Auditions for our Youth Ensemble were held on June 15, 2025. Sign up for our email newsletter to receive information on upcoming events and audition related announcements for the 2026-2027 season!
The Lady Hoofers Youth Ensemble is a pre-professional tap dance company for young women, ages 9-18, who love rhythm tap and want to take their training to the next level. We are not a studio. We are not a competition team. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and as part of our mission to bring innovative percussive dance to diverse audiences, we provide mentorship to the next generation of hoofers.
Acceptance is by audition only. Students from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware audition for our Youth Ensemble each spring and accepted dancers rehearse on Sundays through the fall, culminating in our annual production of The Tapcracker at The Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. Our most successful dancers typically come to us with at least three years of previous training, and they recognize the value of master classes, tap festivals, and training in a variety of dance styles. We also offer additional support to Philadelphia public school students who have completed our free Outreach Residency Program.
Advanced dancers age 13+ who demonstrate the requisite technique and maturity may be considered to perform as an Apprentice Dancer in The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble's annual Spring Concert Series. Apprentice Dancer positions are by invitation only and allow dedicated students to train alongside our First Company dancers and work with our guest choreographers.
Many of our Youth Ensemble graduates have auditioned successfully for our First Company once they turn 18. Others have gone on to dance in both Broadway and Off Broadway productions, to perform with tap companies across the country, and to major in dance at top universities and conservatories. (In fact, two of our former Tapcrackers just signed their first professional contracts: one with Disney Cruise Line and one with Royal Caribbean, and a former dancer is currently a Radio City Rockette!) Regardless of where our dancers end up, we are always happy to connect them to additional opportunities, and to welcome them back into The Lady Hoofers family when they’re in town between gigs.
Further information on The Tapcracker and our Spring Concert Series can be found below.
Acceptance is by audition only. Students from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware audition for our Youth Ensemble each spring and accepted dancers rehearse on Sundays through the fall, culminating in our annual production of The Tapcracker at The Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. Our most successful dancers typically come to us with at least three years of previous training, and they recognize the value of master classes, tap festivals, and training in a variety of dance styles. We also offer additional support to Philadelphia public school students who have completed our free Outreach Residency Program.
Advanced dancers age 13+ who demonstrate the requisite technique and maturity may be considered to perform as an Apprentice Dancer in The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble's annual Spring Concert Series. Apprentice Dancer positions are by invitation only and allow dedicated students to train alongside our First Company dancers and work with our guest choreographers.
Many of our Youth Ensemble graduates have auditioned successfully for our First Company once they turn 18. Others have gone on to dance in both Broadway and Off Broadway productions, to perform with tap companies across the country, and to major in dance at top universities and conservatories. (In fact, two of our former Tapcrackers just signed their first professional contracts: one with Disney Cruise Line and one with Royal Caribbean, and a former dancer is currently a Radio City Rockette!) Regardless of where our dancers end up, we are always happy to connect them to additional opportunities, and to welcome them back into The Lady Hoofers family when they’re in town between gigs.
Further information on The Tapcracker and our Spring Concert Series can be found below.
Join us on Saturday, December 13 & Sunday, December 14, 2025 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for The Tapcracker!
Hailed as a “real delight” (ThINKing Dance), this all-tap version of the holiday favorite has “taken its rightful place among the Philadelphia holiday traditions on the Avenue of the Arts” (Broad Street Review). With a cast of over 40 dancers from PA, NJ, and DE, The Tapcracker transports audiences to Paris, where an infestation of rats has thrown the city into chaos: toy soldiers guard the Eiffel Tower, mice wreak havoc in the Metro, and Duke Ellington’s swinging rendition of the beloved Tchaikovsky score will leave you dancing in your seat.
Hailed as a “real delight” (ThINKing Dance), this all-tap version of the holiday favorite has “taken its rightful place among the Philadelphia holiday traditions on the Avenue of the Arts” (Broad Street Review). With a cast of over 40 dancers from PA, NJ, and DE, The Tapcracker transports audiences to Paris, where an infestation of rats has thrown the city into chaos: toy soldiers guard the Eiffel Tower, mice wreak havoc in the Metro, and Duke Ellington’s swinging rendition of the beloved Tchaikovsky score will leave you dancing in your seat.
Philadelphia’s own all-women tap company, The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, “is a powerhouse of technique, joy, and passion” (ThINKingDance). The 2025 Spring Concert Series features innovative choreography by Michael J. Love and Dolores Sanchez, audience favorites by Katie Budris and Kat Echevarría Richter, and a world premiere by renowned Chicago tap artist Star Dixon. From reimagined jazz standards to contemporary favorites, “The Lady Hoofers not only can spark the floor, they take tap in unexpected directions” (The Dance Journal).
Note: participation in the Spring Concert for Apprentice and Youth Ensemble Dancers is by invitation only.
Note: participation in the Spring Concert for Apprentice and Youth Ensemble Dancers is by invitation only.
Testimonials
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"The Lady Hoofers are very polished, professional, and detail-oriented. Every aspect of the experience was well-organized from the audition to the final performance . . . Additionally, The Lady Hoofers, with all of their personal accomplishments in education, careers, motherhood, etc., represented how tap can still fit into the fullness of a woman's life and be generously shared with the community and younger generation. Very inspiring!" -Emelyn Hatch, Youth Ensemble Parent
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"I just have to tell you that not only does Daelyn LOVE being a part of The Lady Hoofers, Dana and I truly appreciate all of the TIME, EFFORT and HARD WORK you ladies dedicate to the organization. Your professionalism, organization, and friendliness are exceptional and I only wish more organizations ran like yours! Being a dad of two girls, I am always looking for positive role models for my daughters to emulate . . . I am so grateful that Daelyn is part of The Lady Hoofers." -Dan Phelan, Youth Ensemble Parent
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"The Youth Ensemble was the perfect performance opportunity for my tap-loving dancer! She studies tap at her performing arts school but doesn’t have many chances to perform for the general public . . . My daughter came out of the experience with a great sense of accomplishment having learned and performed challenging choreography. She thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of new audiences and was thrilled to make new tap friends." -Missy Layden, Youth Ensemble Parent
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The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble is supported by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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