World-class tap dance
Norrlandsoperan is proud to present the sneak opening of this year’s opening act for Stockholm Tap Festival and it is none other than the world-renowned beat virtuoso Max Pollak Group.
Max Pollak redefines the boundaries of rhythm. As a musician, bandleader, percussive dancer, composer and pedagogue, Pollak merges tap dance, body percussion and singing into a unified and electrifying whole. He treats the body as a full-fledged and versatile instrument and makes it a natural voice in every ensemble.
Pollak has worked all over the world, collaborating with giants of jazz, classical and Latin music. His extraordinary musicality has taken him to the stage with legends such as Ray Brown, Chucho Valdés, Slide Hampton, Paquito D’Rivera, Pedrito Martinez and Danilo Pérez – and also classical superstars such as Diana Damrau and Zubin Mehta. He is a true transgressor, as at home in collaborations with Los Muñequitos de Matanzas as with the orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera.
As a testament to his influence, Max Pollak is featured on America’s “Forever Stamp” dedicated to tap dancing. He is an award-winning artist and co-creator of the acclaimed off-Broadway show Carmen – To Havana and Back. Pollak’s dynamic artistry has taken him to prestigious stages such as Vienna’s Konzerthaus and the Tonhalle in Zurich. His debut album RumbaTap was released in 2015.
About Stockholm International Tap Dance Festival
Stockholm International Tap Dance Festival is one of the world’s largest events in tap dance. 2026 will be the 14th edition and the weekend before the festival starts, we in Umeå will have the opportunity to take part in the festival’s opening performance. But we can already promise a unique evening of world-class tap dancing.
Every year, Stockholm International Tap Dance Festival offers a week full of artistic exchanges and social meetings; performances, jams, battles, lectures, workshops, etc. Every year, some of the absolute best tap dancers in the world participate in the festival, with major awards such as the Emmy Award and the Bessie Award and with experience from prestigious stages such as Lincoln Center and Carneige Hall.
About Tap Dance
Tap/Tap was one of the first forms of expression in African-American culture. Already during the early colonial period, the development of what would later be called “Tap Dance” and “Jazz Music” began.
It was first forbidden for African-Americans to perform on stage and much of the dance and music was stolen by white artists who made the money. Most people know about Fred Astaire but few have heard of his dance teacher John Bubbles.
The name “Tap Dance” came around the turn of the millennium in 1900, and it was also at this time that metal pieces (“taps”) began to be attached to the shoes. Before that, ordinary leather shoes had been used, sometimes with wooden soles. Although the basis is the same, there are slightly different styles of tap dance. Some have the focus on choreographed dance and the visual (“theater tap”), while others have improvisation/freestyle as a base and the focus is on the musical expression (“rhythm tap”).
