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Tap Attack Associates

All around there are associate programmes for ballet, programmes for jazz and programmes for contemporary – so why not tap? This is the premise from which Tap Attack Associates was formed in 2011.

Starting with just a handful of associate members, our program has flourished under the guidance of Creative Director, Jo Scanlan, and now offers nearly 300 dancers nationwide the best possible tap dance training

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Chris Sparkes

Chris Sparkes

Chris graduated from Bird College with a First-Class BA (Honors) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre. Upon graduating, Chris was presented with the Most Professional Gentleman Award and the Acting Achievement Award. 

In 2014 he competed at the IDO Tap World Championships and won gold with the Tap Attack England Team. In 2019, Chris joined Avalon Rathgeb’s professional tap company, OKR Dance, and has toured with the company in performances across the UK, Caribbean, and China. Other professional performance credits include, Theatre: Bobby C in Saturday Night Fever (International Tour), Oscillate (UK and China Tour), Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Newcastle Theatre Royal), Cinderella (Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage), Television: Teen Patrick Swayze in The Real Patrick Swayze, In His Own Words (Biopic), and Feature Film: Young Dave in Brighton (Director Stephen Cookson).

In the summer of 2023, Chris was 1 of 24 international dancers chosen to participate in the esteemed Jacob’s Pillow Tap program in Massachusetts, USA. He was the only participant chosen from the UK and had the opportunity to learn intensely from industry leaders including Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Michelle Dorrance, Derrick K Grant, Sam Weber, and Dominique Kelly.

Chris has a passion for teaching and choreography and teaches for the Tap Attack company and co-teaches the Tap Attack South East Associates program. He is currently on the dance faculty at Bird College and Performers College and has experience teaching at a variety of schools and institutions including Masters Performing Arts, the Centre PAC.