Hoofin': Tap with Mike Minery

Presenting all you ever wanted to know and more about tap dancing technique with irrepressible host Mike Minery, a personable dancin' machine who wears his New York City savvy identity proudly, Hoofin': Tap with Mike Minery demonstrates both classic and modern tap technique, nicely breaking down complex routines. Wisely, the camera remains focused on Minery's face when he's speaking and on his feet when he's dancing (an obvious but not universally followed protocol for dance vids). While I'm no Gregory Hines when it comes to tap (although I was fortunate enough to be co-opted into tap lessons at age five by a theoretically well-intentioned parental unit), Minery, who teaches at NYC's Broadway Dance Center, appears to know his stuff. In fact, long-standing personal trauma aside, I found the program strangely engrossing--which makes it easy to predict that tap-happy fans will also enjoy Minery's lessons in traditional and modern tap. Recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. (M. Tribby)