ReCreation Tappers bring Broadway razzle dazzle to Naples

An adult program is bringing the art of authentic tap dance to the Naples area.

The ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida offer true tap dancing classes for adults, many of whom are well into their 70s.

They show that youth has nothing to do with age.

“It’s very strenuous, very aerobic, very razzmatazz, very typical of an authentic Broadway tap dance,” said dancer Cindy Pagett.

You can catch their performances all over Naples. With their choreography and showmanship, you’d think these ladies have been dancing all their lives. But the tappers embrace anyone.

“The girls are recreating themselves. The gals are loving this passion for the stage in our lives,” said Pagett.

They offer beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. So if they just want to get warmed up, they can. They can also go on to intermediate courses.

For Jan Drummond, the group’s president, tap was always something she wanted to learn.

“When I moved to Southwest Florida, learning to tap was on my bucket list.”

She soon took the stage.

“They convinced me that I could be in the performance,” said Drummond.

The group isn’t exclusively for seniors, but it is an activity that’s friendly to all ages.

“Some of us are touching our 80s and they’re impressed,” said Drummond. “They might see the girls and say ‘I think I could do that.'”

There are a lot of physical benefits to tap dancing, said Drummond.

“We are happy, physical, mental, spiritual, wonderful versions of ourselves,” said Pagett.

They perform throughout the year and many of their performers were once in the audience watching and thinking, “I can do that.”

To learn more about the ReCreation Tappers, you can visit their website.