On May 1, Deputy Science Editor Zora Day-Friedland ventured to the Glicker-Milstein Theater to watch Untapped, Columbia’s one and only tap dance club, present their spring showcase, “Tappy Hour.”

For the past twelve days, there has been only one thing on my mind: tap dancing. As I struggled through paper after paper, I kept returning to the final image from Untapped’s spring showcase—a group of grinning dancers sporting matching t-shirts, holding hands, and taking a big, long bow. Their unbridled joy led me through my finals and now this (very delayed) review. 

The mood that Friday evening in Diana was nothing less than that of a crazy, lit, movie. Emerging from the elevator, I spotted a bar stand complete with mocktails and whimsical decorations. Stepping into the packed theater, I was bathed in lights emulating a club atmosphere, as green and purple circles danced across the stage. 

The show started with a feel-good group number, aptly paired with the song “Good Time” by Sammy Rae & The Friends. From the first number, I could already sense the connectivity of the performers. Not only did they move in sync, but they gave each other little smiles and nods of encouragement.

Tappy Hour shined most when it embraced the club energy that inspired the show. Here are a few of my standout moments. Ben Miner exuded swag during his solo performance of Sink In (which he also choreographed). Talk Talk featuring Zoë Berry, Liv Ribaudo (who also choreographed the number), Ben Miner, and Kaiden Currie. In this number, the dancers leaned into the party vibe and had the whole audience shouting. Emotional tribute Supercut (choreographed by Kaiden Currie and Breanna Ellison) that featured all-Senior group Sofia Garcia, Kate Harris, Breanna Ellison, and Riane Bradbury-Huang. Concluded with a lovely slideshow that did in fact make me tear up.

Olivia Long’s solo footwork in Someone In The Crowd (choreographed by Ella Leferman). 

All the dancers kept the energy up pre-intermission with group number 1,2 Step (choreographed by Ben Miner). The entire second half of the show! Kaiden Currie demonstrated not only his world-class dancing ability, but also his expertise in creating well choreographed, visually interesting numbers. Standouts in the second half of the show (all choreographed by Kaiden Currie with the help of Danielle Schmode) included So Easy To Fall In Love, Satellite Business, and Aperture.All of the incredible new dancers who got on stage, brought their enthusiasm, and rocked it!

Now for a series of pictures that encapsulated my experience:

At the start of the show, the Untapped E-Board got on stage and told the audience that this would not be a typical show. They encouraged audience members to shout and cheer during numbers. Because of this interactive style, I felt a sense of shared community bloom within the audience and across the dancers throughout the show. This sense of shared community felt similar to the experience of being in a mosh pit or at a club. After the final number, I stood up, cheered, and left the theater still buzzing with the energy of a well-thrown party. 

Images via Author