With over 25 years’ experience, I could be described as a hardcore dance instructor who never cancels classes; power outages resulting in no heat and no music is no problem. Wear a ski jacket and dance a cappella (even better to hear the beat). So, after a global pandemic had sidelined my classes, I was eager to dust off my tap shoes and get back to business.
Adults with no previous dance experience who invest in special shoes and courageously plunge into the uncertainty of a new activity are my heroes.
Some have waited all their lives to finally lace up a pair of tap shoes – most too busy working and raising a family to pursue their own interests. Or they have watched their child take class while secretly wishing it was them.
Some adults danced as kids and are finally returning to their passion. I remember watching my mom in the kitchen in her slippers busting into a time step that she had learned some 30 years prior. The step was lurking in her muscle memory ready to emerge at a moment’s notice.
Whatever the circumstances, moving as a group to music is therapy, and it’s never too late to start.
I had an 85-year-old tap student nicknamed Hurricane Louie, a former bush pilot, who came to class each week after his guitar lesson, which took place one floor above the studio. He was a poster boy for brain plasticity by learning new skills.
When Louie died, his wife gave me his tap shoes, which were so long, I contemplated turning them into a planter.
One of my former students returning home from performing arts school for the summer, mentioned he needed to find a pair of tap shoes. He tried on Louie’s, which fit perfectly, and the shoes were brought to life once again.
My main focus as a teacher is working out interesting combinations that incorporate rhythms to different styles of music. Will the step be done to a waltz tempo, or will it be swung? Should I choose Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, a big band standard or a new pop tune?
When choosing themes and music for the shows, I can always count on the adults to bring the choreography alive – their years of life experience really help them get into character. Adult students tend to be the “darlings” of the show… move over tutu-clad toddlers!
One of my adult groups has been tapping together for almost 10 years and they love to perform in the year-end shows. That class has one token male, Pat, the husband of another student.
One day, Pat was approached at the grocery store by an older fellow, “Hey, weren’t you that guy at my granddaughter’s recital that was up onstage tapping with those ladies?”
When Pat proudly nodded his head in affirmation, the guy said, “Balls!” and walked away. Is that how men give each other compliments?
The look in a new student’s eyes is so rewarding when they hear the feedback from the sound of their first cramp roll, and the smiles on their faces that say, “I’m really doing this!”
A trust develops within a group when they realize that, yes, we are vulnerable, but we have nothing to prove or lose. In no time, they are laughing at themselves, rocking out to the music, and proudly admitting only nailing 50 per cent of the exercise. At times, the chemistry and camaraderie are so successful, I can barely get a word in edgewise! Why not? This is all about them!
When I cancelled classes during the height of the pandemic, I asked myself how important tap is to overall happiness. From what I observed after teaching my first post-COVID class, tap definitely brings joy. The general energy in the class was more like that of a party – lots of smiles, laughter, and cautious hugging.
Without prompting, students proudly flashed their vaccine passports and trickled to their favourite spots in front of the mirror. I enforce one rule: masks are to be worn in the change room but optional when dancing.
The students dutifully adhere to the rule but fling off their masks in gay abandon while entering the studio, much like an exotic dancer would a bra – freedom!
A newfound appreciation has been injected into my teaching and for my students. I realize that teaching tap technique will always be an important component, but it pales in comparison to the magical ingredients of positive energy, trust, and fun.
I look forward to standing in front of the mirror, ready to dive into the warm-up while looking into all the eager faces behind me and seeing Danielle in her signature striped leggings and Sharon in her snazzy two-toned tap shoes.
And I never tire seeing the smirks when I say, “Okay, let’s go to the barre!”
Janet Harris is the founder of Creative Roots Performing Arts studio in Smithers, B.C. Her ongoing quest is to teach movement in a way that is engaging, brain-compatible and fun for students young and old. She can be reached at janet@bulkleyriver.com
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Fabulous article by a fabulous dance instructor. Janet is and inspiration to all who know her.