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

Michela is featured in the new US Postage Stamp series dedicated to the art of Tap Dance. She was commissioned by the Joyce Theater to create and premiere her full length work Once Upon A Time Called Now in spring 2022. 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.

Michela has had the honor of working with many masters including Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Anna Deavere Smith, Jon Batiste, Quincy Jones, and Steve McQueen. Sharing the rich history of tap dance through education is deeply rooted in all her work and she has taught in more than 15 countries, 30 tap and dance festivals, and numerous universities including Yale and Tulane. 

Based in NYC, she has performed at Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marciac Jazz Festival, Joes Pub, Little Island, The Shed, The Other Palace on London's West End, the Whitney Museum of American Art.

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