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A Letter from Frances: Our Film Is Here

A Letter from Frances: Our Film Is Here

Friend of Tapology,

The trailer for our documentary, Matters of the He(A)rt, is out now. It opens where every dancer begins, with rhythm, drawing a line from the beat of the human heart to the turning of the universe, and showing tap dance as the visual language of that pulse. From there it tells the hardest chapter of my father’s story, his survival of an aortic dissection that left him on life support last year. I remember the day I got the call. I remember the fear our family carried that he would not come home.

What our family lived through last year was a tragedy, and this film is how we are turning it into triumph. My father, Bruce Bradley, gave four decades of his life to this community, bringing the training he earned on Broadway home to Flint so that children here would never have to leave to find excellence. The documentary measures legacy by what a person leaves inside others, and it captures the day he received a key to the city of Flint.

“Approaching his 76th birthday, he calls every day a gift, and that is why we call it the present.”

Frances Bradley, Acting CEO and Artistic Director

Stepping in to lead Tapology as Acting CEO while he recovers has been one of the great honors of my life. I get to carry forward the work he built, alongside a community that held our family up when we needed it most. When you watch the film, I hope you feel your own pulse and remember what a heartbeat is for.

See the Whole Film

We are screening Matters of the He(A)rt: Roots and Rhythm on Friday, July 31, in Flint, at the University of Michigan-Flint, on the closing day of our Summer Tap Intensive. Seats are limited, so reserve yours below.

Register before July 17

Step Further Into the Story

There is one more way to step into this story. Our Summer Tap Intensive runs July 27 through 31 at the University of Michigan-Flint, with a faculty that includes Maurice Chestnut, Brinae Ali, Parris Mann, Jason Janas, Sarah Savelli, Clara Reyes, Natasha Graham, and me. Registration and scholarship applications close July 17.

  • Summer Tap Intensive:
    July 27–31, 2026
    University of Michigan-Flint
    Register a dancer

Watch the trailer, then meet us on the 31st.

With rhythm and gratitude,
Frances Bradley
Acting CEO and Artistic Director, Tapology

About Tapology

Tapology, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of tap dance through performance, education, and community outreach. Founded by Alfred “Bruce” Bradley in 2001, Tapology has served as a cultural beacon in Flint for more than two decades. 2026 marks the organization’s 25th anniversary season.

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