Sticking With The Beat

  If you haven't seen Steve Zee's TED talk on tap you should. You can find it here. He talks about the history of tap and how it is truly American. It's seriously cool and you should watch it.

  I can't tell you what makes tap special. Really, tap is the only form of dance that is truly American-made. It is also one of a handful of styles that have to sound as good as they look. It has a weird appeal to it. I mean really, I do not have the words to explain why it is special, and I consider myself  a wordsmith, but I will tell you what keeps me in my shoes.

 There's this thing about the stage. In the moments before you go on when you are standing in the wings and even in the moments right before the music starts, your brain shuts off. That is the power of the stage. It makes you forget everything your brain once remmebered.
  Everyone might not be looking at you, but it feels like it. They must be, after all why else would the lights feel so warm on your back? Why else would your feet feel heavy? You don't get nervous. It must be the people.
  And then, the music starts.

  Your brain gave up a while ago. We established that in the wings, but here's the cool thing about the silver metal on the bottom of your shoes, they make your legs remember anyway. Your brain might forget what you are supposed to do, but your body remembers the music and does the dance on its own.
  There is something so pure about the first few seconds of a tap dance. That is where you really see the type of dancer someone is. That's when you see how they handle the stage.
The stage can make you or break you and with the added pressure to sound good and look good, it can drive people a little bit crazy, but the good ones? They are the ones who end up icons. They are the Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire's of their generations and they are what continue to make tap great.
  I got into tap because I loved the sound, but I stuck with it because I love the stage. I love seeing people conquer it, and I will never get tired of the pre-show nerves. The day I don't get them is the day I will hang up my taps for good, until then though, I'll stick with my favorite art form.