Meet the woman working to keep America's tap dancing history alive

Tap dancing is a uniquely American art form, with more than three centuries of tradition behind it. Ayodele Casel, a dancer and choreographer who has worked on Broadway shows, has dedicated her life to honoring the dancers of years gone by and ensuring their achievements are not forgotten. Michelle Miller has more.

Ayodele Casel - We See You: Inspiring Women. Powerful Stories.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Cole Haan is in partnership with Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, featuring four visionary, multimedia artists who have devoted their lives to creating and cultivating community, weaving together past, present and future generations of women through their artistry. Meet tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel. Ayodele Casel may dance with her feet, but what she says with them is just as important.

Tammy Reese Interviews Ayodele Casel for New York Women In Film And Television (NYWIFT)

Keeping the Spirit of Harlem Dance Alive

Meet three women who are celebrating, and remixing, Black dance.

Ayodele Casel is on Tap for 'Funny Girl'

The barrier-breaking master tap dancer is now taking the art form to Broadway, in a highly anticipated revival.

‘Release. Joy. Love.’ A Dance Festival at Little Island.

Ayodele Casel and Torya Beard have organized a festival that celebrates percussive dance and artists of all ages.

NYC-ARTS Profile: Ayodele Casel

A profile of Ayodele Casel, one of today’s most dynamic tap dancers and a passionate advocate for her art form.

The New York Times

Ayodele Casel, Tap Storyteller, Lets Her Feet Do the Talking by Vincent Mallozzi

Ayodele Casel on Finding Her Voice and Bringing the Joy

In this episode, tap dancer Ayodele Casel discusses the roots of tap dance, the female tappers who inspire her, and how she became one of today's top tap dancers.

Meet Ayodele Casel: Dance Warrior, Activist, Nuyorican, and All-Around Badass

I Am My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams

Close to two decades ago, I had the honor of seeing tap dancer and choreograhper Ayodele Casel perform in Savion Glover's dance troupe Not Your Ordinary Tappers (N.Y.O.T.). I was so excited to see a female holding her own in the world of tap, and was elated to see a recent article about her in the New York Times.

Speaking in Dance

@ayolives, a #tapdancer of unquestionable radiance, brought out her portable board and set the sidewalk on fire near her home in the Bronx, performing a phrase that she once improvised in a performance.

SPEAKING IN DANCE | Ayodele Casel

Speaking in Dance | “I am always concerned with being honest, musical, playful and obeying the moment,” said the tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel. “And whether that be chill or whether it’s energetic, it’s whatever that moment is.”

Ayodele Casel explores her language, culture, and identity in While I Have the Floor

"You know what really irritates me? When people say 'I didn't know women tap danced.'" Yes, that's a real comment Ayodele Casel actually gets, most recently three weeks ago, and it's one that drives her crazy. For a woman who has been defining the tap dancing game for the past 20 years, it's hard to believe someone might not imagine a person like her in it.

Ayodele Casel gives world premiere of ‘While I Have the Floor’

Growing up, Ayodele Casel, found it difficult to express herself. She couldn't speak Spanish when she moved from New York City to Puerto Rico at 9 years old to live with her grandparents. Six years later, when she returned to New York, she struggled to re-learn English.

A Conversation with Ayodele Casel

with Stage and Candor

AYODELE CASEL- Shuffle Ball GAME Changer

BROADWAY WORLD Blog: Hannah Seewald - Interview With Ayodele Casel: A Shuffle Ball GAME-Changer

Spoleto Festival Friday Radio

What inspires master tap dancer Ayodele Casel to lace up her shoes and tap away? We spoke with the native New Yorker—who will take the Festival stage at the Woolfe Street Playhouse for six performances of her semi-autobiographical world premiere, While I have the Floor (CLICK HERE for tickets! Due to high demand, a performance has been added on Saturday, June 3 at 2:00pm.)—to find out. Below, she shares 10 songs that help motivate new bits of choreography and elaborates on a few of her selections.

Generations of dance innovators are on tap

Ayodele Casel, one the smoothest-footed stars to emerge from the resurgence of tap dance in the 1990s, watched from the wings of a San Francisco theater as Arthur Duncan took the stage.