You can hear the music when you walk up North Street in Brighton, and when you finally reach Bond Street, you will finally see where the music is coming from. A man wearing a worn-out wizard’s robe smiling and tap-dancing away.
Steve Parry or Po is a performing artist based in Brighton & Hove. He has been in the field for over 20 to 30 years performing in festivals. Although he has always enjoyed dancing, he only started learning tap dancing about two years ago. He says he has never truly learned dancing but when he hears a sound, he can work patterns with his feet.
Po says that Brighton has embraced him as an artist, but if he wants to advance and perform on a stage, he must expand his repertoire. He cannot afford the equipment he needs to grow as an artist because of his struggle to manage his bills in light of the rising cost of living. He says, “ I want to perform on a stage but I am not loud enough. I need electronics under my feet. I can create a whole show using my feet but I would have to spend money buying electronics.”
