Tappa Tappa Tappa

The dance school where my daughter has been dancing since 2007 is offering adult beginner tap lessons this year. I'm seriously contemplating taking lessons.

A few years ago, I decided to try a tap dancing class. I bought the shoes and went to several classes. I ended up dropping the class because it was NOT a beginner class, and I just couldn't keep up. I was almost always lost, and it was a performing class; meaning you'd be in the recital. I'm hoping with a beginner class, I won't feel so uncoordinated. I'm assuming it's a non-performing class as well, so I won't have mountains of pressure.

The timing of the class is darn near perfect, too. It's during my daughter's last class of the night, so I'd HAVE to go to the studio anyway, I'd just have to leave earlier for my class.

Since my daughter has been dancing there so long, I know lots of other people from the studio, including some who are also thinking of, or already committed to taking the class. I won't be alone, lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces. There are so many pros that I'm pretty sure my decision is made.

Ahhh, but the cons. The more glaringly obvious questions are whether I have the stamina and balance to take tap lessons. Will my tingling legs interfere with tapping? Will my fatigue keep me home? Will I cramp more? I suppose it will be a matter of trial and error. I'll just have to see if my body can do it.

I have always wanted to be able to tap dance. I don't know what it is about tap dancing that it holds such a fascination for me, but I love it. Maybe it's from watching all the Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye musicals as a kid, I don't know. Do I expect to be even as good as the bad dancers from those musicals? Not a chance in Hades!

When we did The Great Purge earlier this year, I had my tap shoes in my hand to donate. The reason I kept them as long as I did was because I thought I'd pass them along to my daughter when her class switched over to tap oxfords. Little did I know back then that her shoe size would be way beyond my shoe size by the time her class went to oxfords. But, I kept them, for no good reason, actually.

Except that maybe in the back of my mind, or deep in my heart I was hoping that the studio would offer beginner classes.

So, here we are, looking forward to another year of dance, only this year (hopefully, maybe), I won't be just a dance Mom*. I'll be a dancer. Sort of. Okay, well, even if I'm not an actual dancer (meaning if I'm truly awful at dancing), I won't be just sitting on the sidelines.

I'm reminded of an episode of Friends (season 1, episode 21) when Monica had her credit card stolen. The woman who stole her credit card signed up for tap lessons, and naturally Monica wanted to go to the studio to see the woman living a life more interesting than hers on her credit card. At the end of the episode, the teacher says to Monica, “You're doing it wrong”!

Monica replies, “Yeah, but I'm doing it”!

I imagine that's much how my dancing will go.

*Oh, and for those of you familiar with reality TV, I'm not that kind of dance Mom. I happen to have a daughter who dances, ergo, I'm a dance Mom.