Clack, Clack, Clack
1My name is Jonah, and I think tap dancing is the noisiest hobby in the world. Mom signed me up for the after-school tap club in our school gym. On the first day, I put on my shiny black shoes. Each shoe had metal plates on the toe and the heel. Every step I took went clack, clack, clack.
2Our teacher, Ms. Delgado, showed us a step called a shuffle. You brush one foot forward and back, very fast. Everybody else made a quick, neat sound. My feet sounded like a pan falling off a shelf. I was sure I was the worst dancer in the whole gym.
3My friend Rosa was in the club, too. After the second week, she watched me practice. "You're getting it, Jonah!" she said. I didn't believe her. I thought she was just being nice.
4In the fourth week, two new kids joined the club. Ms. Delgado looked around the gym and waved me over. "Jonah, please show them the shuffle," she said. "He has been practicing hard." I showed them slowly, one foot at a time, and they copied me.
5I still think tap shoes are too loud. My little brother covers his ears when I practice in the kitchen. But I have to admit that my clacking sounds a little better now. Maybe.