THE STEPS I STOLE reveals the untold history of Tap dance, tracing its evolution from Hollywood’s golden age to its contemporary form. Through a blend of improvised dance and insightful interviews, three tap dancers and a film collective challenge historical records and explore the very roots of Tap as both an art form and a cultural expression. This short film confronts the legacy of racism that has influenced the history of Tap, raising important questions about cultural appropriation and responsibility.
8 min / colour / 2024
LAZARUS is an award-winning film that fuses world music traditions with modern urban culture. Tap dance artist Nikolai Kemeny transforms his dancing into music, creating a captivating soundtrack and offering a space for the fusion of art forms. The music flows from jazz and bebop to intuitive play, visualized by the film collective verflimmert through a blend of documentary-style footage with Tap, Urban, and Afro-contemporary dance performances of international artist.
38 min / colour / 2022
Distortion is a three-part Jazz and Tap dance short film directed by Nikolai Kemeny. It’s a powerful exploration of isolation, resilience, and adaptation in a post-pandemic society, a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity.
In the first performance, Tom Friedrich joins Kemeny in a raw rhythmic clash, reflecting struggle and restlessness through dynamic tap dancing and dextrous Jazz drumming. The second scene features Kemeny and clarinetist Dorit Schäffler in a meditative duet, harmonizing contemporary dance and intuitive play with a focus on reflective resilience. The final performance showcases Kemeny and Tap dancer Andrea Alvergue in a rugged environment, partnering in rhythmic footwork to convey optimism and connection.
Through vibrant improvisation, Distortion comments on the psychological effects of social convulsion and celebrates Tap dance as a striving contemporary art form, inviting the audience to appreciate its evolution and vibrancy.
27 min / colour / 2020