Choreo Records Tap Company

p," the longest running review in Las Vegas. His jazz ballet, "Percussion Suite" was presented at the Seattle World's Fair. In the 50's Cooper was a partner in forming the recording company, Choreo Records, which provided music and choreography for dance teachers all over the world. In the mid 70's he toured Europe, teaching at the University of Exeter in England and performing in England, Germany and Holland. In the spring of 1977 he studied, taught and performed in Kanazawa, Japan as a cultural exchange director for the Buffalo, New York - Kanazawa Japan Sister City Goodwill Tour. He also has toured Portugal, Spain and Morocco. For 52 years Mr. Cooper owned and ran “The Buster Cooper School of Dance”. Cooper also created the dance program at the Hockaday School, and served as the head of dance department for over 30 years. In the late 1980's Mr. Cooper had six of his students appearing simultaneously on Broadway, two with lead rolls in A Chorus Line, two in 42nd Street, and one in the broadway show Cats. In March of 1983 Mr. Cooper did the Bob Hope Special featuring the Buster Cooper Dancers. He has worked side by side with many talented artists including Patsy Swayze, Agnes deMille, George Skibine, Lee Adams, Charles Strauss, Peter Gennaro, Alice Faye, Pat Boone, Pamela Tiffin, Bob Newhart, Tom Ewell, Jose Ferrer, Bobby Darin and Ann-Margret. He was (and is) held in high regard as a faculty member of many early prominent dance organizations throughout the nation in 1950s, 60’s and 70’s, and has conducted master classes at many colleges and universities all over the United States. For many years, Mr. Cooper was active as a faculty member at meetings and conventions sponsored by many organizations such as Dance Educators of America, Chicago National Association of Dancing Masters, Inc., Dance Masters of America, Southern Dance Association, Texas Association of Teachers of Dance, Professional Dance Teachers Association and National Association of Dance Affiliated Artists. In 1996, Dance Masters of America presented Mr. Cooper with the prestigious Presidents Award in New York. In 1997, The Dallas Dance Council recognized him with the Mary McLarry Bywaters Award, honoring his lifetime contribution to dance. Cooper also received the 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award from Dance Educators of America in Las Vegas. During the summer of 1995 Cooper performed in "Dances to Celebrate," in Dallas. Margaret Putnam, dance critic of The Dallas Morning News, wrote of his performance. "Delightful, too, is Buster Cooper... With a grin so big it makes slits of his eyes, he claps his hands, shrugs a shoulder and spins about, all the while raining down soft, lightly inflected taps." Buster Cooper continues to contribute to the dance community, with the generous help of the Dance Council of North Texas, by offering the Buster Cooper Jazz Scholarship, and the Buster Cooper Tap Scholarship to young students, giving them the opportunity to further their dance education. ABOUT KEIRA LEVERTON

Keira Leverton is co-founder and co-director of Rhythmic Souls Enterprises, a soon-to-be 501c3 Non profit organization, with the mission to promote, preserve, and explore the indigenous American art form of tap dance through performances, educational workshops, collaborations, and partnerships with various artists, local organizations, and youth programs. Leverton is also co- founder and co-director of the Drawbacks Youth Tap Ensemble, which is a youth program under Rhythmic Souls Enterprises. Leverton received her early tap training from her grandfather, Buster Cooper. Later she sought the training of Acia Gray in Austin, Barbara Phillips in San Antonio, and Jay Fagan in Chicago. Much of her exposure to the tap community was through tap festivals such as the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and the Third Coast Rhythm Project. She has had the privilege of studying with many professionals in the field, such as Derick K. Grant, Lane Alexander, Bril Barrett, Henry LeTang, Sam Weber, Nicole Hockenberry, Dianne Walker, Gregory Hines, and Yuji Uragami. In 2010, she received the Gene, Louise, and Fred Kelly Tap Teacher Scholarship. Leverton has performed at such venues as Radio City Music Hall, the Kodak Theatre, the Sky Dome in Toronto, and Wembley Stadium in London. She toured nationally and internationally as a dancer and later dance captain with “Barney’s Colorful World” from 2003-2004. She played “Bert” and various chorus characters in Sesame Street Live’s touring productions of “Elmo Makes Music“, and “When Elmo Grows Up” in 2007-2008. In 2011, she received the opportunity to travel internationally to Japan, Korea, Turkey, Europe, and the UK as “Grover” with “Sesame Street Live’s USO Experience for Military Families”, as a part of Michelle Obama’s project “Joining Forces”. The tour kicked off with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in attendance. Leverton’s acting credits include the lead role in the award winning short film “Bitch” that was selected to play at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. In between tours she teaches and choreographs for studios locally, co-directs the Drawbacks Youth Tap Ensemble, and co-directs/perform with the tap company, Rhythmic Souls. As a teacher, Keira is passionate about preserving the history of the indigenous American art of tap dance. She maintains constant interaction with the national and international tap community, so that in addition to her original works and the historical traditional material, she may bring fresh and up to date information to her students. Leverton’s latest project is the founding of The Choreo Records Tap Company, with the mission to preserve and promote the historic choreographic works of jazz and tap dance master Buster Cooper.