Family Fest in the Park

Michela's Love Movement

Michela Marino Lerman, winner of the 2019 Hoofer Award, is a globally sought-after tap dance artist, performer, choreographer, bandleader, educator and all-around creative spirit. HuffPost called her a “hurricane of rhythm” and The New York Times called her a “prodigy” and described her dancing as “flashes of brilliance.” Quincy Jones said she is an “absolute tap dancing star who knows her roots.” Lerman was proudly mentored by some of the masters of tap dance, including Gregory Hines, Buster Brown, Leroy Myers, Peg Leg Bates, Marion Coles and Mable Lee.

Lerman can be seen in the new U.S. postage stamp series dedicated to tap dance. She was commissioned by the Joyce Theater to create and premiere her new, full-length work “Once Upon a Time Called Now” in the spring of 2022. Additional performance highlights include Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz in Marciac, Joe's Pub, Little Island, opening night of The Shed at the Hudson Yards, The Other Palace on London's West End and co-producing the documentary American Tap.

Love Movement, Lerman’s music project, is a hybrid of the highest levels of musicianship and hoofing. With original music, spirituals, jazz, traditional and electronic tap boards, Love Movement reflects a journey through the seven levels of love we experience throughout life. An immersive music experience, this work uplifts and empowers audiences and has been presented in venues such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Lerman has had the honor of working with many masters throughout her career, including Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Anna Deavere Smith, Jon Batiste, Quincy Jones, Steve McQueen and many others. With a teaching career that was sparked by a master class she gave at age 15, Lerman has taught in more than 15 countries, 30 tap and dance festivals and numerous universities, including Yale and Tulane. Sharing the rich history of tap dance through education is deeply rooted in all her work.

Lerman lives in New York.