Ashley Mo

Tap Club members learn the Shim Sham, a classic tap routine. The Shim Sham was first introduced by tap dancers Willie Bryant and Leonard Reed in 1928.

Tap Club president Sanaa Bhorkar (11) introduced four members to a tap combination called the Shim Sham in the dance room on Thursday during long lunch. 

Sanaa started off by going over the basic steps, like shuffling, the crossover and the dance’s main stomp-brush-step movement, where tappers rock back and forth while alternating feet. Tap Club members initially followed her footwork to the rhythm of her counts, and after a few rounds of practice, they were able to complete the routine from start to end at a faster tempo. 

Tap Club and Harker Dance Company member Yasmin Sudarsanam (11), who is new to tap, enjoyed learning new routines like the Shim Sham.

“I think it’s fun learning something I’ve never done before,” Yasmin said. “It’s great being able to tap with people who have done tap for their whole lives and people who’ve never done it before. I’d love to build upon what we’ve already learned in Tap Club and hopefully come back next year and do more complicated movements.”

Tap dancers Willie Bryant and Leonard Reed choreographed the Shim Sham in 1928, and to this day, it is often dubbed “tap dance’s national anthem.” Originally performed as a show finale or encore, the Shim Sham involves the entire cast dancing together. Sanaa believes that knowing the combination is a great way to bond with other tappers, and she hopes to teach members more moves with upcoming meetings.

“It’s good to have the [Shim Sham] combo in your back pocket, just to solidify yourself as a tapper,” Sanaa said. “I want to open up more opportunities in the future to anyone, however they like to tap, and just get everyone’s styles together.”

Sanaa founded Tap Club last year after noticing the lack of tap dancers in Harker’s dance production. Now, the club is an inclusive space where members can come in and dance, regardless of prior experience or skill level. 

Club adviser and upper school dance teacher Jill Yager commended the club’s officers for promoting tap dance in the Harker community, especially since the dance has decreased in prominence in mainstream media compared to its past popularity.

“I grew up tapping my whole life, where I was fortunate enough to be at a studio where tap was a big deal,” Yager said. “Tap has kind of lost its importance over time, at least as far as the education aspect of it. The fact that there is a Tap Club at Harker, I love the fact that there’s enough students here that are interested in it and want to do it.”