‘Evolution of Dance’ creator to appear at Tusculum College on Tuesday, Aug. 28

laipply.jpgJudson Laipply, who is most well known for his “Evolution of Dance” Internet video clip, will perform Tuesday, Aug. 28, at Tusculum College. “Life is Change: Comedy and Content with Judson Laipply” will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on campus. The event is the first in Tusculum College Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2007-08 performance and lecture series and is being presented in partnership with the college’s Office of Student Affairs.

Laipply’s “The Evolution of Dance” video clip is the most viewed all-time video on YouTube.com with more than 55 million views. It is also the top rated video and the third most discussed video on the popular video Web site. But, what many may not realize is that “The Evolution of Dance” is part of the way Laipply delivers his inspirational and motivational messages. His performances have been described as “down to earth and highly motivational, creative and appealing, humorous and thought provoking, and lively and enriching.”

The creation of “the dance” came as Laipply was developing his own speaking style and creative content. “I had already begun to explore the understanding that life is change,” Laipply says on his Web site. “I felt that this was a first step to creating the life you want by understanding the simple idea that life is change. So I wanted to do something to make sure that message stuck in the minds of my audience. I milled this over in my head for about six-nine months when I was hit with the idea of how much dancing had changed. I began to think how funny it would be to visually see all of the dances and thus the idea was born. I quickly wrote down the first several that came to mind, 12 to be exact – and listed them out.”

The dance has evolved and changed since its beginning, and Laipply says he is working on another that will be ready in a few months. The video has resulted in appearances by Laipply on “Good Morning America” and the “Today Show,” and features on CNN and in the Rolling Stone and USA Today.

Laipply describes himself as an “inspirational comedian.” “It is the thought that someone can be so funny that you might catch them on Comedy Central, Letterman, or the Tonight Show, but also wise enough to give you pause for thought and open you eyes to the world around you,” he says.

For inspiration for his programs, Laipply draws on his vast array of experiences that include working on a cruise ship, working at a camp in Colorado, being a certified aerobics instructors, teaching college courses, and being a published poet, part-time auctioneer and weekly columnist as well as on lessons learned from observing others.
Admission is $12 for adults; $10 for senior citizens (age 60 and above) and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets may be reserved by calling the Arts Outreach Office at (423) 798-1620 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. All unpaid, unclaimed reserved tickets will be released for general sale if needed. The box office will open at 6 p.m. for ticket sales on the 28th.For more information, please contact Arts Outreach or visit www.tusculum.edu

Acts, Arts, Academia is supported by Dr. Miller in memory of Mary Agnes Ault Miller, Tusculum College Arts Outreach, the Society of Cicero, Hearts for the Arts, The Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.