1991 – 1995

Organizational History

1991

“Laugh to Live.” Performances and workshops in northern Wisconsin.

Tap Dance Residency with Donna Peckett at Lindbergh Elementary School, Madison. Wisconsin Arts Board IE Program.

“Hildegard and the Magic Onion.” Touring Wisconsin.

“Seeds of Promise – A Mythological Farce.” A multimedia play, by Danielle Dresden, directed by Ray Burns and Peggy Rosin; slide projections, Glenn Treadle; score, Roger Brotherhood; costumes, Celeste Smother; performed by Dresden, Peckett, Sarah Whelan. Barmier Theater, Madison. Outreach, Dane County high schools. Funded by Wisconsin Arts Board, Madison Committee for the Arts, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

“Laugh to Live.” Performances and workshops in Madison. Funded by the Madison Committee for the Arts.

Tap dance workshop with New England dancer Drika Overtone.

Theater-Dance Residency with Dresden and Peckett for Children’s House Summer School Age Program. Cosponsored by the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund.

Isthmus Jazz Festival. Lecture-demonstration and workshop with body percussionist, Keith Terry. Funded by the Madison Civic Center Foundation, Renaissance Travel, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel.

“Truckin’ Taps and the Mystery Maps.” A musical mystery play for children, written by Danielle Dresden; score, Barbara Chasid, set and special properties, Random Brent; costumes and special properties, Celeste Smother; directed by Sarah Whelan. Performed by Peckett and Dresden. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

1992

Donna Peckett awarded second Wisconsin Arts Board Choreography Fellowship.

“Seeds of Promise – A Mythological Farce.” Women’s History Month. Madison Area Technical College.

“The Gang’s All Here.” Performances and workshops on self-esteem for middle school. Script, Danielle Dresden; stage direction, Sarah Whelan; with Dresden, Peckett, Frances Lundy-Chewning and René Wallets. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, American Family Insurance, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation.

“Laugh to Live.” Performances and workshops in Wisconsin. Funded by Very Special Arts Wisconsin, American Family Insurance Group, COON Mutual Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, Wisconsin Arts Board.

“Sounds of Summer, An Evening of Jazz Music and Tap Dance.” Madison Civic Center; with Jackie Allen, Jeff Iceless, Paul Hastily, Dane Riches, Donna Peckett, Bobby Ruben stein, Celeste Smother. Funded by Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Madison Civic Center Foundation, WORT-FM Radio. Rebroadcast, WORT-FM.

Theater-Dance Residency. Danielle Dresden and Donna Peckett. Children’s House Summer School Age Program. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs commission, American Family Insurance Group, Wisconsin Power & light Foundation; sponsored by Children’s House and the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund.

Isthmus Jazz Festival. Kids In The Crossroads performance with Professor Tap, Piano Man and the Triple Play Trio, Donna Peckett, Paul Hastily, Taylor and Peter Bay, Angle Parish.

Donna Peckett awarded citation from Wisconsin Dance Council for contributions to dance in Wisconsin.

Master class with modern tap dancer Anita Fellowman.

“My Idea of a Good Time.” Political satire on social control, written by Danielle Dresden and performed by Dresden and Peckett at Apple Island, Madison.

“Show ‘n Tell: On Tap with Professor Tap.” Performances by Donna Peckett, written by Danielle Dresden. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

“Truckin’ Taps and the Mystery Maps.” Touring Wisconsin.

1993

“Laugh to Live.” Performances and workshops in Wisconsin. Funded by American Family Insurance Group, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation.

“Truckin’ Taps and the Mystery Maps.” Touring Wisconsin.

“Time Management and Narcolepsy.” A play by Danielle Dresden; directed by Peggy Rosin; set design, P.S. Mueller; score, Paul Hastily; tap dance, Donna Peckett; special properties, Celeste Smother; with Dresden, Peckett and Ray Alderman. Funded by the Dane County Culture Affairs Commission, Madison Civic Center Foundation, American Family Insurance Group, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation.

Arts Residency. Children’s House Summer Program; Barbara Chasid (music), William Grover (visual arts), Donna Peckett (movement), Danielle Dresden (theater). Funded by the Pleasant Company Fund for Children, American Family Insurance Group, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund.

“Professor Tap, Piano Man & the Triple Play Trio.” Children’s performances for Columbus, Wisconsin schools, with Donna Peckett, Paul Hastily, Angle Parish and the Bay Brothers.

Master class with French tap dancer Sarah Pertain.

“Sound Collaboration.” Acoustic piano and tap duo with musician/composer, Jane Reynolds and Donna Peckett, tap dancer. Guest dancers, Jon Chin, Bobby Ruben stein. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

1994

Duluth Depot Outreach Residency Programs. Conducted by Dresden and Peckett in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“Time Management and Narcolepsy.” University of Wisconsin-Baraboo, 1994 season.

Dance Residency conducted by Donna Peckett for the Kohl, Wisconsin School District.

“Without Pity, A Play about A Man and His Times.” A new play by Danielle Dresden, directed by Peggy Rosin, slide montages by Steve Barker, set design and construction by Lou Ann Ricks, costumes by Celeste Smother. Performed by Richard Gaining, Ken Adams, Jose Planks, David Septum, Danielle Dresden, Donna Peckett . Technical support by Kris Chills, Susan Hershel, Steppe. Funded by the Wisconsin Arts Board, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, American Family Insurance Group, the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund.

Everyone’s a Hero. Summer arts residency for children, directed by Danielle Dresden and Donna Peckett. Funded by the Atwood Community Center, Madison citrates, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation, American Family Insurance Group.

Isthmus Jazz Festival. Donna Peckett and Bobby Ruben stein on taps, Jane Reynolds trio with Hans Strum (bass) and John Saecker (drums).

“Truckin’ Taps and the Mystery Maps.” Mitchell Museum, Mount Vernon, Centrally, Illinois Cultural Society; Wisconsin tour.

“Sound Collaboration.” Acoustic piano and tap duo with Jane Reynolds and Donna Peckett. Performed at Dance works, Milwaukee; the Harold Washington Library Theater for the Chicago, Illinois Human Rhythm Project.

Master class with Chicago tap dancer Bruce Stegmann.

“The Mirror in the Lake, A Musical Mystery about Water Pollution,” written by Danielle Dresden; directed by Sarah Whelan; score, Barbara Chasid; taps, Donna Peckett; set, prop design and costumes by Random Brent and Celeste Smother; performed by Dresden and Peckett. Funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, American Family Insurance Group, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation.

“The World of Light Entertainment: 19th Century to 1930’s.” Slide lecture by E.M. Plunkett. TAPIT Studio Theater.

1995

“Without Pity, A Play about A Man and His Times.” ARTS/AIDS Performance Festival, Dance works, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Welcomed by Wisconsin Public Radio, and funded by Wisconsin Arts Board.

“Without Pity.” Madison Civic Center. Funded by the Madison Civic Center Foundation, New Harvest Foundation, Wisconsin Arts Board, American Family Insurance Group, welcomed by Wisconsin Public Radio.

“Cultural, Social and Artistic Perspectives on Dance and Drama, Women’s History Month.” Staged reading of Carrel Churchill’s play, “Top Girls,” directed by Richard Gaining, with Danielle Dresden, Peggy Rosin, Celia Klehr, Jody Reissue. Commentary by Professor Amelia Owe Ritzier. Lecture-Demonstration on “Cultural Conflict in American Popular Dance” by Professors Mary Net and Ann Silkily. TAPIT 10th anniversary. Funded by the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

“The Mirror in the Lake.” Touring Wisconsin.

“Jazz on Tap.” Artists in Concert, South Central Library, Wisconsin; Paul Hastily, piano and Donna Peckett, taps.

“Truckin’ Taps and the Mystery Maps.” Touring Illinois.

Summer Music Clinic. Lecture-demonstration on tap/jazz, with Jane Reynolds and Donna Peckett, UW-Madison.

“Sound Collaboration.” Jane Reynolds (piano), Donna Peckett, Dora TAPIT, Celeste Smother, Anna Kmiecik (taps).

“Fantastic Art Before Surrealism.” Slide lecture by raconteur/art historian, E.. Peckett. TAPIT/new works Studio Theater.

“The Mirror in the Lake.” Eight summer performances by Dresden and Peckett for low-income children. Funded by the Pleasant Company Fund for Children, Wisconsin Arts Board, American Family Insurance Group, COON Mutual Charitable Foundation, Wisconsin Power & Light Foundation.

“Tap, Talk & Technology.” Computer-wired, electronic shoes, monologues and music, written by Danielle Dresden; composer/keyboardist, Paul Hastily; bass and flute, Al Jewel; shoes developed/engineered by Al Jewel and Tom Hammer; costumes, Celeste Smother. Performed by Dresden, Peckett, Hastily, Jewel, Hammer. Funded by Madison citrates, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Wisconsin Arts Board.

Isthmus Jazz Festival. Lecture-demonstration, “Tap, Talk & Technology.”

Artists in Education roster, state of Wisconsin, 1988-1995.