"Tapping for Health & Fitness"

[BinkieBaumont]

"I'm considering learning to "Tap Dance" I do walk an awful lot but need to get my heart rate up a tad, does anyone tap?, how easy is it to learn?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Tommy Tune is all legs, isn't he?


.

 

[Miss Sis]

Binks, I started learning tap as an adult. I didn't find it difficult but then I've danced all my life doing ballet anyway, so??????? [huh]

I did a couple of years/grades and only stopped as I moved the UK and couldn't find any classes locally.

It was great fun. Be nice to take it up again if I wasn't so darned busy already.

 

["Skeet" McD]

It's never too late!

Dear Binkie,
More of an anecdote than an answer...but I hope it will encourage you.

I was...always a strange lad, with strange interests: like--well, all THIS stuff--and, as a young teenager had more friends above 60 than under 20. One of them, Jim Boyle (God rest his soul!) was a hard-handed working man; his father had been the town blacksmith, and like many Irish/Irish-American families at the time, had a "family band." Jim wanted desperately to play piano...but piano was already covered by one of his sisters, so he was forced to play fiddle, which he stopped as soon as he could get away with it. A true man of his time, he also adored the big movie musicals and wanted to learn to tap-dance...but, as I said: he was a working stiff, and had neither time nor money.

When he retired at 65....God bless him, he went and learned to do both. I'm not going to tell you that you would have mistaken him for either Fred Astaire nor Liberace...but he played (I'm a professional musician, and enjoyed playing with him)...and danced. It was really quite something to see: he participated in all the dance recitals of our little local dance school. There were the 4 year olds; and the 8 year olds; and the 12 year olds; and the 16 year olds....and then there was Jim. He had more fun in those last years of his life than in all the rest I think, and (unlike many of us) he actually pursued not one, but two, boyhood dreams.

If Jim Boyle could do it at 65 and up, I'm sure you can, as well...if you want to, and if you're prepared to ENJOY whatever you can do, and not sweat the fact that you probably won't be mistaken for Fred Astaire, either.

And, Heaven knows....it IS good exercise. I bet you'll surprise yourself, and I for one hope you'll give it a whirl.

Sincerely,
"Skeet"

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Thanks Miss Sis and Skeet. for your encouragement , I really think I will, I watched the Directors cut of Ken Russel's "The Boyfriend" over the weekend, some wonderful routines. there was talk at the time that Twiggy and Tommy tune would make a follow up set on a 1930's ocean liner!!!!!

And what a delight Barbara Windsor is She even "taps!" there is also a wonderful "Najinsky" fantasy balet scene that i didn't remember from the movie release in 1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWUWDqXc0ZI 1971 movie trailer!!!!!!!!!


http://www.learmedia.ca/product_info.php/cPath/14/products_id/1589

 

["Skeet" McD]

Thanks Miss Sis and Skeet. for your encouragement , I really think I will

Good one yez, Binkie! Make sure, when you get a bit along, you post some video of one of your routines...and until then, let us know how you get along.

"Skeet"

 

[Peaceful John]

If good tap instruction is difficult to find, there's always flamenco.

 

[JennyLou]

I heard a good way to get healthy through dance is by belly dancing. I want to try this out as soon as I can.

 

[Tomasso]

You'll need shoes.

"Closeup of dancer Fred Astaire's hands holding his tap shoes while displaying the standard toe & heel plates with the addition of a loosely imbedded steel washer which clinks however lightly the heel is dropped on the floor. (Photo by Bob Landry//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)"

 

[chanteuseCarey]

When I took tap in junior college and when the kids did when they were younger, they never had washers imbedded. I think perhaps this was something unique that Fred did, or maybe they only used to do that many many years ago. Normally its just heel and toe taps.

BinkieB, you'd probably have a GREAT time taking tap!! Also consider taking Ballroom Dance lessons too- we're all ballroom dancers here, and its great for exercise. I'm sure you've seen the Baz Luhrman film "Strictly Ballroom"...

"Closeup of dancer Fred Astaire's hands holding his tap shoes while displaying the standard toe & heel plates with the addition of a loosely imbedded steel washer which clinks however lightly the heel is dropped on the floor. (Photo by Bob Landry//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)"

 

[Miss Sis]

'Jingle' Taps, as those above are often called are seen as 'cheating' a bit in tap as they create extra sound not actually made by the tapper.

When I was learning we weren't allowed them.

 

[Tomasso]

'Jingle' Taps, as those above are often called are seen as 'cheating'

He also filed his taps.

"Actor/dancer Fred Astaire filing smooth the metal of tap on a dance shoe as he sits next to a pile of 34 of his 84 paris of dancing shoes at home. "

(Photo by Bob Landry//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

 

[Miss Sis]

Hmmmm. I wonder what difference that makes?

 

[pretty faythe]

Tap was one of the parts of dance I had in high school, I loved it. Hmm, wonder if I can find a class out here that caters to all ages. something to do with the youngins.

 

[Tomasso]

Hmmmm. I wonder what difference that makes?

It's the shoes.

 

[Miss Sis]

So filing the taps on your shoes....... makes you fly????