| Obesity in modern day society, particularly among | | | | synchronise perfectly with the music. |
| young adults and children, is a growing problem. | | | | If you choose to take up tap dancing - or you're |
| Motivating this generation to exercise regularly | | | | a parent who is thinking of encouraging your child |
| instead of spending a significant amount of time in | | | | to take up the hobby - you don't need to worry |
| front of a computer or television is very | | | | about spending a fortune on tap shoes. This is |
| challenging. However, tap dancing is a great way | | | | because you can now buy cheap tap shoes from |
| to encourage this! The chances are there is a | | | | some very high quality brands. Some great tap |
| dance class eager to take on new students not | | | | dance shoe brands include Dance Gear, Roch |
| far from your own home. | | | | Valley, Bloch, Capezio, So Danca and Leo's |
| Unlike drearily jogging around the streets in the | | | | Dancewear. All of these brands have been |
| rain, tap dancing is certainly not monotonous! It | | | | supplying tap dance shoes to dancers for many |
| gives young people - or anybody else for that | | | | years. In fact, Capezio have been supplying dance |
| matter - a great opportunity to learn a new skill | | | | shoes for well over 100 years so they're |
| that will challenge them both mentally and | | | | extremely well versed in understanding the needs |
| physically. It's also a great way to meet new | | | | of the individual dancer. |
| people and make new friends! Much more | | | | Tap shoes are available in a huge choice of |
| interesting than pumping weights in the gym! | | | | colours, fabrics and styles. They're usually made |
| If you have a natural sense of rhythm you'll find | | | | from canvas, soft leather and sometimes PVC. |
| tap dancing particularly fun. This is because its | | | | Canvas and soft leather are the most |
| main focus is making percussive sounds using the | | | | comfortable due to their flexibility but PVC can |
| soles of your shoes that synchronise with the | | | | offer a slightly cheaper alternative if you're not |
| music. This clicking or tapping sound is created by | | | | sure whether you're going to enjoy it. What many |
| a specialist type of shoe called a tap shoe which is | | | | people do who dance as a pastime is have a pair |
| designed specifically for the tap dancer. The soles | | | | of slightly cheaper tap shoes for dance class and |
| of these shoes are relatively rigid and have a | | | | rehearsal, and then a pair of slightly more |
| metal plate called a toe tap attached to the front, | | | | expensive tap shoes to perform in. If you're not |
| and another plate called a heel tap attached to | | | | sure exactly which ones to go for, have a chat to |
| the back. The clicking sound that the tap shoes | | | | your dance teacher who should be able to give |
| make as the dancer moves around the | | | | you some guidance on which tap shoes they like |
| performance space opens creates the potential | | | | their students to use. |
| for some highly exciting dance routines that | | | | |