Tap Dancing Times

There are so many dance enthusiasts in the world, but how many of them tap dance? Not many to say the least. Tap dancing is slowly fading out in some parts of the world, with less recognition in media, music trends changing, the difficulty of the dance, and the new age of vitality.  In the past, we saw huge movie industries like Hollywood showcasing tap dance in their musicals. Families would gather around the television or go to the movie theaters to see many popular actors and actresses. Some popular movies include Singin' in the Rain and White Nights, and some famous celebrities like Shirley Temple, Gregory Hines, and The Nicolas Brothers. As time went on, seeing this dance style in Hollywood movies became less common. The fewer people who saw it, the fewer people who knew about it and gained interest in dancing tap. Now we see the surge in many musicals where tap dancing is still thriving.  Music trends change as quickly as ever in the modern-day world. Tap is usually see...

In many dance studios, wearing a leotard and tights is a requirement that is enforced for all dance styles. But, as a tap dancer, is this required?  While some dancers may enjoy wearing a tight piece of fabric on their bodies to dance, others may not. They can feel uncomfortable and exposed. Leotards and tights had become a staple in many dance studios because they allowed for flexibility and no unnecessary clothing getting in the way. This is also a way to make dancers look cohesive and bond together (Source: A Dance Place) . This is popular especially in dance styles like ballet and contemporary, where the expression of body movement is heavily stressed.  When it comes to tap dancing specifically, it is a dance that requires sounds made by the feet. Most of the steps that we do are more of an expression through sound than body movements. Upper body movement is not used most when dancing tap.  Personally, when I was dancing in studios, even from a young age, tap dancers ...

AI Generated Image That one screw that is always loose No matter how many times I tighten it with a screwdriver, it falls loose every single time. I just know that it will start rattling in the middle of my next performance.  Finding a good tap floor You can’t just tap dance anywhere. Marley and Hardwood are the only two I can accept. Concrete? Don’t even talk to me.  Different Tap Styles People who don’t tap dance or dance don’t even know that there are different styles of tap dance; they usually think it is one thing. However, I consider three main styles: Rhythm Tap (Jazz), Broadway, and Hoofing.  Others do not understand what its sound overlooks.  When I was younger and danced in front of my family, my cousins would always say that it looked weird when I tapped. While other styles of dance show expression through movement, in tap, we show through sounds.  Tapping unconsciously  Sometimes I'll be walking like a normal person, and the next thing you know,...

Finding Tap Dancing Companies Finding companies that just take tap dancers is such a hassle. I have called practically hundreds and thousands of places, and only 2-3 said they would take just tap dancers for their company. I was so exhausted by the end of my search, which took countless weeks, just to find three companies that were willing to take me.  For context, around this time of auditioning, I have had more than 10 years of tap dancing experience as a teenager, and have never done any other dance besides tap. I also lived in a suburban area, next to two big industrialized cities. My goal was to find a dance studio with a company that was willing to take just tap dancers.  To my surprise, I didn't realize how difficult this was. I didn't expect it to be so hard to find studios and companies, considering that I lived in a populated area. To make it any worse, as I was calling, I found companies that didn't even compete in tap dancing or have tap dancing lessons in gener...

How to break into tap shoes.  The thrill of opening the box of a new pair of tap shoes is just unmatched. The urge to just wear them and dance to your heart's desires.  But you can’t. Not yet at least.  Different types of tap shoes have longer or shorter breaking in periods. For example, the Jason Samuel Smith tap shoes take way less time than the Miller & Bens. There is no set way and instructions to break into your tap shoes, but here are some suggestions I have.  Jumping on the balls of your feet.  For this tip, you just need to jump slightly on the balls of your feet or your toes. This helps with breaking into the upper part of the shoe as well as getting a feel for them. This can be done repeatedly for as long as needed to feel comfortable.  Paddle combo (or any simple combo that includes just the toe, heel) Simple tap combinations are one of the best ways to break into tap shoes. It allows for all the parts of the shoes to be put into use. You can...

3/5/2025: Anyone Can Tap Dance - Creative Writing Post Disclaimer: No hate on ballet dancers, I have respect for y'all. No hate on children or their parents and no hate on anything that is mentioned in this writing. This is just a short creative writing piece that I wanted to publish. The sounds of metal hitting the wooden floors are like music to their ears; in fact, it is. Their heart, blood, soul, sweat, and tears are put in to create the rhythmic patterns of countless steps being put together to create a masterpiece of music and dance combined. The sweat rolls down their forehead as they master a combination until they are satisfied with what they hear. They yearn for it, they live for it, they love every second of it, it's in their blood, and they keep coming back for more. This is the life of a tap dancer in a studio. Tap dancing isn’t just an activity for parents to put their little children in so they don’t make noise at home anymore. But for anyone of any age, of any b...