and get curious about who they are.”

Read full article

Johnson said, “I hope that [audiences] are more inquisitive and curious about the tap dancers that are being named, about the tap—specifically the female tap—dancers that have been erased, and get curious about who they are.”

Read full article

View More Close

Ayodele Casel in a brown jacket and black jacket raises one arm as she taps in the center of the rehearsal stage, with the other performers around her dancing in unison.

Cambridge Day

Considering life and legacy through tap dance

“I see a lot of myself in Ayo, and so it’s really inspiring to see her tell her story so bravely and openly and honestly,” [performer Afra] Hines said. “It’s also been really interesting and exciting to learn about these women and dig into who they were, and I feel inspired by them as well.”

Read full article

“I see a lot of myself in Ayo, and so it’s really inspiring to see her tell her story so bravely and openly and honestly,” [performer Afra] Hines said. “It’s also been really interesting and exciting to learn about these women and dig into who they were, and I feel inspired by them as well.”

Read full article

Ayodele Casel in a khaki jacket gestures with her hands while speaking, with Torya Beard in a bright plaid sport coat and graphic T-shirt stands next to her smiling.

The Bay State Banner

Trailblazing tap dancer Ayodele Casel tells her story through the beat of her feet

“There’s a driving force now with the show about the relevancy of female empowerment, feminism, sexism, racial injustice, things that are so deeply rooted within generations,” says [Ki’Leigh] Williams.

Read full article

“There’s a driving force now with the show about the relevancy of female empowerment, feminism, sexism, racial injustice, things that are so deeply rooted within generations,” says [Ki’Leigh] Williams.

Read full article

Ayodele Casel sits cross-legged on the ground smiling over her shoulder.

El Planeta

Bailarina puertorriqueña-estadounidense trae su historia al escenario

“El tap dance no es solo entretenimiento…es parte de mi legado ancestral. Siempre ha sido mi objetivo transformar la forma en que el público ve el tap, mostrar que no es solo una forma de entretenimiento, sino un lenguaje de resistencia, cultura e identidad”, agregó [Ayodele] Casel.

Read full article

“El tap dance no es solo entretenimiento…es parte de mi legado ancestral. Siempre ha sido mi objetivo transformar la forma en que el público ve el tap, mostrar que no es solo una forma de entretenimiento, sino un lenguaje de resistencia, cultura e identidad”, agregó [Ayodele] Casel.

Read full article

Annaliese Wilbur in a black jacket and large white headphones smiles broadly on a cobblestone street.

The Boston Globe

‘Traveling always reminds me of what’s really important in life’

[Performer Annaliese] Wilbur said the play, created by Casel and her longtime collaborator Torya Beard, pays homage and gives credit to the “incredible pioneers” who paved the way for Casel and others to pursue their craft despite obstacles.

Read full article

[Performer Annaliese] Wilbur said the play, created by Casel and her longtime collaborator Torya Beard, pays homage and gives credit to the “incredible pioneers” who paved the way for Casel and others to pursue their craft despite obstacles.

Read full article

Explore

Performer Ayodele Casel in a brown jacket and black pants lifts up on her toes and stretches her arms out. In the background, Ki’Leigh Williams and Quynn L. Johnson sit on a riser and speak into hand-held mics.

A Giant, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Though relatively unknown today, during the Harlem renaissance and into the 1930s and ’40s, many Black women singers and dancers were known to be “showstoppers.” Cora LaRedd, who performed for a white-only audience at the Cotton Club in Harlem, was one.

Read more

Though relatively unknown today, during the Harlem renaissance and into the 1930s and ’40s, many Black women singers and dancers were known to be “showstoppers.” Cora LaRedd, who performed for a white-only audience at the Cotton Club in Harlem, was one.

Read more

5 Finger Breathing Technique for Kids: As you trace the fingers on your hand, slowly inhale going up the finger and slowly exhale as you go down the finger

Audience Support Resources

We recognize that our productions may unintentionally activate distressing and/or traumatic memories of past experiences in our audience members. These resources are curated by Dr. Charmain Jackman through a culturally responsive and trauma-informed lens.

See Resources

We recognize that our productions may unintentionally activate distressing and/or traumatic memories of past experiences in our audience members. These resources are curated by Dr. Charmain Jackman through a culturally responsive and trauma-informed lens.

See Resources

Essential Question

As we reflect on our past and look towards our future, whose shoulders are you standing on?

A.R.T. leads with inquiry and asks questions in a spirit of brave curiosity in a never-ending journey of learning and growth. For each production, the creative team, company, and Engagement team develop an Essential Question to guide work in the rehearsal room, onstage, and for engaging with audiences.

Related Events

Gregory Hines tap dancing in a group of older men.

Tap in Film

DEC 6 – 27
Friday Film Matinees

Enjoy three afternoons of films featuring legendary tap dancers Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr., and others.

More Info

DEC 6 – 27
Friday Film Matinees

Enjoy three afternoons of films featuring legendary tap dancers Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr., and others.

More Info

Three supporters in coats coats smiling for the camera.

Member Night

DEC 19 6PM
Preceding the performance

Supporters of $500+ are invited to an exclusive reception and Q&A with A.R.T. Sound Manager Camilo Atehortua and other theater-lovers.

Email to Access

DEC 19 6PM
Preceding the performance

Supporters of $500+ are invited to an exclusive reception and Q&A with A.R.T. Sound Manager Camilo Atehortua and other theater-lovers.

Email to Access

Headshots of Dianne Walker, Ayodele Casel, and Naomi Funaki overlayed on archival photo of Dianne Walker dancing.

Legacy of Women in Tap

DEC 21 7:30PM
Following the performance

Three generations of tap legends share their relationships with the art form, journeys as tap dancers, and the legacies they hope to carry forward in this post-show conversation.

More Info

DEC 21 7:30PM
Following the performance

Three generations of tap legends share their relationships with the art form, journeys as tap dancers, and the legacies they hope to carry forward in this post-show conversation.

More Info

A tray of wine glasses bathed in purple light.

Celebrate the New Year

DEC 31 7:30PM

All tickets to the New Year’s Eve performance include a drink on us. Cheers!

Buy Tickets

DEC 31 7:30PM

All tickets to the New Year’s Eve performance include a drink on us. Cheers!

Buy Tickets

Credits

Learn about the collaboration of artists who created the show, as well as the staff, supporters, and partners who made it possible.

Read the Program

Creative Team

Written and Choreographed by

Ayodele Casel

Directed by

Torya Beard

Scenic Design

Tatiana Kahvegian

Costume Design

Camilla Dely

Lighting Design

Brandon Stirling Baker

Sound Design

Sharath Patel

Projection Design

Katherine Freer

Hair, Wig & Make-up Design

Earon Chew Nealey

Design Dramaturg and Artistic Advisor

Susan Hilferty

Compositions, Orchestrations, and Arrangements by

Carlos Cippelletti

Ethan D. Pakchar

Music Director

Nick Wilders

Dramaturg

Jesse Cameron Alick

Casting Director

Jason Thinger, CSA

Associate Director

Yasmine Lee

Associate Choreographer

Naomi Funaki

Additional Choreography

Adesola Osakalumi

Production Stage Manager

Erin McCoy

Cast & Musicians

Ayodele Casel Headshot

Performer

Ayodele Casel

Ayodele Casel Headshot

Performer

Ayodele Casel

Carlos Cippelletti Headshot

Piano

Carlos Cippelletti

Carlos Cippelletti Headshot

Piano

Carlos Cippelletti

Naomi Funaki Headshot

Performer

Naomi Funaki

Naomi Funaki Headshot

Performer

Naomi Funaki

Afra Hines Headshot

Performer

Afra Hines

Afra Hines Headshot

Performer

Afra Hines

Keisel Jiménez Leyva Headshot

Drums

Keisel Jiménez Leyva

Keisel Jiménez Leyva Headshot

Drums

Keisel Jiménez Leyva

Quynn L. Johnson Headshot

Performer

Quynn L. Johnson

Quynn L. Johnson Headshot

Performer

Quynn L. Johnson

Raul Reyes Bueno Headshot

Bass

Raul Reyes Bueno

Raul Reyes Bueno Headshot

Bass

Raul Reyes Bueno

Funmi Sofola Headshot

Performer

Funmi Sofola

Funmi Sofola Headshot

Performer

Funmi Sofola

Liberty Styles Headshot

Performer

Liberty Styles

Liberty Styles Headshot

Performer

Liberty Styles

Annaliese Wilbur Headshot

Performer

Annaliese Wilbur

Annaliese Wilbur Headshot

Performer

Annaliese Wilbur

Ki’Leigh Williams Headshot

Performer

Ki’Leigh Williams

Ki’Leigh Williams Headshot

Performer

Ki’Leigh Williams