For Alfred “Bruce” Bradley, the sound of tap shoes has always been more than rhythm. It has been about community.
As Tapology prepares for its 24th annual Tap Festival February 5-8, Bradley is returning to the spotlight following a life-saving heart surgery. This year’s theme, “Matters of the He(A)rt: Rhythm, Reverence, and Revelation,” reflects his recovery and also the deeper role art plays in restoring spirit and connection.
“The theme is really emphasizing the triumphant story of my dad’s recent events, but then also art being the catalyst to healing, to self-expression, and to unify humanity,” said Frances Bradley, acting CEO of Tapology.
Throughout the festival, dancers, musicians, and Tapology alumni from across the country will gather for a weekend of demonstrations, master classes, competitions, performances, and tributes that feel, as Bradley described it, like a return home.
“It’s almost like a family reunion when we have these artists come in,” Bruce Bradley said.
Choosing Flint
Bradley’s career has encompassed theater, dance, education, and community activism. An Alabama State University graduate, he performed in Off-Broadway productions and toured internationally before making a deliberate choice to invest his energy back into Flint.
He did not begin tap dancing until age 33, learning from respected artists before shifting his focus toward mentorship and youth development. Back in Flint, he taught theater at Flint Northwestern High School, served as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Flint, and performed or directed at venues across the city, including the Flint Youth Theatre and Buckham Alley Theatre.
In 2001, he founded Tapology, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving tap dance while creating opportunities for young people through cultural education. Over two decades, the organization has impacted thousands of students, many of whom have gone on to perform professionally, teach, or build careers beyond the arts while still carrying tap dance with them.
“It (their success) lets us know that the work and the sacrifices that we’ve made all these years to impact these kids’ lives have been worth it,” Bruce Bradley said. “It’s encouraging and we continue so we can reach more kids because we’ve seen the positive impact in their lives and the pride they bring to us as teachers and to the city.”
For Bradley, tap dance has always carried deeper cultural meaning tied to history and identity.
“These kids go on and they go to different schools and they get their master’s and doctorate degrees and they continue to tap dance,” Bruce Bradley said. “They are promoting an American culture that has been impacted by African culture. It’s important, especially for our young African American kids to have things that they’re proud of. We’ve been through so much through slavery and Jim Crow and the reemergence of racism in this country. We have to continue to go back and tell the children that we’ve contributed things. And this just happened to be something that I as a performing artist had an inkling to do. I was directed in this way by the spirit to work with kids, and I’ve seen the impact that has happened on kids and my own children. So it’s been humbling and also encouraging from the community.”
Healing Through Rhythm And Reunion
This year’s festival carries a deeper emotional weight as Bradley continues recovering from his medical emergency, something he says has reshaped how he views the work and the recognition coming his way.
“Well, that has been tremendously overwhelming,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to focus on identifying people much greater than me that have contributed in the industry. So to be recognized that I’ve made a difference in these children’s lives is humbling.”
He described the outpouring of support from former students and community members as a necessary part of his recovery.
“It’s been part of my healing that so many of my students have called me,” Bruce Bradley said.
For Frances Bradley, seeing her father return to the stage carries both relief and excitement.
“It was a really close call with him not being with us again,” she said. “And so just to be able to see him in his full element of performance and creative expression is going to be amazing.”
Bradley said the recovery itself has become another lesson he hopes students will carry forward.
“By coming through this physical thing, I’m still healing from that,” he said. “So there’s another lesson that I’m trying to show my students, that you can recover and you can come back up.”
A Festival Rooted In Community
The Tapology Tap Festival blends professional performance with youth education, a reflection of the organization’s mission since its founding. Visiting Schools Days will bring hundreds of students to the Flint Public Library and Flint Institute of Music for rhythm literacy workshops, historical presentations, and performances by visiting artists.
A sold-out “Matters of the He(A)rt Gala” at Sloan Museum honoring Bradley’s career is another highlight. Tickets are available online and the full schedule is below. There is also a list of impressive returning artists and their bios on the website.
- Thursday, Feb 5 (9:30 AM – 1:30 PM): “Visiting Schools Days” at Flint Public Library & FIM. Capture hundreds of local students learning rhythm literacy and tap history in an interactive, high-energy environment.
- Thursday, Feb 5 (6:00 PM): “Matters of the He(A)rt Gala” at Sloan Museum. A formal, visual celebration honoring founder Alfred “Bruce” Bradley, featuring live performances and alumni tributes.
- Friday, Feb 7: Master Classes & Tap Competition at FIM/FIA.
- Sunday, Feb 8 (3:00 PM): Grand Finale Concert at FIM Whiting Auditorium. Full stage production, live jazz band, professional lighting, and the massive “Finale” with all cast members.
“It’s a very jam packed festival,” Frances Bradley said.
Art As A Path Forward
One of the most meaningful aspects of this year’s festival is the return of alumni, many of whom began as young students in Flint and are now professionals across the country.
“I’m laughing about that because I’m excited about the fact that I’m being honored this year, but it’s always been about someone else and about the kids,” Bruce Bradley said. “Well, they’re no longer kids. They’re adults now. But the fact that they’re coming back for me it’s exciting just to see them. I’ve told them this was created for you, for your education, for, for you to aspire to the things that these great artists have done and to go beyond.”
Even for students who never pursue dance professionally, Bradley said the lessons remain lasting.
“Many of them won’t be tap dancers, but what they will learn is camaraderie with their fellow dancers, they will learn to accept one another as they are, they will learn to work as a team,” he said. “Those are lessons that they need no matter what they go on to do.”
Bruce Bradley is also looking forward to Tapology’s impact continuing as his daughter continues transitioning into leading the organization so that its programming reaches kids for years to come. He hopes the festival continues to bring people together across cultures and backgrounds.
“It’s a cultural renaissance when we bring in kids of all colors, all religions from different places, that diversity is very much American,” Bradley said. “This (Tapology) is a Flint success story, it is not just Bruce Bradley. It’s people seeing a good thing and saying we’re with you and we wanna see this continue.”
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