You know I think tap dance is the best dance, so today let's talk about how to know you're a tap dancer. I'd argue that if you tap, you're a tap dancer, but maybe that's not good enough. Maybe you're taking different types of dance classes and don't "feel" like a tapper. Or maybe you're a grownup student who doesn't really feel like a part of our big friendly tap fam. How do you know if you're a tap dancer? Here are some signs you're a true tapper.
You know you're a tap dancer when...
1. You know tap shoes aren't necessary to tap. You're happy to tap anywhere in any shoes - or no shoes at all.
2. Fact: Once you’re a tap dancer, you can never stop moving your feet. If you're in school, your teacher has to tell you to stop tap dancing under your desk. If you're a grownup, you tap dance while waiting in line - basically any time other adults are standing still.
3. When someone says buffalo you don’t think of the animal or the spicy wing sauce... you think of tapping! Similarly, when someone says wings, you don't think of birds or of happy hour.
4. You count along with music without even thinking about it and you can always find the "1" - or the 8 or the 4. And when you love a song, you're probably going to start choreographing in your head.
5. Window shopping tap shoes is your jam. There are so many tap shoes out there beyond your basic black Bloch or Capezio oxfords! You may not be ready to buy a pair of custom Miller & Bens or K360s, but it's so fun to see what is out there!
6. You've had to smile politely and cringe inwardly more than once while watching friends or family flip and flop their feet around while saying "Look, I can tap dance, too!"
7. You can't help judging every floor based on how good it would be to tap on and every room based on the acoustics. You know that sprung hardwood is the best of the best.
8. The hairspray in your dance bag isn't just for your hair! Slippery floors and no rosin? No problem. Just spray your taps, let them dry, and dance your heart out.
9. You also always have a screwdriver in your dance bag because you never know when you'll need to tighten your taps or help out with someone else's tap shoes.
10. You've "kissed" your ankle with your tap and you know JUST how bad that feels. You've sported a long-lasting tap-inflicted bruise before.
11. Tappers are dancers? Absolutely. But you also consider yourself a musician. You are a percussionist, after all! The only difference between a tap dancer and a drummer is that we make music with our feet.
12. You know how to jam. Improv is a part of every good tap curriculum, and you've done your fair share of circling up and busting out some spur of the moment combos. Maybe improv isn't your favorite thing to do in the dance studio, but you understand that it's important.
13. You've learned (or at trying to learn) the BS Chorus, the shim sham, or other famous tap routines that are a part of tap history.
So, how many of these did you find relatable? What would you add?
Want to learn to tap dance? Christa Terry teaches kid, teen, and adult tap classes at Dance Enthusiasm in Salem, MA! More info on her upcoming summer schedule: http://www.danceenthusiasm.org/summer/
Whether you've never put on a pair of tap shoes or you want to get back into tap dancing, whether you're 8 or 80, Christa knows you can do it!
You know you're a tap dancer when...
1. You know tap shoes aren't necessary to tap. You're happy to tap anywhere in any shoes - or no shoes at all.
2. Fact: Once you’re a tap dancer, you can never stop moving your feet. If you're in school, your teacher has to tell you to stop tap dancing under your desk. If you're a grownup, you tap dance while waiting in line - basically any time other adults are standing still.
3. When someone says buffalo you don’t think of the animal or the spicy wing sauce... you think of tapping! Similarly, when someone says wings, you don't think of birds or of happy hour.
4. You count along with music without even thinking about it and you can always find the "1" - or the 8 or the 4. And when you love a song, you're probably going to start choreographing in your head.
5. Window shopping tap shoes is your jam. There are so many tap shoes out there beyond your basic black Bloch or Capezio oxfords! You may not be ready to buy a pair of custom Miller & Bens or K360s, but it's so fun to see what is out there!
6. You've had to smile politely and cringe inwardly more than once while watching friends or family flip and flop their feet around while saying "Look, I can tap dance, too!"
7. You can't help judging every floor based on how good it would be to tap on and every room based on the acoustics. You know that sprung hardwood is the best of the best.
8. The hairspray in your dance bag isn't just for your hair! Slippery floors and no rosin? No problem. Just spray your taps, let them dry, and dance your heart out.
9. You also always have a screwdriver in your dance bag because you never know when you'll need to tighten your taps or help out with someone else's tap shoes.
10. You've "kissed" your ankle with your tap and you know JUST how bad that feels. You've sported a long-lasting tap-inflicted bruise before.
11. Tappers are dancers? Absolutely. But you also consider yourself a musician. You are a percussionist, after all! The only difference between a tap dancer and a drummer is that we make music with our feet.
12. You know how to jam. Improv is a part of every good tap curriculum, and you've done your fair share of circling up and busting out some spur of the moment combos. Maybe improv isn't your favorite thing to do in the dance studio, but you understand that it's important.
13. You've learned (or at trying to learn) the BS Chorus, the shim sham, or other famous tap routines that are a part of tap history.
So, how many of these did you find relatable? What would you add?
Happy tapping!
Want to learn to tap dance? Christa Terry teaches kid, teen, and adult tap classes at Dance Enthusiasm in Salem, MA! More info on her upcoming summer schedule: http://www.danceenthusiasm.org/summer/
Whether you've never put on a pair of tap shoes or you want to get back into tap dancing, whether you're 8 or 80, Christa knows you can do it!
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