Tanya Knights
Tanya Knights was 5 when she started to tap dance with Montreal’s Queen of Tap, Ethel Bruneau. Ethel, a Harlem native, learned to dance from her teacher Mary Bruce from the oral tradition of African American culture which values community, personal expression, authenticity and knowledge of history.
In 2005, Tanya started her dance career, co-founding Dynamix Soles with her partner Travis Knights. In 5 years, they went from creating short dance works, to a full length show for Le Festival de Danse Encore in Trois-Rivieres.
From 2010-2013, she was a principal dancer for Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, Texas, under the artistic direction of Acia Gray. In 2012 & 2013, she produced and directed Legends of Rhythm: The Montreal Tap Festival. In 2013, Tanya and Travis produced the first incarnation of The Tap Love Tour. They traveled to 10 countries, teaching, performing and documenting stories from iconic Tap Dancers. Over the span of 10 years, Tap Love Tour has evolved into a production company that has produced well over 100 podcasts, 2 seasons of The Interviews youtube series, a full length documentary feature, Restorative Culture: Johnathan Morin, and a full length stage show called The Mars Project.
In July, 2023, Ethel Bruneau passed away. More than ever, Tanya is driven by the responsibility to engage with her teaching practice, connect with young people and continue the oral tradition that Ethel passed onto her.