By Ann Mintz, Reading Terminal Market

The Reading Terminal Market’s Knight-Foundation-funded performance series is called Music @ the Market, but it includes other forms of performing arts, including dance. The Philadelphia community is lucky enough to have access to a portable, modular dance floor owned by Dance USA Philadelphia. Since last spring, this floor has been stored at the Reading Terminal Market, which greatly facilitates use of this resource. The dance performances presented at the Market have been extremely well received by Market patrons and in February, we focused exclusively on tap, a quintessential American dance form with deep roots in Philadelphia.

February 15^th, we invited Tap Team Two to return for an encore performance; this is the first group that has been invited back since Music @ the Market launched in April.   This award-winning ensemble continues the tradition established by the Philadelphia master LaVaughn Robinson. Their percussive, high-spirited performance delighted Market patrons of all ages.

February 22^nd saw the Market debut of a tap ensemble that draws together dancers from 10 area colleges under the name Uniting Colleges Through Tap. Each piece performed by UCTT pays tribute to a recognized master of tap, keeping the tradition alive for dancers and audiences.

UCTT finishes its set with the Shim Sham Shimmy—the “national anthem” of the tap community.

Music @ the Market is an ongoing series.   More information at www.readingterminalmarket.org