10 Reasons to Tap Dance
1. Musicality
Tap dance teaches music theory, how to find rhythms, hold a steady tempo, and how to connect with music on a deeper and more meaningful level. Musicality carries over into ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, etc., so even if tap isn’t your favorite or your “thing”, the musicality learned can be applied to the styles you love most!
2. Timing
Tap dance teaches how to stay on beat and hear the subtleties in music in a way that other dance styles often do not focus on, yet when applied to every style of dance, will make the performance noticeably better.
3. Patterns and Attention to Detail
Memorizing patterns and picking up on all the intricacies of tap dance is good for the student’s brains. It teaches students to pick up choreography faster, which is beneficial for all styles.
4. Coordination
Because of all the different things happening at once, along with the complicated movements (often having each foot executing a different step simultaneously or alternately), tap teaches a coordination of body and articulation of the feet that is invaluable for dancers.
5. Culture and History
Tap dance is an African American art form with an extremely interesting and important history. To be a dancer without acquiring knowledge about this part of dance history and Black history is a sadly missed opportunity and a disservice to the dancer. In tap class they learn tap dance history and appreciation, thus being careful not to whitewash the dancer’s education.
Fun fact: Despite what many believe, ballet is actually NOT the foundation of all dance. (Which gives hope to those who struggle in ballet)
6. Muscle Building
Tap dance strengthens muscles that are often overlooked in other styles of dance, such as the Tibialis Anterior muscle. Strengthening the front muscle of the shin can help to prevent knee injuries, improve balance and coordination, stretch, and lengthen the Achilles tendon and calf muscle - reducing pain in the shins, knees, and lower legs. All while increasing the ability to flex/invert the foot. Certainly, useful for dancers of all styles.
7. Tap Dancers are more Employable
In the professional dance world, where ballet & contemporary dancers are a dime a dozen, having tap experience is an amazing way to set oneself apart from the sea of other dancers at audition, not to mention many professional dance gigs require tap, such as The Rockettes, and many Broadway shows.
8. Creativity
Tap dance promotes creativity and out of the box thinking. There is ALWAYS something new to learn, or a new way to approach a step or rhythm to make it more advanced. The possibilities of what one can create are endless!
Tap dance also puts heavy emphasis on improvisation. They will learn to be comfortable and creative with their improv in tap class, which is also a valuable skill to have for contemporary and jazz.
9. Tap Teaches Patience
Because tap dance is so involved, it may take longer to learn and master this art form in comparison to other dance styles. It teaches students to start slowly and work their way toward their goals, how to problem solve, and how to practice.
Often students who struggle in other dance styles excel in tap because it is so different, which is a nice confidence booster. On the flip side, sometimes dancers who excel in, or are naturally gifted in other styles, struggle with tap. For those dancers, tap dance is character building. It keeps them humble and gives them the chance to work hard at something that doesn’t come as easily/naturally.
10. Tap is fun!
I think this one is self-explanatory. 😊