Comparing Ballet and Tap

When thinking of comparing two things, I was having a hard time deciding on what I should discuss but it then dawned on me, I should write about something that was an enormous part of my life. Dance has played a huge role in my childhood as I participated in ballet for eleven years and tap for six. As a three year old all I did was beg to my parents to let me join a dance studio. I was the one and only three year old in the dance company. When my dance teacher informed me that she would soon be offering tap dance, I could not help but feel the need to participate. I enjoyed it so much that I enjoyed it for six years. Because dance had many different styles, using my years of experience in ballet and tap, I would like to examine some differences between the two through the different footwear, appropriate environment, and finally public knowledge and popularity. When it comes to the footwear, there are huge differences. Tap shoes are special since they are made specifically to make noise while dancing in them. Tap shoes are a lot like normal shoes and are usually black in colour. The shoes are either tied in a bow with a ribbon or are fastened together. There are two metal plates on the bottom of the shoes that allow the sound. The plates are placed in spots on the sole of the shoe that come in contact with the floor such as on the heels as well as the balls of your feet. The different sounds that can be made with the shoes depend on what type of movement you are doing such as tapping, sliding, or clicking the shoes together. For many of the steps, it is a combination of these movements. Unlike in tap, ballet only has two styles of slippers. In the beginning stages of ballet, soft slippers commonly known as “flats” are worn. As you progress and become advanced, pointe shoes are used. Slippers are made from leather, canvas, or satin. The slippers are fastened onto