Rick Ausland tap dancer, drummer, teacher, producer rick@havetapshoeswilltravel.com
Rick is a co-founder of the Minneapolis-based dance and music companies 10 Foot 5 (1997-2002), and later Buckets and Tap Shoes (MN Fringe Favorite 2004, ’05, ’07, ’11, ’13, ’14; Minneapolis City Pages “Best Dance Performance 2005”). He was a featured guest on the next to last episode of A Prairie Home Companion (2016), nominated for a 2013 SAGE Award for “Outstanding Performer,” Fall for Dance at NY City Center (2007), Vail International Dance Festival (2007, ’08, ’09), St. Louis Tap and Heritage Festival at the Fox Theater in St. Louis (1999), 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA (2001), has performed internationally in Austria, Ecuador, Finland, Malta, Russia, and in 39 of the 50 states including Hawaii and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. In the Twin Cities, Rick has had the honor of performing at the Cowles Center for Performing Arts (Buckets and Tap Shoes 2012, DREAMS 2013), Twin Cities Tap Festival 2017, ’18, ‘19), Guthrie Theatre Dowling Studio (2011), McGuire Theater at the Walker Art Center, the Fitzgerald Theater, McKnight Theater at the Ordway Center, First Avenue Mainroom (2005, ’06, ’07), Dakota Jazz Club, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, The Southern Theater, Music Box Theater, and the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. Rick has choreographed and taught dance throughout Minnesota at schools including; Lundstrum Performing Arts, Heartbeat Dance Studio, Ballare Taetro, Main Street School for Performing Arts, Children’s Theatre, Perpich Center for Arts Education, the St. Paul Conservatory, and Zenon. He is a graduate of Larkin Dance Studio and the Perpich Center for Arts Education (Media Arts Major) and has more than 25 years of experience in sound design, recording, editing, lighting, photography, and event production. Rick serves as the co-director of the Minneapolis-based immersive theatre company Sparkle Theatricals, and is the host of the Have Tap Shoes Will Travel podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.