Tap-N-Time

From the creators of Tap Away Your Blues (VL-3/94), this new production gets kids off-their-MTV-addicted duffs and onto the dance floor, with instructor Mike Mailloux and his sidekick, a giant tap-shoe named Shooby Tap. Initially, the pair demonstrate a routine called the "Shooby Tap Rap," which, frankly, looked impossible to me (and I'm almost an adult). But, by breaking down the segments into easily managed bites, repeating the moves, and using video-smart teaching techniques, a pretty complex routine is made well within the grasp of most youngsters. Although it's rarely done in video, Mailloux and Shooby Tap forgo vanity and turn their backs to the camera for each of the steps shown, which means that viewers don't have to play the mirror reverse image game in their heads all the while they're tripping over their feet (which is what happens with most exercise videos). Whether kids will start doing the old soft shoe shuffle en masse remains to be seen. But there's no question that Tap-N-Time will be able to get them started. Recommended. Ages 6 and up. (R. Pitman)