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Content provided by Leo Sidran. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leo Sidran or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
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292: Max Pollak
Manage episode 478233480 series 1023490
Content provided by Leo Sidran. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leo Sidran or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
When he was five years old, Max Pollak had a moment. Sitting in front of a black-and-white television in suburban Vienna, he saw Fred Astaire tap dancing for the first time. “I was so spellbound by his elegance and his effortless swinging persona that I immediately decided I have to learn how to do that,” he remembers.
He didn’t understand the cultural context or the language, but he knew that whatever was happening on that screen — the rhythm, the movement, the magic — was something he had to pursue.
That moment sparked a lifelong journey that would take him from Austria to Harlem to Havana and back again.
Here, Max Pollak tells the remarkable story of how he taught himself to dance in a place where no formal tap training existed. Early on, improvisation wasn’t just part of his style — it was the only way forward. That instinctive relationship with rhythm would become the foundation of his unique voice as an artist.
At 14, Pollak met his first mentor: Carnell Lyons, a master tap dancer from Kansas City who had relocated to Europe during the civil rights era. Lyons had grown up alongside Charlie Parker and had performed with jazz legends. He passed on not only the technical language of tap, but a deep awareness of the art form’s Black American roots. That relationship shaped the way Max approached dance — not just as choreography, but as culture.
After moving to New York, Max began studying drums and enrolled in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro-Cuban ensemble at The New School. It was there that he was asked the question that would redefine his artistic path: Do you want to tap dance to Cuban music — or do you want to tap dance Cuban music?
Inspired by that challenge, Pollak dove into Afro-Cuban music, learning the language of clave and fusing it with tap, body percussion, and voice. The result was RumbaTap — a groundbreaking synthesis of traditions that bridges continents and cultures. When members of the legendary Los Muñequitos de Matanzas saw Max perform, they asked him to teach them. That moment affirmed the authenticity of his approach and led to collaborations in Cuba that brought him closer to the source of the music he had been drawn to for so long.
Today, Max Pollak is widely recognized as one of the most innovative tap dancers in the world. His contributions to the language of tap, particularly in blending it with Afro-Cuban music and body percussion, have earned him international recognition — including the rare honor of having his image featured on a United States postage stamp. He’s also a vocalist, drummer, composer, and storyteller. This week, he celebrates the 25th anniversary of RumbaTap with a special performance at 92NY, featuring members of Los Muñequitos.
This episode came together unexpectedly, sparked by a tip from bassist and composer Alexis Cuadrado, who sent me the press release for the 92NY concert. I reached out to Max for a short interview — and the conversation turned out to be so rich and wide-ranging that I decided to share it in full.
We talk about lineage, improvisation, spirituality, and what happens when you follow the rhythm only you can hear.
www.third-story.com www.leosidran.substack.com www.wbgo.org/podcast/the-third-story
310 episodes
Share
Manage episode 478233480 series 1023490
Content provided by Leo Sidran. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leo Sidran or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
When he was five years old, Max Pollak had a moment. Sitting in front of a black-and-white television in suburban Vienna, he saw Fred Astaire tap dancing for the first time. “I was so spellbound by his elegance and his effortless swinging persona that I immediately decided I have to learn how to do that,” he remembers.
He didn’t understand the cultural context or the language, but he knew that whatever was happening on that screen — the rhythm, the movement, the magic — was something he had to pursue.
That moment sparked a lifelong journey that would take him from Austria to Harlem to Havana and back again.
Here, Max Pollak tells the remarkable story of how he taught himself to dance in a place where no formal tap training existed. Early on, improvisation wasn’t just part of his style — it was the only way forward. That instinctive relationship with rhythm would become the foundation of his unique voice as an artist.
At 14, Pollak met his first mentor: Carnell Lyons, a master tap dancer from Kansas City who had relocated to Europe during the civil rights era. Lyons had grown up alongside Charlie Parker and had performed with jazz legends. He passed on not only the technical language of tap, but a deep awareness of the art form’s Black American roots. That relationship shaped the way Max approached dance — not just as choreography, but as culture.
After moving to New York, Max began studying drums and enrolled in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro-Cuban ensemble at The New School. It was there that he was asked the question that would redefine his artistic path: Do you want to tap dance to Cuban music — or do you want to tap dance Cuban music?
Inspired by that challenge, Pollak dove into Afro-Cuban music, learning the language of clave and fusing it with tap, body percussion, and voice. The result was RumbaTap — a groundbreaking synthesis of traditions that bridges continents and cultures. When members of the legendary Los Muñequitos de Matanzas saw Max perform, they asked him to teach them. That moment affirmed the authenticity of his approach and led to collaborations in Cuba that brought him closer to the source of the music he had been drawn to for so long.
Today, Max Pollak is widely recognized as one of the most innovative tap dancers in the world. His contributions to the language of tap, particularly in blending it with Afro-Cuban music and body percussion, have earned him international recognition — including the rare honor of having his image featured on a United States postage stamp. He’s also a vocalist, drummer, composer, and storyteller. This week, he celebrates the 25th anniversary of RumbaTap with a special performance at 92NY, featuring members of Los Muñequitos.
This episode came together unexpectedly, sparked by a tip from bassist and composer Alexis Cuadrado, who sent me the press release for the 92NY concert. I reached out to Max for a short interview — and the conversation turned out to be so rich and wide-ranging that I decided to share it in full.
We talk about lineage, improvisation, spirituality, and what happens when you follow the rhythm only you can hear.
www.third-story.com www.leosidran.substack.com www.wbgo.org/podcast/the-third-story
310 episodes
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Similar to The Third Story with Leo Sidran
Soul and Jazz (www.soulandjazz.com) launched its unique, legal and commercial free podcasting service on the 18th May, 2009, and features music across the spectrum of soul and jazz from the last 50 years.
…
continue reading
In For Scores, host Jon Burlingame takes listeners on a magical journey into the world of film and television composers, revealing never-before-heard special moments behind many of today's most beloved scores. This season, you'll hear personal stories from the composers of Marvel Studios Avengers and Pixar's Toy Story films, Captain Marvel, Coco, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and so much more!
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Barry first found music when he borrowed his sister's record collection when he was about eight and was hooked. When Caroline started it was a new beginning, and he listened to all the stations, but Caroline was his favourite by far. Later he became a singer in a band, then started doing discos when he was 18. He joined Caroline in 1977, touring the country with the Caroline Roadshow for 10 years, having great fun. Barry helped with tender trips and worked on the Ross Revenge in '84 and '85. ...
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continue reading
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continue reading
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Welcome to the "Gangster Chronicles", where Gangster Rap lives. Gangster Chronicles takes you on an unforgettable journey through the heart of hip-hop. with host, Bigg Steele, alongside the legendary MC Eiht, together, we're diving deep into the visceral world of Gangsta Rap. On this podcast, we unravel the intricate tapestry of one of music's most influential and misunderstood sub-genres, exploring the formative artists, monumental albums, and socio-political factors that have shaped Gangst ...
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this podcast is going to be all about 60's music. the goal with this podcast is to educate a younger generation on one of the greatest decades of music of all time, and to prove to people that Millennials can love 60's music as well and it's not just for Baby boomers. Each week I"m going to review one song by one artist from the 60's and split the podcast into two halfs. first half is going to be my perspective and my opinion on the song and why I think it's so good or why I don't think it's ...
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continue reading
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continue reading
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