Tap Dance

Learn Tap - an expressive dance, where you make the music with your feet

Next round of classes
4th of July - 25th of August

Registration
Opening date: 20th of June
Closing date: 3rd of July

Price
Regular: 790 kr for 8 classes of 1 h 15 min
Student: 650 kr for 8 classes of 1 h 15 min

Location
Happy Feet Studio,
Ørnevej 33, København NV

Questions?
See Frequently Asked Questions
or Contact Us

Registration for classes

Classes in the period: 4th of July - 25th of August

Registration opens on June 20th

In the meantime:
Come to one of our Friday Parties with live music!

See Current Class Schedule (May-June)

Level Description

Tap 1

Level Guidance
No previous experience required. We go through basic steps, we dance some nice choreographies, and we introduce you to the very beginning of improvisation.

Tap 2

Level Guidance
This is for you who already have tried tap, and you feel confident in executing basic steps as shuffles and flaps. You can follow the music and maybe you want to bang the floor by your own.

Tap 3

Level Guidance
You have already tap danced for one good year, and you want to improve and try different styles and rhythms. You have a basic understanding of tap musicality and improvisation.

What is Tap Dance?

Tap is perhaps the kind of dance that - thanks to Hollywood's film industry - has created the most dance lovers in the world. Tap comes mainly from the mix of African and European cultures in the United States, and it has developed hand in hand with jazz. It is actually a social dance and we make the music with our feet. Tap community is growing more and more all over the world and there are many festivals year round, where we meet, dance and share our love for tap. Tap is culture, it is art, it is fun and everybody loves it!

Best tap shoes models:

Our teacher, Xavier, recommends the Capezio cg55 for it is a good and reliable start shoe. In Dansemessen the Capezios are 650kr. Capezio is discontinuing this model and it will be replaced by the Cadence Tap Shoe CG19.
In Stræk og Bøj the Blochs Bloch BS0301M (male) and Bloch BS0301L (female) are also a good option for 699kr. Cheaper models are not good and cannot be recommended (waste of money).
In Dansbutiken (Sweden) they have a more expensive model, which is also very good: Bloch BS0313M (male) and BS0313L (female).

When you buy tap shoes, remember:

Choose always shoes in Oxford classic style, like the Capezios and Blochs mentioned above
The shoes should feel tight. That means no extra space for your foot inside the shoe
High heels taps are not for beginners
Sometimes you can get second hand ones on Den Blå Avis
Ask Xavier for advice if you find some 2nd hand

Physical Shops in Copenhagen:

Danse Messen
Julius Thomsens Gade 12
1632 København V
info@dansemessen.dk

Stræk og Bøj
Silkegade 7
1113 København K
info@straekogboej.com

Ballet Boutique
Peder Skramsgade 10, 1054 København K.
E-mail: ballet@balletboutique.dk

Web shops:

Capezio Europe (webshop)
Dansbutiken (webshop)
Bloch.uk (webshop)

Custom shoes:

Teacher: Xavier Estrela

Xavier Estrela studied tap dance with Michael Sandwick, a member of the "American Tap Dance Orchestra" of Brenda Bufalino and a disciple of hers (Michael S. also studied with Henry LeTang, Paul Draper and Maurice Hines, all legendary masters of this art). After acquiring this solid formation from the best tap dance tradition, he has had the privilege of receiving courses from many of the best artists and pedagogues, including Brenda Bufalino, Michelle Dorrance, Jason Samuels Smith, Sam Weber, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, Andrew Nemr, Josh Hilberman, Roxane Butterfly, Chloe Arnold, and Guillem Alonso.
Xavier has danced tap professionally in numerous occasions, in great musical productions and in all kinds of events. He has his own group of dancers and teaches tap classes, courses and seminars constantly.
Xavier has also been a professional dancer in classical ballet, modern dance and jazz, developing his stage work and his pedagogical work in several countries.

Music from class

We have collected some of our favorite swing songs, which are good for practicing new moves, and put them together in a Spotify and Youtube playlists.

See the playlists

Open Practice

Come and practice moves from your class during Open Practice. It's free and open for everyone! You might want to bring a partner to dance with though.

Open Practice Times

Social Dancing

In Copenhagen you can dance socially almost every evening, and in most cases the entrance is free! Check out our list of venues with recurring social dancing events:

Social Dancing venues

Multiple courses

Sign up for multiple courses in the same round of classes and get 10% discount on each course!
See the overview of all courses we offer this round here:

Full Class Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer single classes / tryout classes?

We organize Intro Classes to Swing Dancing during our Friday Parties, which take place in our studio every second/third week. You don't need to sign up beforehand, just show up on the day and pay the entrance to the party at the door. The intro class takes place right before the party. For more information on that, check our Friday Party section.

You can also join an intro class to swing dance in Student House on Tuesdays. See more info about it here.

We don't offer sign ups for single classes to our weekly classes. We need to make sure that our classes are well balanced, so that there is an equal or almost equal amount of followers and leaders (where leaders are usually men and followers are women). Sign ups for single classes would disrupt our leader-follower balance. Therefore it is only possible to sign up for a full round of classes (7 to 8 weeks of classes).

Do you teach in Danish or English?

We teach in English because our classes have dancers from all over the world. However, you are welcome to ask questions and speak to us in Danish.

What should I wear?

Anything that you feel comfortable in that doesn't limit your movement. We suggest bringing some extra clothes to change into after class - Lindy Hop is an energetic dance, so you might get sweaty. We have a Shower Area in our studio, where you can take a shower and change clothes before or after class.
Regarding footwear, flat shoes will be the best choice, preferably with a not-too-sticky sole. We do not recommend high heels for beginners. If you want to invest in some good dancing shoes, try these brands: Keds, Aris Allen, Toms, Dance Joy.

What if I miss some classes?

Don't worry if you happen to miss a class or two. We do a recap after all our classes. which students are welcome to film and share with each other. You should be able to get the video from your classmates and practice the moves.

If you feel like you have missed out on too many classes, and you are having trouble catching up with the new material, you can:
• book a private lesson with us, where we will work one-to-one with you on the material. Check our Private Lessons section for more info.
• sign up for the Beginners Course again. It will give you a chance to recap the material you've learned, and catch up with the things you missed.

Regarding refunds: Once the course has begun, we do not offer refunds for any missed classes.

Can I get a refund/sell my registration?

You can have your registration refunded, if you write us latest 5 days (120 hours) before a course it set to begin. Any cancellation later than this, no matter the reason, does not resolve in any refund. Read more about our refund policy here.
You may sell your registration to someone else. All we need is an email from you, with their name and email included. Please note: It is not possible to change the follow/lead role of your original registration.

Am I too old/too young to dance swing?

Swing dancing is for everyone, regardless of age. In Copenhagen you can meet swing dancers from every age group, having lots of fun together on the dance-floor. That said, you must be at least 15 years old to join our classes, due to legal regulations. We do not however have a maximum age limit. 🙂

Where can I dance outside of classes?

Friday Parties at Happy Feet Studio
(every second/third week)
Great evenings of dancing and hanging out in in the home of happy feet! Each party starts with an Intro Class to swing dance. After that, the dancefloor is open, and we have plenty of special attractions prepared for you, making each party different and unique.
From time to time there will be live music, dance competitions, dance shows, quizes, intro classes in blues/shag/balboa, and much more. There is also a cozy bar where you can buy drinks and hang out with your friends in between dances.
Get more info about Friday Parties here.

Open Practice in Happy Feet Studio
(almost every day)
You can come to Open Practice in our studio up to three times a week, to practice moves from your class or just dance with your friends. Days and times are a bit different each round of classes, depending on the room availability.
You might want to bring a partner to dance with, but otherwise the dancefloor is open, and the music is playing, so just show up and dance! Open Practice is free and open for everyone, no sign up needed.
Get more info about Open Practice here.

Other social dancing opportunities in Copenhagen:

• Tuesday Swing Dance
at Studenterhuset: 19.30 - 23.00

• Sunday Swing organized by Swingin' Hepcats
at Indre By Kulturhus: 15.00 - 18.00
(and 16.00 - 19.00 on the 1st Sunday of the month)

• Saturday Extra Training organized by SwingShoes
at Vesterbro Kulturhus: 12.00 - 14.00

Apart from that there is also plenty of other events and places where you can dance socially and meet other swing dancers. For more info, check out the Facebook group Swing Dance in Copenhagen - it has over 6000 members and has important updates on swing dance events in Copenhagen.