THE HISTORY OF MY HAPPY FEET
by Susan Stanley-Witt
My feet are my musical instrument. A kind of percussion instrument. Loud and soft, fast and slow, slaps of metal on a wooden floor. Clickety clack, clickety clack. I do tap dance or Steptanz as it is called in German. Tap shoes have metal plates screwed into the sole of the shoe under the heel and the toe. It took getting used to, the loud noises the plates made. I was sure everyone could hear my mistakes, which of course they could. As my confidence grew, I became less and less concerned that the others could hear my steps, and my sound became fuller. It is a wonderful feeling when you can literally hear confidence.
I grew up watching Shirley Temple dance with Bill“ Bojangles” Robinson and later Singing In the Rain with Gene Kelly. I guess these musicals made such an impression on me that when I made my bucket list, right before my fiftieth birthday, learning to tap dance was at the top.
Tap dance was created in the United States but is based on African-American and Irish Dance traditions: Juba dance, Irish clog dance, and the Irish jig. This mixture of styles began in the mid-seventeenth century but didn’ t become popular until the mid-nineteenth century. Up until the late twentieth century, experts thought this mixture came about when enslaved Africans came into contact with Irish indentured servants on the plantations. Currently, experts believe this exchange of dance styles was born in New York City’ s slum neighborhoods where families lived in very crowded quarters. Dance battles were also very popular in the mid-to-late 1800s, allowing people to learn from each other. Jazz, which also originated in the United States, is often associated with tap dance. The dancers and musicians learning from and creating rhythms for each other. A small note: Irish dance is not tap dance and tap dance is not Irish dance.
Unfortunately, tap dance is not very popular in Germany, although almost every stage show or musical will have a tap number in it. Musical students are also taught to tap dance.
From my humble tap beginnings, I have worked my way up to three lessons a week. I now also do improvisation, meaning I have to listen to the music, usually jazz, and come up with the steps myself. I encourage everyone to make a bucket list and to start living your dreams. Whether it be learning to tap dance or jumping out of an airplane. I am very, very happy I started tapping away! Clickety clack!
CURRENTS 17