We all hope that our children find some hobbies that they are passionate about, but as a parent we may also secretly hope that it’s not an expensive or loud hobby. We want to support out children, but it will take some extra patience if they dream of being a drummer or a tap dancer, as you’ll be hearing loud sounds every time they practice in the house. The idea of quieting these hobbies without putting a damper on someone’s dreams was the onus behind a development in China, which sought to put a new, quieter spin on tap dance shoes.
According to Step Out Studios, they have developed a pair of electronic tap shoes that allow the wearer to hear the sounds of their taps without disturbing those around them. The shoes can be synced to an app or earphones, and electronic sensors in the shoes recreate the tap sounds in the dancer’s ear without the loud taps of a normal dance show.
The concept of the shoe was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and inventor Ng Chak-lak created the shoes in less than two years. They feature up to 14 sensors per pair, and when the sensors strike the ground, they send a signal to an interface that activates a preprogrammed sound. The audio can be projected directly or can be routed through a computer before being amplified. The shoes were developed with the help of studio founders and choreographers Zoe Chan and Cal Tang, and Tang said the electronic shoes also have the ability to play longer notes that a normal tap can’t create.
“In traditional tap, a short, sharp strike creates a short, sharp sound. It’s a law of physics. But now, we can use a single, short strike to trigger a long, sustained melodic note or an evolving electronic texture,” said Tang. “This complete separation of action and sonic result is the essence of the deconstruction.”
This is a really cool innovation, and soon people will be able to make even more music with the help of their feet. And better yet, parents and neighbors will be thankful that the late night practice sessions won’t be so noisy!
If you’re a dancer and are dealing with new or existing foot pain, connect with Dr. Silverman and his team to put those issues in the past so that you can get back to moving without discomfort. For more information, connect with Dr. Silverman here!