EMMA ASHER

“I took classes, but I was also there when my grandmother was teaching and she was in charge of me,” Currie recalls. “I’d go into the older kids’ classes and stand at the barre and attempt to do what they were doing. So it’s always been a part of my life.”

Years later, Currie is still dancing — but on a much larger stage. He’s won nine tap dance world championships at the International Dance Organization’s annual competition, and is a 13-time medalist. These competitions attract some of the best dancers in the world, and they are judged not only on technical skills, but also on their creativity, musicality and stage presence. In addition to performing and competing, Currie teaches at tap festivals and workshops and choreographs for both on- and off-campus shows.

Born and raised in Merrimac, Mass., Currie plans to declare majors in dance and film and media studies and is on the executive board of Columbia UnTapped, the University’s tap dance club. He shared more about his dance career and how he takes advantage of the arts scene in New York City.

When did you start to realize that you were a pretty good dancer?

When I was 8 or 9 years old at the studio with my mom and grandmother, I would join a class with high school seniors and would attempt to keep up with everything they were doing. So that was one of those moments where my parents thought, “OK, maybe he’s kind of good at this.” [Laughs] I switched studios when I was about 10, and I got my first solo there. I ended up there because it had more boys, but it’s actually the hub for the United States international competition tap team. The studio really only gave about 10 solos out of 300 kids on the competition team, so it was a really big moment. That was also the year I went to the world championships for the first time, and I ended up doing pretty well.

What goes into creating a world-championship tap performance?

My solo at the 2023 world championships was in October, so I started working on it that January and competed with it throughout the whole season. It probably took 45 hours to choreograph and learn, and then I would work on it for at least six to eight hours a week. I would get the competition videos and write notes from every millisecond about what I liked and what I didn’t like, trying to find ways to fine tune and play with it to make it as close to perfect as I could.

Tell me more about Columbia UnTapped and the tap community on campus.

UnTapped is the only tap club on campus, and I feel like it’s one of the most inviting [clubs]. Literally anyone is welcome; we’re never going to cut anyone or say no to anyone who wants to be in our shows. Everyone has their special thing that they’re at the College for, but we can also have fun, random things that we just want to learn and be part of. [People can] take a 45-minute class, and that’s all they ever have to do. We have wide range of members — from professionals to people who don’t have tap shoes and are tapping in sneakers, just for fun. That’s the goal of UnTapped — to be a warm and inviting space for everyone.

What’s your go-to spot for food after a late rehearsal?

JJ’s. It’s there and it’s reliable. It’s not good for you, but it is good.

Do you have any favorite moments from your dance experiences?

A memory that stands out is from the DC Tap Festival. It has an open showcase; it’s very casual. Everyone’s sitting on the floor, and you perform whatever you want for two minutes. There was this girl, probably 7 or 8, just having the time of her life dancing, and then she forgot her choreography and froze. And then the crowd started cheering her on and clapping for her, and got her back out there to dance. It was such a beautiful moment of community and not caring if you mess up. It’s about the experience and the feeling and love of dance, rather than perfection. I think back to that moment a lot. It helps me remember that dance is a feeling, and that I do it because I love it.

What’s your favorite Columbia class so far?

I have two, both of which I’m taking right now. One is Contemporary Civilization. I’m getting an understanding of these texts that are foundational to our world, so reading and understanding the impact they have and implications that come with that has been really interesting. The other one is “Dance in Film” with Paul Scolieri CC’95, which is cool because it’s literally my two majors. In today’s class we talked about Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and his role in tap dance, and the implications of all of that. It’s a really interesting class.

How are you taking advantage of being in NYC for college?

I always say New York City is the best place I could have ended up. I can go downtown to take a dance class any time I want, I can meet the choreographers and dancers who are running the business. I’ve just had so many opportunities. And I have constant access to anything — like, I’ll do the Urban New York lottery and go to Broadway shows. I got to see Cynthia Erivo perform at Alvin Ailey through Urban New York, which is crazy. The arts opportunities in NYC and at Columbia are just amazing.