Mindy Kim taught the children's tap classes here at the Foster City Recreation Center in 2003 and 2004. My daughter, Gwyneth, took her class for about 1 year (4
semesters).
Gwyneth loved taking Mindy's classes, and she still misses having Mindy as her
tap teacher. Gwyneth loved learning the tap steps that Mindy taught her
students Gwyneth also loved learning, practicing and performing each semester's
tap routine (to be performed in front of parents and friends at the semester's
end).
It was obvious to me that Mindy loves teaching tap to children. Many of
Mindy's students took her tap classes for several semesters. Mindy's class
seemed like a lot of hard work to me, but at the same time it was somehow also
fun for the kids. Her students seemed to really enjoy her tap
classes. Mindy seemed to find a balance each week between practicing the
basics, and also challenging the kids to learn longer and more involved tap
dance sequences. Mindy built upon what they learned each week, and at the end
of each semester the children were able to perform a tap routine (in time with
the music), which they had practiced and memorized. Mindy had a new routine and
new music for each semester, so that the repeating students would not get
bored.
The routine the children performed each semester was a compilation of the
various tap steps & sequences that the children had learned over the course
of that semester. The routine was practiced and performed to music; the
children were taught by Mindy to listen to the beats of the music and to count
out the steps. I was quite impressed that the children not only were taught
individual tap steps, but that they could learn to put it all together and
perform the steps (on time) to music. It may sound difficult, but with
much practice each week in class my then-6-year-old daughter was able to
remember all the steps and perform the routine!
My daughter often mentions to me how much she still misses taking Mindy's
classes.
I felt that Mindy had taught my daughter a very good understanding of the
basics of tap (shuffles, flaps, ball changes, etc) as well building on those
basics by teaching her many more complex tap steps and sequences (such as the
single time step and the shim sham). Mindy also taught the kids
across-the-floor tap steps and turning tap steps. In Mindy's class my daughter
learned a lot, I felt, about the process of combining dance steps to music, and
to listen to the beat of the music.
I was greatly saddened when I learned that Mindy had to move out of our
area.
She is greatly missed here. I can easily and highly recommend her as a
tap dance teacher. I think she relates well to the children she taught,
and people who have seen her students perform their routines have been quite
impressed with what the students have accomplished. I hope that Mindy
continues to have the opportunity to teach tap dancing to children; I just wish
that she could still be teaching here in Foster City.
Please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Johanne Kaminski
1100 Burke Lane
Foster City, CA 94404-3636
Email:
650-638-9511
