MY STORY
MAKING NOISE,
One Step at a Time
Not your average tap dancer. Not your average story.
Welcome to the noise, the chaos, the craft.
Bayley Graham is redefining what it means to be a tap dancer in the modern era. Hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand, Bayley first fell in love with tap at the age of seven after seeing it on TV - and he hasn’t stopped since. What started in a local dance studio quickly became a lifelong obsession with rhythm, storytelling, and showmanship.
Known as the “Prince of Tap,” Bayley captivates audiences with his exhilarating speed, magnetic stage presence, and his unique ability to fuse old-school charm with high-voltage modern energy. His performances feel like a conversation between eras—Fred Astaire meets the modern day.
“Tap is alive. It pulses with the past, but it beats with the future. My mission is to create something that honors the roots while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Bayley’s journey has taken him around the world and onto some of the most prestigious stages in entertainment. He reached the Semi-Finals on America’s Got Talent, won the first-ever season of New Zealand’s talent show 60 Seconds, and his viral tap videos have racked up millions of views, catching the attention of celebrities and TV networks worldwide. He’s performed on Italian television in Rome, toured with Postmodern Jukebox, tapped nightly at the Sydney Opera House in Gatsby at the Green Light, and made his UK debut in La Clique at the Edinburgh Fringe and the West End.
From smoky cabaret venues to stages in Yellowstone and arenas back home in New Zealand, Bayley’s style always stands out- bold, cheeky, fast, and full of heart. But beyond the credits and stages, Bayley is, at his core, a craftsman. He builds his own props. Studies daily. Watches old footage of dancers, comedians, painters - anyone who creates with feeling. He doesn’t journal - he taps. An empty studio is his canvas, and when the right music hits, he disappears into rhythm. “It feels almost inhuman,” he says. “Like something bigger is moving through you.”
In addition to his performance career, Bayley is passionate about giving back to the tap community. He teaches workshops around the world, inspiring dancers of all ages to discover the joy and power of tap dance. Bayley is also the founder and director of the upcoming New Zealand Tap Festival, an event aimed at bringing together tap dancers from across New Zealand to celebrate the art form’s past, present, and future. His sell-out show Rhythm is My Business, which he directed and performed in the World Buskers Festival, is a testament to his creativity and vision.
Bayley is deeply inspired by art in all forms - colour, pattern, texture, sound - and he channels that into work that’s unpredictable, theatrical, and impossible to ignore. His shows often feel like stepping into his creative brain: raw, joyous, chaotic in the best way. Whether he's tapping around a drum kit, juggling rhythms mid-air, or inviting the audience to join the beat, he's always chasing one thing - connection.