Watch: Leeds dancers join world record '˜tapathon' bid

Happy tappers in Leeds joined dancers from across the nation for a charity-boosting world record '˜tapathon' attempt.
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The Dance Studio Leeds was one of hundreds of locations around the country hoping to set a new world record for the most people tap dancing to the same song at the same time.

A group of 31 amateur adult tap dancers at the Mabgate Mill studio tapped out the chosen routine to the song Faith by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande at 1pm on Sunday, watched by independent witnesses who will report back to organisers, the Performance Project. Held each year in aid of Children in Need, this is the project’s seventh attempt to break the record of 7,596 dancers - and time will tell whether they triumphed this year.

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Katie Geddes, founder of The Dance Studio in Leeds, which has taken part since 2011, said: “We were only a couple of hundred shy of breaking it last year so I think everyone’s quite hopeful this year.

Tapathon for Children in Need, at the Dance Studio, Mabgate Mills, Leeds. Picture by Simon HulmeTapathon for Children in Need, at the Dance Studio, Mabgate Mills, Leeds. Picture by Simon Hulme
Tapathon for Children in Need, at the Dance Studio, Mabgate Mills, Leeds. Picture by Simon Hulme

“Each year it gets bigger and bigger. It’s a nice project that everyone looks forward to. It has a feel-good element of doing it for Children in Need, it gives you something to work towards with the tap groups - it’s nice when you get everyone together.

“It was a really nice atmosphere of getting everyone together and having that sense of achievement.”

Katie, who has been teaching tap at the Studio for seven years, said the dancing style has seen a surge in popularity after the success of last year’s Hollywood box-office smash La La Land.

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“That was nice - it had a more contemporary feel and made people think about taking it up. But generally tap is like an old classic - there are always people interested in it; the rhythm and the noise of it. I don’t think it will ever go out of fashion. It’s also quite accessible and a great way to keep fit.”