Our Fabulous Variety Show's "Tap: A Celebration of Rhythm," hitting the stage at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center for two shows on Saturday, will give folks from these parts plenty of reasons to head west. Chief among them: Several dozen of the performers are local students who have been honing their craft at O.F.V.S.'s studios in East Hampton.
Joining the students, who range from teeny tiny tots to high school seniors and even a few adults, will be several professional dancers, including Anita Boyer, one of the troupe's founders, and Aaron Tolson, who counts among his extensive credits a long stint with "Riverdance."
"The show is my love letter to tap," Ms. Boyer said this week. It pays homage to the history of the dance form and some of the dancers along the way who made it what it is. It was born in 2014 as a Guild Hall John Drew Theater Lab project, and has been performed almost annually since then, but Saturday will mark its first time back in a traditional theater since before the pandemic.
In the past, the O.F.V.S. dancers have had more support from outside performers. This year, with the most advanced students having progressed even further in the art form, they are carrying the day, Ms. Boyer said. "I'm really proud of the growth that the entire company has had."
Show times on Saturday are at 2 and 7 p.m. There is no charge for tickets thanks to donations from Katharine Rayner and Marty and Michele Cohen. Seats can be reserved at the Our Fabulous Variety Show website.