What leading tap dancers and jazz critics have said about Sarah Petronio

Brenda Bufalino
“How Sarah hits the floor with her dynamics and syncopations are profound.”

Dianne Walker
“I would define Sarah’s artistry as sharing from deep within.”

Acia Gray
“I would not be the dancer and artistic director I am today if not for Sarah.”

Travis Knights
“Sarah’s extreme value lies in her understanding and veneration of the connection between musicians and dancers.”

Howard Reich Music Critic, Chicago Tribune
“Imagine the breezy, freewheeling tap of Bill Robinson, the stage savvy of Sammy Davis Jr. and the unpredictable rhythms of Thelonious Monk, and you will understand the basic vocabulary of Sarah Petronio’s art.”

Constance Valis Hill, Dance Historian
“Sarah Petronio is one of our veritable jazz tap dancers whose musicality, phrasing and intricate rhythmic motifs blur the boundaries between the music and the dance.”

Neil Tesser Jazz Critic, National Public Radio, USA
“Sarah Petronio moves past jazz-tap’s expected musical base and the easy swing rhythms of Count Basie. She prefers to apply her feet to music by more modern artists such as Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Carlos Jobim. She solos with the straightforward delight in pure motion that characterized Basie’s greatest drummer, Jo Jones.