our mission
New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble's mission is to preserve and promote the American art form of rhythm tap dancing. NJTAP is a nonprofit professional tap dance company founded by Deborah Mitchell in the state of New Jersey in 1994 and accomplishes its mission through public concert performances, artist development, new works, special programs, and arts education. The Company is based and rehearses in Bloomfield, NJ.
At the center of its core values, which include integrity, respect, responsibility and appreciation, New Jersey Tap Ensemble is a non-profit tap dance company that is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of the organization. NJTAP is dedicated to being a safe haven where everyone is treated fairly, with dignity, respect, and grace. We welcome differences among people in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, family income level, national or regional origin, religion, age, disability status, or political beliefs.
3x jersey arts people's choice award winner
THANK YOU!
DEBORAH MITCHELL
founder, artistic director
Deborah Mitchell is Founder and Artistic Director of New
Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble. This award winning
choreographer, dancer and director has been the driving
force behind one of the most celebrated dance companies
in the state of NJ for more than 20 years. She is recipient of
some of tap dancing’s most prestigious awards
including the 2012 Living Legend Award, Flint, MI;
Lifetime Achievement Flo-Bert Award 2007, NY;
The Hoofer Award, 2007 NY; The Living Treasure
Award 2007, Oklahoma City University; Savion Glover
Award 2006 and she is one of the subjects in the 2010
publication, Tap Dancing America by Constance Valis Hill.
Protégé of Leslie “Bubba” Gaines of the Copasetics and student
of many tap masters including Broadway Choreographer Henry
LeTang. Her many credits include The Cotton Club Motion
Picture, Tony-Award Winning Broadway Production and Paris
Production of Black and Blue, PBS Great Performances of Black
and Blue, 5 tours with the legendary Cab Calloway, and a
partnership with Philadelphia native Germaine Goodson as The Rhythm Queens. She was guest artist, master teacher and speaker at 2008 UCLA’s 1st Conference on Women in Tap and is a 2nd Generation Silver Belle, honoring the dancing divas of Harlem’s Golden Age, subject of Award Winning Documentary, Been Rich All My Life.
With a Masters Degree in Social Work from Indiana University, Ms. Mitchell is a strong advocate for arts education. She is author, director and choreographer of Arts Education musicals the Doll Shop, and Generation Tap. She serves as an advisory Board Member of Tap City in NY and Assistant Director/Choreographer for Theater Workshop/Peppermint Players, Marie Foster in Newark, NJ.
photo by Kathy Cacicedo
board of trustees
Melanie Bieber (Board Chair)
Beth Bloom
Leslie Gilman
Nancy Marshall
Deborah Mitchell
advisory board
Robin Bachman
Mercedes Ellington
Savion Glover
Paul H. McRae
Tony Waag
staff
Deborah Mitchell (Executive/Artistic Director)
Kenneth MacDonald (Business Manager)
Ann Kern (Bookkeeper/Adminstrative Assistant)
Christina Balas (Creative Designer)
Liz Carroll (Marketing Manager)
Karen Callaway Williams (NJTAP2 Coordinator)
Liz Carroll and Kyle Wilder (Co-Dance Captains)