My Lazy Tap Buddy

Last year around my birthday I started Pilates, which I swear is the laziest darned solution for fitness there is. I feel even stronger than when I was doing an intense weight training and I feel more limber than when I was religiously doing yoga three times a week. I carry my body differently and feel stronger in my core -- and everywhere -- than ever before. I decided I'd learn something new each year.

I was open to discovering what this "new year" would bring. I thought maybe guitar lessons, maybe pole dancing! But, when I arrived in London I was inspired to go that very first night to see the musical "Billy Elliott," which has an exhilerating crescendo of a tap scene in it. I was thinking "Ooooooh, this might be it!" Then, synchronistically on the way home from Europe I watched the movie version of "Billy Elliott" and I was then completely sold, and couldn't wait to get my tap shoes! Within days I had my shoes and was signed up for a class!

Then came the surprise: I sucked! I really sucked, and I could see faint traces of concern in my teacher's face. I imagined her thinking "Hmmmm...wonder if this is the first person in the history of mankind who literally can't tap!" I starting thinking that my brain and body might not be able to talk to each other like they used to. That thought turned immediately into feisty passion because I am ready, willing and able to fight the signs of aging! I asked my teacher if there was hope IF I practiced every day. She said (seeming to hope it herself!) "You'll be golden..."

I was worried about practicing alone, though, especially if my feet weren't making the cute, clippy, sharp sounds they should be making. On my way out of my first class the teacher said "Just put on music you can really groove to...." I didn't know if I could bring groove and tap into the same room, but i was determined to get better.

So I rushed home, ran in the door, straight to the CD collection, which is, quite honestly, not the most interesting of CD collections. But, the third one in the stack was my savior and my Lazy Tap Buddy, the master himself....Sammy Davis Jr.!

And, why is he the most super cool of home tap buddies? Because he does this great thing that he's kind of famous for...he starts his songs out really dramatically slow, almost talking and then revs it up -- which is perfect for a beginning tapper. I love Sammy. I love him so much because he makes me WANT to practice and I'm getting better because of him.

Having a buddy is always a lazy solution, but having a super cool buddy is just icing on the lazy cake!