About my work

Tamara Loewenthal loves nothing more than bringing people together on the dance floor. She is a seasoned caller of square and contra dances, known for the clarity of her teaching, the lilt of her voice, and the fun she brings to the dance floor.  She is also a community builder, whether working with local artists as Artistic Director for the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation; serving on the Bloomingfoods Cooperative Board; being an active member of the Bloomington Old Time Music & Dance group board; organizing a softball team; or teaching salsa for Ritmos Latinos.

As a result of her deep  love for, and desire to share, dances, Tamara has produced a CD and booklet, Dance Together Children! , of long-playing dance tunes and play party games, as well as a Square Dance booklet, published in 2016, entitled Square 'Em Up!   She regularly calls square and contra dances for groups around the country and teaches step dance classes in Bloomington, and workshops wherever she goes.  She is a 2003, 2005, 2014, and 2016 recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission. Her most recent passion is Old Time fiddling, which she pursues with various bands around Bloomington.

Tamara honed her skills as a dancer over a 30 year performance career. Growing up in the Appalachian foothills of southwestern Pennsylvania, Tamara fell in love with clogging as a young adult and has been flatfooting ever since. A founding member of the nationally acclaimed dance company Rhythm in Shoes, she has toured across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Japan. She has won awards for her clogging, including a blue ribbon at the Mt. Airy, NC, Fiddler's Convention. Tamara is also an accomplished French Canadian step dancer and, in 1999, received a prestigious Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Fellowship to study with masters in this field. Tamara has worked extensively with Arts For Learning (formerly Young Audiences of Indiana) and the Ohio Arts Council's Arts Learning program. 

Before his untimely death from ALS in early 2023, Tamara performed and called dances extensively with her husband Jamie Gans in the ensemble Fiddle ‘n’ Feet. After taking a step back for a couple of years, Tamara has jumped back into the scene, bringing her energy and enthusiasm back to the dance floor.

tamaradancer@gmail.com