Rick Ausland is a co-founder of the Minneapolis-based dance and music company Buckets and Tap Shoes (MN Fringe Favorite 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014; Minneapolis City Pages “Best Dance Performance 2005”). He was a featured guest on A Prairie Home Companion, was nominated for a 2013 SAGE Award for “Outstanding Performer," and has performed in over 35 of the 50 states and internationally. In the Twin Cities, Rick has had the honor of performing at the Cowles Center for Performing Arts (Buckets and Tap Shoes’ DREAMS, Twin Cities Tap Festival 2017, 2018, & 2019), the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio, the Fitzgerald Theater, the First Avenue Mainroom (2005, 2006, 2007), the Dakota Jazz Club, the Lab Theater, the Minnesota State Fair, and many other venues. Rick has choreographed and taught dance throughout Minnesota (Lundstrum Performing Arts, Children’s Theatre, Main Street School for Performing Arts, Perpich Center for Arts Education, the St. Paul Conservatory, Zenon) and abroad (Austria, Ecuador, Finland, Malta, and Russia). He is a graduate of Larkin Dance Studio and the Perpich Center for Arts Education (Media Arts Major) and has more than 20 years of experience in sound design and board operation, lighting design, film production, photography, and event management. In the last 5 years, Rick designed sound for more than 300 events throughout Minnesota. Rick serves as the technical director of Sparkle Theatricals, and is the host of the Have Tap Shoes Will Travel podcast.