TAMPA, Fla. — Tyrah was ready to tap dance.
Like, really tap dance. In real tap shoes.
For weeks, the sixth-grader and her classmates at Academy Prep Center of Tampa had practiced tap in socks and bare feet.
Then, on a very special Thursday, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts showed up with gifts.
"They were doing great in their bare feet, but they were so ready for today," says Trisha Stever, a teaching artist for the Straz's outreach program.
Brand-new tap shoes. Dozens of boxes of them, in fact. And a brand-new love of dance.
Academy Prep is a nonprofit that empowers students qualifying for need-based scholarships.
The Straz partners with dozens of schools and organizations in Tampa Bay, spreading love for the arts.
For Tyrah, learning how to tap dance can be tricky, but she says that's the fun part.
"Sometimes learning new skills is kinda hard, but once you keep practicing, it's gonna get easier," she said.
For more on the Straz's outreach program, go here.
"DEFINITELY A BUCKET LIST RACE"
Across all events, more than 29,000 people laced up their sneakers for one of the most scenic runs in the entire country.
