Tippity-tap

Rebecca Dunney

It’s just one of those old-school things which looks and sounds like a whole bunch of fun.

And if you want to learn how to tap dance, you can do so right here in Mammoth.

Rebecca Dunney, 19, a transplant from Riverside, teaches tap every Thursday from 3-5 p.m. at Le Centre Dance Studio (760.924.2043) in the Mammoth Luxury Outlet Mall. She is also available for private instruction.

Dunney, who is currently enrolled at Cerro Coso College in Mammoth and also works the front desk at the Mammoth Mountain Inn, started tap dancing when she was 6 years old.

“When I was really young, I played soccer, but my sister was really good at soccer and I always felt like I was in her shadow, so I decided to choose my own thing — dance.”

Dunney has background in jazz, modern, hip hop, ballet and tap.

She also participated in the Showbiz National tap dance competition  in Las Vegas for several years.

Prior to moving to Mammoth (“for a change of scenery”), she taught tap for two years at the Backstreet Dance Studio in Riverside.

She says what she loves most about tap is the rhythm as well as learning new tricks.

She described one move, called “wings,” which took her a month to master.

*To this writer, it also sounded like a groin injury in waiting, but more power to her.

“I love Broadway stage,” she continued, “and most shows have some element of tap [in the choreography].”

Her favorite show is “Sweet Charity.”

Some may have seen Dunney onstage, though not in a dancing role, in the Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre’s recent production of “A Christmas Carol.”

One obstacle to getting folks interested in tap is the shoes. No parent wants to invest the shoes for a child who may decide after one class that they’re not really interested.

Cast that concern aside. Le Centre has rental tap shoes available for a small fee.

Lunch is also willing to loan out his size 12’s to any father who’s interested in giving it a try.

If your child takes to it, Payless Shoes sells tap and ballet shoes or you can shop online at www.capeziodance.com.

Sheet: Reassure me that you didn’t break your wrist tap dancing.

Dunney (laughs): No, I did that snowboarding. I was out on the hill with a male friend and I knew I’d broke it immediately. When I told him what had happened, he said, ‘that’s a bummer’ and skied off to the lift, leaving me to go inside by myself to get medical attention.

Ah, chivalry knows no bounds in Mammoth.