A tap dancer's craft - Andrew Nemr

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: 文文 刘 校对人员: Nellie Bi

Tap dance:

踢踏舞：

one of America's major contributions to the world of percussive dance,

美国对世界打击节奏类舞蹈的一大贡献，

born out of the melding of African and European dance traditions.

诞生于非洲和欧洲传统舞蹈的融合。

There's so many variations within tap dance,

踢踏舞有非常多种变化，

as many approaches as there have been tap dancers.

有多少踢踏舞者就有多少种方式。

And there have been a lot!

并且已经出现很多了！

Since its birth, over 125 years ago,

自它诞生以来，有超过125年了，

tap dance has grown up

踢踏舞不断壮大，

in the world of American popular entertainment.

在美国流行娱乐世界里。

From minstral shows and vaudeville,

从黑人说唱团和歌舞杂耍表演中，

to night clubs, musical theater, and movie musicals,

到夜总会，音乐剧，和电影歌舞片中，

tap dance has held a featured role.

踢踏舞扮演着不可或缺的角色。

And your approach depends on when in the history's lineage

而你的方法取决于 在历史传承中

you decide to connect.

你几时决定加入进来。

The landscape of American entertainment shifted in the 1950s and 60s.

美国娱乐业的景象 在20世纪50、60年代产生了转变。

Big bands became cost-prohibitive,

大乐队变得成本高昂，

rock and roll was becoming a popular music,

摇滚乐正成为流行音乐，

and American musical theater moved

美国音乐剧迎接

towards a format incorporating ballet with narrative

结合叙事与芭蕾的新风格

rather than the extension of variety shows

而不再是杂耍表演的延伸，

that it had been in the past.

像过去那样。

All these factors pushed tap dancing

所有这些因素将踢踏舞推向

to the fringes of the entertainment world.

娱乐行业的边缘。

Tap dance still existed;

踢踏舞仍然存在；

there were dancers,

也有踢踏舞者，

but it was outside of the popular discourse.

但却不再受人追捧。

There were fewer and fewer places to dance

跳舞的地方越来越少，

and very little need for new tap dancers,

对新踢踏舞者的需求也极少，

so those who have been dancing in the 20s, 30s, and 40s,

所以那些20、30、40年代的踢踏舞者，

really had no one to pass along the art form to.

确实找不到人 将这种艺术形式传承下去。

In the 1970s, a multifaceted resurgence began.

在20世纪70年代，一个多元的复苏崛起了。

Modern dancers became interested in the older tap dancers,

现代舞蹈家对年长的踢踏舞者开始感兴趣，

drawing them out of retirement to teach.

把退休的他们拉回来教学。

Grassroots-organized tap festivals began to spring up,

草根组织的踢踏舞节开始涌现，

featuring the older tap dancers teaching the technique

节目囊括 年长踢踏舞者传授舞艺

and the history of the craft.

以及讲述该舞艺的历史。

Older dancers also came out of retirement to perform

年长的舞者也重出江湖，

with groups such as The Copasetics and The Original Hoofers, traveling the world.

与像The Copasetics 和 The Original Hoofers这样的团队进行世界巡演。

Even Broadway regained interest in the form,

甚至百老汇也对这一舞蹈重燃兴趣，

with Gregory Hines becoming a public figure

这要归因于格雷戈里·海因斯，

for tap dance on the stage and in feature films.

他在舞台上和剧情片里的踢踏舞表演 让他广为人知。

Since then, the resurgence has spawned a more popular interest,

自此之后，此次复苏 还蕴育了另一更受人喜爱的兴趣，

with Savion Glover at the nexus of the crowd.

而中心人物是塞翁·格洛文。

Considered the quintessential tap dancer,

尽管大家视他为地道的踢踏舞者，

Glover presents the form as a pure musician.

格洛文却以一个 纯粹音乐家的身份来演绎这一舞蹈形式。

Since the 1990s,

自20世纪90年代以来，

and thanks in a large part to the work of Savion Glover,

很大程度上得益于塞翁·格洛文的努力，

we've seen a rise in young people's interest in tap dance.

我们看到越来越多年轻人对踢踏舞感兴趣。

I'm part of that generation.

我也是其中一份子。

Today, as we begin to rediscover the craft,

今天，当我们开始重新探索这一舞蹈技艺时，

we continue to look back

我们会继续回顾，

and take examples of what tap dance was from past generations,

并且以过去几代的踢踏舞为例，

at the same time, discovering our own unique approaches.

与此同时，开发我们自己独特的方法。

There is so much freedom today.

现在何其自由。

We can take what exists

我们可以利用现有的

and apply past examples within our own unique context -

并以我们独特的方式演绎过去的舞蹈——

today's perspective on tap dance.

这一代人眼中的踢踏舞。

It all really boils down to

归根结底，不过是

two pieces of metal on a leather-soled shoe,

两片金属镶在皮鞋上，

the wood to dance on,

木地板上任人起舞，

an audience to watch and listen,

有人观看和聆听，

and something to say.

有些东西想表达。

It's the balancing of these elements

将这些元素和谐呈现

that is a tap dancer's craft work.

便是踢踏舞者的技艺所在。