Lynn Dally Interview, 1998

Lynn Dally started dancing around 5 in Columbus, Ohio, in her father's studio. Early training included tap, ballet, and batton. By 8, she also studied acrobatics. Highly influenced by her father, also a tap dancer as well as a ballroom dancer, Dally began focusing on tap by 12.

At Ohio State, Dally studied modern dance and French, considering a career in translation with the United Nations. At that time, she also choregraphed musicals, such as "Once Upon a Mattress" for Connecticut College. In addition, she also spent a summer in Greece working as a modern dance.

After graduate school at Smith, Dally went back to Ohio State to be on the dance faculty. She worked with BB Miller, Diane MacIntyre, Tom Rahl, and Jenny Way. After that, she taught modern dance at UCLA. There, she met tap and modern dancer Cynthia Novak.

She took a break from teaching to study under Margie and began touring for modern while also teaching tap. These experiences helped Dally found The Jazz Tap Ensemble with Camden Richman and Fred Strickler. In the interview, Dally recalled considering tap "Rhythm" dance, and in her 30s, tried blending modern and tap dance together. Through this experience, she began choreographing tap, including an ocopelo duet with Richman.

Dally also received an National Endowment for the Arts Choreographic Fellowship. She was also the first tapper to earn the Guggenheim Fellowship in Choreography, which led to the creation of Solea. She later taught in Colorado. Significant choregraphy includes "Ruby, My Dear" for Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet, " Dancin’ the Blue"s for City of Los Angeles, and "Bahia Dreams" for Joyce Theater Foundation.