I am lucky to have neighbors who appreciate the fine art of tap dancing. I happened upon this discovery at about 2am yesterday morning whilest on a study break.
When my eyes start getting droopy from a jam-packed day of school, studying, report writing and homework and when all is not yet accomplished, I put on my tapping shoes. There is nothing like a good ol’ shuffle-ball-change or time step to bring my spirits up and get my blood pumping.
So feel my downstairs neighbors.
After shuffling-off-to-Buffalo for a good five minutes or so, I heard a definite tapping sound coming from my tile floor. The people below me were communicating through a series of bangs and taps!
At first, I was skeptical. Maybe someone in the building is putting up pictures or assembling furniture at this wee hour of the morning. I decided then to conduct a little experiment. I started tapping out one of my favorite time steps… a flap, heel, heel, brush, heel, toe, heel. And you know what came back from downstairs?
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Now, I’m a novice tapper but to me, that definitely sounds like someone trying to replicate the tapping of a shuffle-ball-change, using a broomstick or some other kind of hand-held implement to bang up on the ceiling.
No way!
I tried it again. This time with a shuffle heel heel, shuffle heel heel.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
“This is awesome!” I thought. Who’d have guessed that of all people to be my downstairs neighbor, I’d be living above a tap dancing enthusiast?
After a few more exchanges, I realized that I needed to get back to my studies. I guess my neighbor had other plans for the rest of the night too. I said my farewells with a big finish of two Shirley Temples into a series of shuffle-ball-change-hop-shuffle-steps. I heard him yell something from below but it was too muffled to comprehend. I imagine it to be a parting remark of “till we tap again, my friend” or something of the sort.