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ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

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This organization history, from 1985 to the present, represents the Company’s wide variety of work, in keeping with our mission of artistic innovation and community

1985–1990

1985
“The New Vaudeville Revue.”  Featuring tap dancer, Jimmy Payne; with Lynette, John Thulin, Hans Sturm, Todd Steward, Frank Furillo, Donna Peckett, Bobby Rubenstein, Martin Rouse, Wendy Hutton, Renata Carrion, Amy Nadeau.  Madison Civic Center, Isthmus Playhouse.  Funded by the Madison Civic Center Foundation.

“Frankie N. Stein - Drama in Taps.”  Script, Danielle Dresden; taps, Donna Peckett.  Broom Street Theater, Madison.

1986
“The Adventures of Mighty Mouse.”  A play by Danielle Dresden, directed by Gip Hoppe; with Donna Peckett, Peggy Rosin, Ray Burns, Richard Shute, Danielle Dresden; music by Tom Wasalchuk and Marcy Weiland; sets by Randall Berndt; costumes by Celeste Smither.  Madison and Wisconsin tour.

“Music in Motion - An Evening of Jazz Music and Tap Dance.”  Madison Festival of the Lakes.  Wisconsin Union Theater, with Stanley Jordan, Richard Davis, Ben Sidran, Ralph Brown, Donna Peckett.  Cloud 9 Productions.  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission; Cloud 9 productions, private sector.
Lecture-Demonstration/Workshops with tap dancer Brenda Bufalino.  Co-sponsored by UW-Madison.

1987
“The Adventures of Mighty Mouse.”  Madison Civic Center.  Wisconsin tour.  Directed by Star Olderman.  Funded by the Wisconsin Arts Board, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Madison Civic Center Foundation. 

“Professor Tap.”  Lecture-demonstrations on tap dance for elementary schools.  Touring Wisconsin.  Funded by the City of Madison and the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

​“Nothing But . . . A Theatrical Revue on Sexuality and Censorship.”  Performed by Dresden and Peckett; written by Danielle Dresden; sets by P.S. Mueller and technical support by Mary Hillstrom; costumes by Celeste Smther.

1988
Tap Dance Residency.  Donna Peckett.  Reedsburg, Wisconsin Middle Schools.
Workshop with modern tap dancer, Anita Feldman.

1988
“Stepping Out.”  Tap dance performances for children, written by Danielle Dresden; performed by Donna Peckett (taps) and Dave Alder (keyboard).  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.
Tap workshop with French dancer Chris Bellieu.

“Swing Time.”  A play for seniors; written by Danielle Dresden; performed by Dresden, Peckett and Tom Wasalchuk (guitarist).  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

​“Between the Acts.”  A serial satiric murder mystery play.  Written by Danielle Dresden, with Peggy Rosin, Mike Rock, Peckett and Dresden. Madison Festival of the Lakes (outdoors).  Funded by the Madison Committee for the Arts.
Tap Dance Residency.  Donna Peckett.  Randall Elementary School, Madison, Wisconsin.

“Translating the Sound.”  Tap dance and jazz music performance.  Jimmy Payne, Bobby Rubenstein, Donna Peckett, Jane Reynolds Trio.  Isthmus Jazz Festival.  Madison Civic Center.  Funded by the Wisconsin Arts Board and Madison Civic Center Foundation.
Lecture-Demonstration/Workshops with master tap dancer Steve Condos.  Co-sponsored by UW-Madison.

Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund, established by Irvin and Carol Peckett, to offer scholarships to study tap dance and complimentary tickets to attend TAPIT/new works performances.

1989
Performances on Tap Dance.  Donna Peckett (taps); Jane Reynolds (piano).  Wausau Performing Arts Foundation.

“Professor Tap.”  Tap dance performances.  Wisconsin and Illinois.

“Tastemakers and Tasters.”  A comedy by Danielle Dresden; performed by Dresden, Donna Peckett (taps), Susan Walsh (sets), Jane Reynolds (composer-keyboardist); costumes, Celeste Smither.  Wisconsin Union Theater; Madison high schools; state tour.  Funded by the Wisconsin Arts Board, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Madison Committee for the Arts.

Tap Dance Residency.   Donna Peckett for United Neighborhood Centers of Madison.  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

Isthmus Jazz  Festival.  Lecture-demonstration and master class by tap dancer.  La Vaughn Robinson.  Funded by Madison Civic Center Foundation, Renaissance Travel.

“Hildegard and the Magic Onion - A BeBop Fairy Tale in Tap.”  Written by Danielle Dresden; performed in Wisconsin by Dresden and Peckett.  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

1990
“Treasure Island - A Rock ‘n Roll Adventure.”  A play by Danielle Dresden, featuring roots rock band, The Rousers; directed by Peggy Rosin; with Frank Furillo, Frances Lundy-Chewning, Fred Murray, Phil Gnarly, Ray Burns, Donna Peckett, Danielle Dresden.  Barrymore Theatre.  Funded by the Bassett Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, the Wisconsin Arts Board, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

Donna Peckett awarded Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship in Choreography.

“Hildegard and the Magic Onion.”  Touring Wisconsin.

​“Laugh to Live.”  Interactive play and workshops for seniors, written by Danielle Dresden, with music by Laurie Ellen Neustadt; directed by Ray Burns; costumes by Celeste Smither; performed by Dresden, Peckett and Neustadt. Touring Wisconsin.  Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, American Family Insurance Group, CUNA Mutual Foundation, Madison Committee for the Arts, the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Theater-Dance Residency.  Dresden and Peckett.  Children’s House Summer Day Camp, children ages 6-9.  Co-sponsored by the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund.

Isthmus Jazz Festival.  Jazz film collector and historian, Ernie Smith.   Funded by the Madison Civic Center Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, Renaissance Travel, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel.
Tap Dance Residency.  Donna Peckett.  Minocqua, North Lakeland, Lac du Flambéau, Wisconsin. Sponsored by the Lakeland Children’s Arts Program.

Master class with French tap dancer Sarah Petronio.

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