Pam Hetherington is a white woman in her 40s with short brown hair, wearing a black tank top, with her hands on her hips.

Pamela Hetherington

BSR Contributor Since November 28, 2023

Pamela Hetherington (she/her) is an internationally recognized leader in tap and jazz music, and the artistic director of the Philadelphia Jazz Tap Ensemble.

Pamela Hetherington is an authentic Philadelphia artist who has devoted more than 30 years to her art, her work, and the communities she serves. She is an internationally recognized leader in the fields of tap dance and jazz music. As the artistic director of the Philadelphia Jazz Tap Ensemble, she focuses on telling “jazz stories” that fuse tap dance, original music, text, transformative grooves, and historical contexts, all while providing accessible and inclusive environments for the work.

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Hetherington, a white woman, and Roberson, a Black woman, perform together, each dancing on their own low wooden platform.

Has Philly lost touch with the true musical roots of tap dance?

Tap dance is much more than learning the steps
The true art of tap, including historic Philly dancers, has its roots in collaboration and improvisation, not recorded music or memorized choreography. Philly tap dance leader Pamela Hetherington explains.
Pamela Hetherington

Pamela Hetherington

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