Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 28/05) - Last month, a substitute teacher at Mildred Hall school introduced a lunch-time activity to keep students fit and work out their mid-day "wiggles." Now she's asking the community for help.

Grade 3 student and tap dancer Elizabeth Balint holds two pairs of tap shoes that her mom, Susan, collected for dance lessons in the community. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Susan Balint is looking for various sizes of tap shoes for students in Grades 1 through 8 who are burning off that extra energy in the school's new tap dancing club.

"I have only a few pairs of tap shoes and, of course, all the students want to be able to wear a pair and make real sounds, not just with their running shoes," she said.

The noon-hour lessons are broken into three groups, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3 and 4 and Grades 5 through 8.

About 50 students take part regularly, mostly in Grade 6 and under.

"It's an alternative exercise for some kids who don't like sport so much," said Balint. "Dancing helps with their co-ordination. I want to teach them a couple of dances that they can perform for people over the year, which will help with their confidence and self-esteem, as well."

Younger grades also benefit from the rhythm exercises, during which Balint encourages them to count the beats out loud.

"It's fun watching their smiles when they're laughing and having a good time," she said.

Balint's mom, Nadine Kettlewell, is also collecting shoes to ship North from her home town of Dorchester, Ont.

So far, Balint has collected about 20 pairs, but more are still needed.

Yellowknife residents wishing to donate used tap shoes to the club can drop them off at the Mildred Hall school office.

Balint is willing to purchase used pairs, as well.

On Monday, the older grades will showcase their new jazz and tap dancing skills with a Halloween dance performance set to the novelty song, The Monster Mash.