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Tap Attack - Tap World Record!
In 2009 tap dancer and choreographer Jo Scanlan broke the Guinness World RecordTM to become the worlds fastest dancer, tapping a staggering 784 beats.
Jo herself would admit that it was not something she had ever thought about doing, however, “when a chance phone call from a production company for Sky TV happened I wanted to take the challenge” Jo said. Although only leaving her a few days to prepare and not having equipment to be able to count how many taps she was doing she arrived at Pinewood studios unaware if she was anywhere close to the existing record let alone able to better it.
The show aired on June 8th 2009 and saw Jo go head-to-head with England Tap team captain, Joe Dodd in the boy’s v girl’s section of Guinness World Records Smashed on Sky One. On the night both dancers broke the existing record of 602 beats but Jo became the new record holder, beating Joe Dodd by 94 beats over the sixty seconds.
Being a world record breaker generates it’s own level of notoriety and since Jo has been asked to appear on numerous television shows, including ITV’s This Morning, as well as various radio stations and magazines.
The media attention has been a welcome distraction as Jo has dedicated most of the past few years to trying to get more people to have access to and be able to watch tap dancing.
After returning from America in 2005 having been awarded the first of many dance or music scholarships to further her tap studies she decided she wanted more people to have opportunities and experiences she had from tap dance. Alongside fellow tap dancer and original Hot Shoe Shuffle and Tap Dogs UK cast member, Dean Magri, she formed Tap Attack.
Jo explains “The initial idea was to offer people outside of London tap dance workshops”. Offering 4 different workshops by 4 different teachers with classes taken at different levels, people could for the first time experience the many different styles of tap dance all around the UK.
The first workshop took place in Bristol in May 2007 where over 70 people attended. Realising that a diverse age group enjoyed tap dance they decided to run another workshop almost immediately afterwards in July, this time in Reading. Now following many successful workshops Tap Attack have taught over 1300 tappers across the country in areas such as Portsmouth, Kent, London, Liverpool, Birmingham.
Whilst traveling around the UK Jo began to meet more and more young tap dancers that expressed an interest in gaining intensive and regular tap training. “Many associate classes take place in other forms of dance but there was nothing for dancers who wanted to enhance their tap” said Jo.
Seeing the success and good training grounds that young tap dancers had in America Jo decided to form a youth company. This coincided with Jo having been awarded another scholarship to America, as well as training this time Jo managed to spend time with other companies and experience their training for young people.
Auditions were held in June 2008 and 14 dancers were selected. As the youth company formed it had also coincided with Jo being invited to visit the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany. Many countries were represented but England was not as the organisers spoke about the possibility of Jo forming an English team she realised that this could be an ideal goal for the youth company to work towards.
The first English tap team competed at the 2008 World Championships and gained good rankings for a first year. In 2009 the team returned again this time with 21 dancers. With higher expectations the second time out the team gained excellent rankings, with nearly all dances qualified for the semi finals and then half of those qualifying for the finals with even a second place in one category.
As 2010 progresses the youth company continues to develop and grow and has seen them undertake many performance engagements ranging from TV to corporate work, with auditions for this years team scheduled for the spring.
Tap Attack has now developed in to being recognised as the UK’s leading tap Specialist Company with teachers and dancers providing for a variety of work from school workshops to theatre, corporate and television performances, whilst the staple workshops are still held regularly.
Being this busy it’s a good thing that Jo has very quick feet.
This article originally appeared in the April 2010 edition of Dancing In The UK
