A few months ago, I received an email from Denny Carlson, a friend from college, who invited my husband and me and others to join him in learning how to tap dance. Denny said it was something he’d always wanted to do. Most of the recipients had “other things going on,” but a few of us said, “OK, I’ll give it a try.”
I didn’t hear from Denny for a few weeks, but finally, he informed us fellow tappers that the lessons were a go and would start Oct. 3.
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On Sept. 6, he shared that he’d received a message from Cathy Marcotte, our instructor at First City Dance, about ordering tap shoes: “Mike and Brenda ordered taps to put on shoes they have,” the message said, “and I ordered an inexpensive pair from Amazon.”
Denny was taking this seriously.
“Got it on my calendar,” I responded, “so it's a real thing now.”
“I am really looking forward to this!!” he answered. I wasn’t sure if I was, but I checked Amazon for tap shoes and placed my order.
Denny followed up a few days later: “Hi Sue, do you have a floor to practice tap on? I bought some laminated, rubber-backed floating flooring that fits together to form a smooth and flat surface. By request, I will be practicing in my shop!” (Denny’s wife Jane, like my husband, had not signed on for tap.)
I found a piece of plywood — about 2-foot-by-3-foot — that would work, at least temporarily. The night of Oct. 2, I tried on my new tap shoes to make sure they fit, checked out a few tutorials on YouTube, and attempted a few shuffles and flaps on my plywood dance floor.
The following morning, Cathy welcomed us to First City Dance and led us into the studio. Wow, mirrors! Not only would I not know what I was doing, but I’d get to watch myself.
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I met Dee Rieffel, who stood ahead of me at the dance barre. We commiserated whenever our feet didn’t quite do what our heads told them to do. Behind me, Mark Christensen and Denny were moving as tentatively as I was, so I didn’t feel out of place anyway.
How many people our age (60s and 70s -- I’m 71) were learning to tap dance? Instead of thinking I was in the wrong place, I started to relax into it; the others relaxed into it, too.
There’s something great about learning something new, especially when you’re past the age at which most people might learn it. And there is something special about being with people who continue to learn new things. Denny’s enthusiasm was not unique in this class. I couldn’t help but notice that it’s hard to tap without smiling. Like eating ice cream or playing a banjo — there is just something innately fun about it.
Denny says a friend had told him that a doctor recommended tap lessons to help him with balance issues. At least three people in the class indicated that balance was an issue for them, and that was part of the motivation for their learning to tap.
Cathy says tap at any age is great for balance, mental stimulation, flexibility, strength and exercise. Most of the people in this class hadn’t had any formal dance training of any kind. (Denny, 77, says his only previous dance experience was “slow dancing with my honey.”)
Marie Olson, 68, had danced with the BHS Jackettes’ dance line 50 years ago, but she says she’s always wanted to learn to tap, so when she heard about the class, she signed up. Last year she’d suffered a serious broken ankle and a bad sprain on her other ankle and was wheelchair-bound for quite a while.
“Both ankles have been very sore and stiff ever since,” she said, “but since I’ve started tapping, they quit hurting!”
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She and Denny both commented on Cathy’s teaching. “Cathy is a very good and patient teacher,” Denny says, but after the second lesson, he commented as we left the studio, “I’m not as good at this as I thought I’d be.”
After daily practice (according to Jane) and two more lessons, he says, “It’s great fun — challenging, frustrating at times, but I’m now even more determined and committed to learning to tap.” He says his balance is improving and he’s discovering muscles that hadn’t been used before.
Cathy says working with seniors is unique. “They don’t take themselves too seriously. They come for exercise and socialization,” but at the same time, “they have tenacity. They want to practice; they want the videos.” She says Dee, who headed to her snowbird destination after our fourth lesson, wants to continue in Florida.
Cathy sends us review videos each week and Dee sends Cathy videos of herself practicing. Dee’s husband made her a tap board for practicing. She writes out “cheat sheets” to help her with the sequences. (I think several of us do that.)
Cathy says the only modification she makes for our group is limiting the hopping and jumping. Other than that, “it’s just a matter of breaking things down.”
She also says seniors keep her honest. “They notice if I mess up. They’re just really ‘in it.’”
With two sessions left of this class, Denny intends to keep going. “I enjoy learning with a group and am looking forward to the day when we can dance synchronized. I want to keep my soul happy and my body moving.”
The Trust Project
