DANCE REVIEWS : A ‘Jazz on Tap’ Showcase at Wadsworth

With his wild, windmill arms and firecracker bursts of energy, Van Porter brings an unpredictable contemporary edge to tap dancing--and to the curiously sedate “Jazz on Tap” revue that opened Thursday at the Wadsworth Theater in Westwood.

A student of Maceo Anderson (one of the original Four Step Brothers), Porter can keep the sound of his tapping scratchy and loose: sand-dancing without the sand.

But he can also drum the stage powerfully with his feet, making the whole theater reverberate with assaultive kick-rhythms. One moment, he’s all toe-taps, the next all heels. He may venture dazzling traveling passages, yet will look just as comfortable at tight, in-place tapping.

But never for long. Restless and impulsive, Porter’s an artist specializing in short-term sensation, and nobody else on the program comes close to his range, flash and dynamism--except maybe Germaine Ingram, who displays a startling feral attack in her dancing, along with speed and dexterity enough to match perfectly the footwork of her partner, the distinguished old smoothie LaVaughn Robinson.

Besides helping to host “Jazz on Tap,” Dianne Walker performs solos spotlighting the exemplary steadiness of her technique and, most remarkably, perhaps, the soft, buoyant quality she can explore without missing a beat. All the women on the program wear pants and flat shoes, but this is dancing of flowing, luxuriant femininity.

In contrast, Wayne Doba emphasizes the comic effect of furious, hard-sell tapping accompanied by the wrong music--or no music at all. It’s an overextended, one-joke act, but executed with plenty of skill.

Artists from locally based ensembles present familiar solos, with Fred Strickler (Rhapsody in Taps) looking highly accomplished in his “Don’t Get Around Much Any More” mood piece and Dormeshia Sumbry (Jazz Tap Ensemble) offering her bouncy Bill Robinson tribute. Jazz Tap Ensemble virtuoso Derick Grant demonstrates his potent throwaway style in both “Another You” and a duet with Sumbry.

Finally, with their granddad Fayard Nicholas in attendance, the two Nicholas Sisters (ages 6 and 9) claim tap traditions for a new generation.

Master tapper/choreographer Cholly Atkins serves as artistic director and co-host for the event, which also features the sophisticated musicianship of Gildo Mahones, John Simon and Fritz Wise.

* “Jazz on Tap” receives its final performance at 8 p.m. tonight in the Wadsworth Theater, Veterans Administration grounds, Westwood. (310) 825-2101. Tickets: $9 (students) to $28.