In this company, there is only one message: tap is for everyone.

Mary Six Rupert is the creator of “Tap Dancing Hands Down." The professional tap dancer started to experiment with hand tapping when her mother — a lifelong dancer — suffered a stroke that placed her full time in a wheelchair.

“I’ve always loved tap dancing, but I never thought of it as something I could do until I met Mary Six," said Blake Hunt, a longtime member of the dance company. "She opened my eyes to it, and since then I’ve been literally just tapping away.”

What You Need To Know

  • After her mother suffered a stroke, Mary Six Rupert went to work to discover a way that her mother could continue tapping despite her disabilities

  • Rupert's solution was hand tapping. She created the sounds using gloves with taps sewn into place. After the success with her mother, Rupert took the class to others

  • Now 15 years later, Rupert mixes the faces you’d expect to see on the dance floor with those you might not in her company "The Tap on Tap: An All Abilities Tap Ensemble"

“I would watch her and any tap dancer you know, for the rest of your life, tap goes through your head,” Rupert said. 

With her mother in mind, Rupert got to work pulling out old gloves and old taps to find the perfect blend. This new form of dance gave her mother the chance to continue doing what she loved just a little differently.

“It’s about being flexible and adaptable to what people need, because tap is fun," Rupert said. "And it just makes people feel good.”

Now 15 years later, Rupert mixes the faces you’d expect to see on the dance floor with those you might not in her company "The Tap on Tap: An All Abilities Tap Ensemble."

“So I put together lovely tap dancers and our wheelchair users, and we were off and running,” Rupert said.

“For people who may have injuries or people who maybe their bodies don’t work the way they used to, it’s just really a good way for the community to come together and do something so unique that allows you to move your body,” said Megan Kelley-Crocco, who also participates in the dance company.

Although some may be confused when they hear Blake Hunt say he’s a tap dancer, for those who have seen him perform, it all makes sense.

“Dancing has always been a way to be free of yourself and just enjoy the moment,” Hunt said.

Recently the company performed alongside some of the biggest names in the business Symphony Space, leaving audience members in tears.

“To be able to open the world of tap to people who didn’t think they could do it, is everything to me,” Rupert said.

For hammering out a new kind of rhythm, Mary Six Rupert is our New Yorker of the Week.