Idella Reed Davis Interview, 1998-05-31
Abstract
This is Ellie Sciarra's interview with Idella Reed, including a transcript and compact disc. Sciarra interviewed Reed on May 31, 1998 over the phone, with Sciarra in Colorado and Reed in Chicago, IL. It was for Sciarra's thesis on female tap dancers for the University of Colorado.
Dates
- 1998-05-31
Biographical / Historical
Idella Reed [Davis] started tap dancing at 13 at the Sammy Dire School of Theater in Chicago. Directed by Sherry Hallban and taught by Ted Levy (who was not yet on Broadway), her early dance career was inspired by seeing "A Chorus Line" with her mother. She was also playing piano then, but within three years of tap dancing, began teaching tap herself. Reed said the "synocopation" and "rhythm" of tap won her over. The interview also included Reed's acknowledging herself as a "polyrhthmist."
Reed danced through high school but stopped during college. She attended Illinois State University. She took one tap dance there, but it was focused on theatre and Broadway-style dancing.
She performed with Lane Alexander in "Now or Never." At the time of the 1998 interview, Reed was still teaching tap at Sammy Dire. The school also offered tap, ballet, jazz, modern, and drama. Reed also co-founded the dance company with three other women, Rhythm, which included modern, tap, and more. Dancers from Rhythm include Diane Walker and Brenda and Barbara Duffy.
In addition, in the 1990s, she continued touring and promoting tap with Upshot. She also taught at Northwestern and Columbia.
Extent
From the File: 1 Items : (1) record box
Scope and Contents
This series contains cassette tapes, floppy disks, cds, transcripts, and related material on the interviewees for Ellie Sciarra's "Taps are Talking: Women in Tap" production.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository