The Untapped dancers and educators are passionately driven to bring their enthusiasm and knowledge of tap to those who have yet to discover their passion for the arts. Untapped provides tap shoes for workshop participants, and has experience working with all ages and levels of physical ability. Our program is catered to the students it serves, and we plan our lessons based on the age of the students and any curriculum specified by the teacher that needs to be covered. Our standard workshop curriculum is based on learning, recognizing, and executing basic rhythmic patterns and tap steps, and the basic knowledge of early tap dance history. We begin our workshops with a brief lesson on the cultural background and roots of tap dance. We discuss where tap came from and the different cultures that combined to create what we know today. We use a call and response exercise to challenge students to listen closely, retain a pattern demonstrated, and then echo the pattern back to the instructor. This exercise begins with simple patterns of 1 bar, and progressively gets more difficult, using holds and longer measures of 2-4 bars. After engaging students brains rhythmically, instructors will divide students in to small groups and teach them simple tap steps and their terminology. The students will be guided in combining the steps they learned to form a phrase to be demonstrated for the class. After a workshop with Untapped, students will have a basic knowledge of tap dance history, be able to recognize rhythmic patterns, and will have knowledge of the terminology of several tap steps and be able to execute those steps.

Untapped, based in Little Rock, is Arkansas' first and only nonprofit tap dance company. Matt Boyce founded the organization in 2013 with the mission of cultivating awareness and appreciation for the art of tap dance in the state of Arkansas. Through performances and educational workshops, Untapped showcases our nation's rich and diverse tap dance culture and history. Boyce, of New Jersey, was formerly involved with two distinct tap dance companies: an educational nonprofit group, and a strictly performance-based group. He was inspired by these two separate experiences to create an organization that combines the aspects of both groups. Matt studied at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey with a focus of Music Education. He is an active leader in our workshops, and has also been a guest artist in residence for the Dance Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Untapped has held over 40 workshops across the state since 2014. We have worked with students young and old from all backgrounds. We try to hold as many workshops as possible throughout the year, and are actively reaching out to new schools and programs. Untapped also performs at local events, fundraisers, concerts, etc. to further our mission of promoting the art of tap dance in Arkansas. The mission of Untapped is to educate, engage, and entertain the state of Arkansas through the incredible art form of tap dancing.