16/12/2020
Hello, friends! 🙂
2020, huh?
How are you? It's been a while between posts.
I've been thinking a lot about this community, and thinking about ways to serve it better. I realise that for a while now, the purpose of this page hasn't been entirely clear. The time has well and truly come to make a few changes 👏🏻
Bear with me for a moment 😉
First off, in the interest of clarity...
---What is 'Red Hot Rhythm'? ---
👉🏻 Red Hot Rhythm was a performance troupe and tap dance school based in Brisbane, Australia that ran from 2007 until 2015. The troupe of tap and Irish dancers (loving referred to by one audience member as 'Poets and Warriors') performed together many times across the years, with a few stand-out highlights:
The first, reaching the grand-finals on 'Australia's Got Talent' in 2009. The second, 'Rhythm Junkies'; our first full-length stage production that played in Brisbane in both 2012 and 2013, winning an Australian Dance Award in 2014. The third, performing to a crowd of 15000 at the iconic 'Woodford Folk Festival', 2 years running, bringing in the New Year on stage with Scottish bands Peatbog Faeries (2014) and Shooglenifty (2015).
..and of course, the tap school in Kelvin Grove saw hundreds of students come through its doors, aged 5-85. We made many great friends during this time. It was a truly wonderful adventure that I'll always look back on fondly.
---What is 'Just TAP'? ---
👉🏻 After the closure of Red Hot Rhythm in 2015, I longed to help more people all over the world discover the life-changing magic of tap dance, using the knowledge and teaching experience I'd built over the years. I set out to create a series of video courses that would enable anyone to learn and refine the fundamentals of tap dance from home; to build confidence and strength before venturing into a dance class. To this day, the courses have helped more than 3000 people all over the world learn tap dance.
It kinda blows my mind when I look back over the years. I feel incredibly grateful to have had this adventure and to have shared it with so many remarkable people along the way.
So! From here...
THIS page will remain 'Red Hot Rhythm', a place for the occasional post of slightly nostalgic RHR magic 😉
Whereas THIS brand new page will be dedicated to 'Just TAP', and to sharing tap-happiness and inspiration with our students, friends and supporters. It's early days (brand new, in fact), but check it out and give it a like, if you feel so inclined ---> https://www.facebook.com/justtapdance
In any case, I hope amid the seemingly endless madness of 2020 that you've found time and space for much wonder in your life. There's still plenty of opportunity 🙂
Stay tuned, friends. Stay safe and smiley too.
Much love,
Bill Simpson 🌅
