JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES IVY TORNOW “I love to tap!” I started tap dancing when I was four years old and I loved it. However, after a couple of years I quit tap and then moved over to ballet and jazz. Fast forward 42 years, a friend told me that there was an…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES DANIEL NASH I’ve been tap dancing for almost 4 years, and dancing with Rhythm Nation for almost a year. Most of my tap experience has come from Wendi and her son, Will. My favorite thing about tap dance is the fun and challenging moves we sometimes do. My favorite…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES Amanda Patrick AMANDA PATRICK She is truly devoted to the discipline of tap… How long have you been tap dancing? 8 years How long have you been performing with Rhythm Nation Tap Company? 6 years From whom/where have your received most of your tap dance training from? …
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES Sophie Jackson SOPHIE JACKSON The JAM Christmas Follies welcomes Sophie to the Follies dance teams. Sophie has been studying dance for around 17 years now. Her preferences include Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Sophie began training at Childrens Ballet Theatre in Salt Lake City until she was…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES WENDI ISAACSON director of Rhythm Nation Tap Company Wendi Isaacson, director of Rhythm Nation Tap Company, is a dance teacher, choreographer, and professional tap dancer. Wendi Isaacson holds her degree from Brigham Young University, where she graduated with University Honors in English and Dance Education. While at BYU she was…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist Matt Vashlishan saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist Matt Vashlishan is a saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist from northeast Pennsylvania, USA. He holds a DMA from the University of Miami, MM from William Paterson University, and a BM from the Eastman School of Music, all in saxophone performance. Matt…
Brian Booth JAM salutes a long-time musician/composer/arranger. Brian Booth, a terrific musician/composer/arranger, great friend, and a devoted member of the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra for over thirty years, joins us again in the 2023 JAM Christmas Follies. Saxophonist, composer and arranger, Brian Booth, is a professional free-lance musician who performs across the…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES Duke Ellington: The Nutcracker Suite Duke Ellington The Nutcracker Suite JERRY FLOOR NOTE: In late 2020, I received a call from my friends, Louie Strike and Molli Hull. They were very excited to tell me that they had just heard the Ellington Nutcracker Suite, and they were wondering if I were…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES Drummer for The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra Jay Lawrence Drummer for The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra Jay Lawrence operates LIJA Music Inc., co-owns the Jazz Hang record label with colleague Ray Smith, is a co-Founder of The G.A.M. Foundation Celebrity Jazz concert series and the Jazz Mentors Foundation concert…
JAM CHRISTMAS FOLLIES The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra is 50 years old this year. Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra 50th Anniversary (1973-2023) The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, now in its 50th year, was founded in 1973 by saxophonist/clarinetist, Jerry Floor, and trumpeter, Bill Crismon. Then known as the Floor/Crismon Big Band, the…