Tap shoes are a second skin
One that I know I always fit in
As soon as I get the laces tied
I feel a smile on my face
I’m fine
I stand up
Put my hands up
And start a number
Four, five, six, seven, eight
Do a slide
A riff then wait
Drawback times two
A triplet kick through
And then I feel myself levitate
I’m on the tips of my shoes
With nothing to lose
For a moment, the music slips away
And I can feel the night turn to day
Metal and wood breaking dismay
I hear the click and I flap into a rift
And once the song ends
With a double pullback
Ankles bend
I flip out for a wing
Jump then swing
Into a Maxi ford finish
That would make Astaire proud
I have the technique of Bojangles
And Ginger Roger’s sound
Now I take off my shoes
And ignore the pain in my toes
Life puts back her woes
Because for now, I walk down the street
A song in my feet
Still tapping out the moves in my heart
As my heart drums to the beat
***
I’ve danced for about a decade now, and I have always favored tap. I’ve done several workshops and classes in different studios and states, all with different teachers and different dance styles, but nothing quite beats metal shoes. This is a tribute to one of the only styles of dance where your steps add to the music, not just visually but audibly as well.