Crazy For Tapping

My first dance recital photo (age 6)

A little less than two years ago I discovered an adult tap class in Ada (about an hour from my house) and started to spend my Thursday nights (usually after driving all over creation for work) at the Chickasaw Nation Dance Studio tapping my little heart out again. I had danced as a child and always loved tap the most. After I stopped taking classes as a freshman in high school I would still paradiddle in front of the microwave or in an elevator.

One week I mentioned I would miss class the next week because I would be in New York. He suggested that I take my shoes and take a class there and he'd get me all the information. He didn't, however I stepped WAY out of my comfort zone, looked up drop in dance studios (just like in Center Stage) and found myself in a tap class on 45th street in the heart of Manhattan.

I loved every minute of it. It was exhausting and my legs felt like jelly at the end, but it was amazing.

After that whenever I would travel I would throw in the shoes and some dance clothes and pick up a class.

I wasn't able to take at the studio this year because of stage managing Little Women, but I've kept up classes when I travel (except London, because I was there for such a short period of time).

Crazy For You is not only a dance-ical it is a tap-ical. There is so much tap. And it makes my heart very happy. Being friends with the choreographer and assistant choreographer they both told me to tap in the show which I thanked them no because dancing in a show and stage managing is awful (yes I've done it before) and because I have ZERO desire to wear a showgirl costume!

However, I did decide that I would learn the choreography along with them, just for fun. I had planned to do this when I stage managed Mary Poppins (we had one tap number in that one), but we did the show with tracks instead of a live orchestra so I was confined to the sound booth running music. Thanks to our beautiful accompanist Michelle I am tapping my little heart out!

We've had three choreography rehearsals so far and I'm thrilled to keep up with the 'real' dancers (although I decided the kicks and booty walking on the floor was beyond my current abilities!). I think it's also been helpful because we've had people with conflicts so I've just stepped into their places (kind of like a swing performer) so the girls (and boy!) are still getting the idea of their formations.

Thus, I have declared myself the stage managing rehearsal dance swing...