Tap dancing is a style of dance in which a dancer wears shoes with metal on the balls and heels of their feet. Using their feet, tap dancers can create rhythmic beats to dance with. You may have seen tap dance in musical theater productions, jazz, or Broadway shows.

Tap dance is an exciting dance form that anyone can learn. Sure, you need to learn the basic steps, but once you learn those, you can mix and match them to create a variety of dance moves. Once you learn those basic steps, it’s pretty hard to forget them! 

In tap dance, you don’t just dance to music—you are the music! You can tap dance acapella or with music, but tap dance revolves around you creating beats yourself. Not only can you create complex sounds with just your feet, but you can also improve your rhythm skills. 

Tap dance also improves balance and coordination. Whether jumping on one foot, balancing on the balls of your foot, or simply tapping an intricate array of steps quickly, tap dance teaches you how to control your body to your own whims. 

The best part of tap dance is its accessibility. All you need is tap shoes and a type of wooden board or floor to tap on. Even if you don’t have tap shoes, you can still learn and practice steps with your shoes on a regular floor. There is a wide variety of tap dance tutorials on YouTube or the internet, many with no cost. For those seeking tutorials about tap dancing, one YouTube account I’d recommend is “Beginner Dance Tutorials”—they have tons of great free tap dance lessons paired with popular contemporary music. 

Last reason: It’s fun! What else can I say? I’ve been tapping for years, and it’s been one of my favorite hobbies that’s stuck with me forever. Why don’t you learn tap as well?

One of my favorite tap dance videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4FYNF02yEM