One of the highlights of Taking It To The Streets, the Overload Festival poetry pub crawl on Friday night will be South Australian poet Jenny Toune, possibly the only tap-dancing poet in the world. Yes, we said tap dancing!

Jenny will be performing at Southpaw on Friday night as part of the pub crawl, and also at Poetic Riffs on Saturday. We’re thinking Fred Astaire meets Def Poetry Jam, but on fire. The mind boggles! Come and see Jenny on stage and find out!

Poetry and dance: how are they different lovers?
When I’m with poetry I can put my feet up!
Are you avoiding having to choose?
Between lovers? Why can’t I have 2?
Which artform most makes the world a better place?
The art of silence …
Are you avoiding that question as well?
Well …
Do people back away from you when you divulge your secret identity as a tap-dancing poet?
Only when they’ve had a good laugh.
What do you think makes them back away more: the tap-dancing or the poems?
Neither – it’s my fuzzy red hair & the manic look in my eyes
What will you be doing at Overload Poetry Festival?
Trying to keep the fuzz out of my eyes so I don’t fall off the stage while attempting to tap dance & recite poetry at the same time
What will you secretly be doing at Overland Poetry Festival while you think nobody is watching?As above (Q7) – I have a real co-ordination problem!
How does the Melbourne Poetry scene differ to that in South Australia?
More reprobates to have a beer with.
Will you be back here soon?
Depends on the number of beers they buy me.

Jenny Toune was a professional dancer both in Australia and overseas for fifteen years. Becoming hooked on the rhythms of poetry five years ago, she has recently been performing her work at open mic sessions in Adelaide and Melbourne. She was an SA Finalist in the 2008 Poetry Slam on ABC Radio National and has appeared at Wordfire as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Jenny’s publications include Friendly Street Reader’s #32, and #33, the Max Harris Poetry Award Anthology 2007 and Paroxysm Press’ Ten Years of Things That Didn’t Kill Us.

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