Tuesday, October 19, 2010

From little tappers big tappers grow.

I've been teaching tap to grown-ups for a long time now, but I didn't start teaching tap-dance to children until my firstborn was 4 years old.  The desire to teach children arrived only after I'd borne children of my own and really wanted them to tap, but the impetus to actually do it came from a couple of my friends, who supported and encouraged me to set up what is now probably the more successful arm of my business.

This picture was taken at the first ever Miss Caroline Tap Dance Kiddie Class.  I had 4 students in all, one of whom was my own Climber, resplendent in his Mr Incredible dress-up. They were all 4 years old.  The two little girls you see here are Squeaky (the blonde) and Pea, and they are the offspring of two of my best friends, Jenny and Astrid from Mothers Group.  These three tiny tappers first 'met' in a Maternal Child Health Centre when they were 6 weeks old and barely able to lift their own heads, so I think I can safely say that they have been friends their whole lives. 

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They are nearly 10 years old now, still close friends, still completely at ease with each other way in a way that makes my heart swell.  I can't tell you how much I hope that their beautiful friendship continues on through their teen years and beyond.

It makes me very happy that they are still tapping together.  This is how they looked on the weekend, nearly 6 years on since their first class, recognisably the same, just taller, and doing much harder stuff with their feet...

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Gorgeous. 

And let's not forget their younger siblings, who were also central to the tale of the Miss Caroline Kids' Classes story.  There came a day when they too were big enough to dance, but not quite big enough to join the original class, who were by this stage older and capable of trickier tapping.  So this photo shows the moment when my school started running two Kid Tap classes, one for school-aged children and one for pre-schoolers.  I love this photo of them, so excited to be doing what they'd watched the bigger kids doing all those years: Squeaky's sister BP, my own Cherub and Pea's sister Roo.  These three are great friends too.

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This was them doing their own special number on the weekend: Happy Feet.  (Excuse my cheesy grin there, it is part of the choreography.)  They were great.

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These days I run four, count 'em, four Childrens Tap Classes and no longer rely solely on my friends to fill the enrolments. (Although the third-borns of both Jenny and Astrid dance in the younger classes.)  I always enjoyed teaching adults and had reservations about whether training kids would be as rewarding -all that crowd control!- but I absolutely love teaching the children.  I am blessed with exceptionally nice students and the joy from working with them every Saturday is only matched by the pride I feel as I see them develop.  The weekend's performance at Station Street really brought that home to me, with every single one of my gorgeous students, but maybe especially for these six tappers who have been with me from the start: Squeaky, Climber, Pea, BP, Cherub and Roo, you rock xx

20 comments:

  1. And they are so lucky to have such an enthusiastic tap teacher! Neat to see how those kids have grown....Climber's going to be a teenager before you know it! A very handsome one I might add!

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  2. Ahh Stomper, you write the BEST feel-good posts, and this one is one of the best!

    Those cute little faces, how could you resist!?

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  3. I love those before & after pics. What a gorgeous lot of tappers.

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  4. Aw there's a tiny tear in my eye!

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  5. Beautiful, all the kids. Just beautiful.

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  6. Lovely! I'm so glad that your son taps as well ... do both of them tap? - sorry I may have missed that ... anyway - keep up the great work!

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  7. Awwwwwh. That's such a special story for everyone involved. (And doesn't Climber look very cool in the recent pic, tapping like a dude.)

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  8. Can hardly see the keyboard through my soppy tears, that was a lovely post. I'm sure they'll be friends forever as we will.
    XX

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  9. From little tapping schools big tapping schools grow... No wonder they come to tap with you. You really look like you are enjoying yourself more than the kids!

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  10. What a sweet post. I loved looking at the kids starting then and now. What a great memories for all!!! Great Job!!!

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  11. I am reeling from the cuteness!

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  12. Our babies are so beautiful and they still love their tapping and their beautiful teacher so much. Trying not to cry on my keyboard. We think you rock too. Friends forever. xxx

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  13. That they are still tapping together six years later is such a testament to you my friend.

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  14. Beautiful post. I too love that ease between genders when they are young. My eleven year old is on the cusp of boys staying mates or pushing them away for fear that her friends think she's 'in love'. I tell her to hang on to her friendships with boys- it's a nice change from her girlfriends cattiness!

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  15. Awwww!! (agree with all the above) - that is a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing and showing such cute photos.

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  16. What a lovely post, it's so great to see the kids still tapping together 6 years on. I hope Petal will still be tapping with that sort of enthusiam in 6 years time.

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  17. Love these "Tapping Posts". I was (and am) the most cack-footed dancer but I think I would've prospered under your tuition...
    Also those friendships children make at Mother's Group...if they stay in the same area they are Very enduring. My eldest, twenty years old, her best buddy was met at a Mother's Group when they were six weeks old (I also remain best buddies with her mother, so I guess that helps too).

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  18. What a gorgeous pictorial record of time.
    Such beautiful children, all!

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