Is Tap Dance Easy?

Published on December 13th 2018 by Hillary-Marie

Nope! But that is NOT something to be discouraged by...

My early struggles in tap dance (1:03)

Tap dance didn’t come naturally or comfortably to me and I struggled with the dance from day one. I was attracted to it because it made sense to me. Musically it clicked because I played drums as a kid in school, but in terms of putting on tap shoes and moving, I was on the struggle bus! For every 1 hour that another dancer practiced, I had to practice 10 just to be on the same playing field. This was my truth for so many years, but I’m glad that it happened that way because that struggle made me passionate about the art of practicing. 

One of the reasons I love the dance and continue to love it more each and every day is because it’s so challenging. I never stop learning and because of that tap dance has afforded me something so special and invaluable and that is a lifelong opportunity to grow. 

What makes tap dance challenging? (2:20)

• Coordination
• Comprehension
• Strength
• Technical intricacies
• Musicality
• Listening skills
• Picking up and retaining choreography

Every time I learn something, there’s more to learn and I feel challenged mentally and physically while tap dancing.

When is the last time you were at the beginner level? (2:50)

About five years back, I had a physics teacher join my adult beginner tap class and he told me every year he tries a new hobby to remind him of what it’s like to learn from scratch so he can be empathetic to his students. It was such a beautiful idea to me!  But it wasn’t until I started doing martial arts, learning Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that I was reminded what it was like to learn something from square one: technique, vocabulary, etiquette, culture. 

Change your perspective (3:45)

If you ever have a day that you’re saying to yourself, “Wow, this is really hard,” I encourage you to change your perspective and say, “How lucky am I to be challenged today?”

I want to hear from you! (5:25)

What aspects of tap dance are challenging for you? Which challenge is most exciting for you? Please share in the comments and don’t forget that I always write back! I truly look forward to reading your thoughts.

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