For twenty-five years, Dance Instructor Dianne Hain has been tapping out a legacy at the Elmhurst Park District dance studios. What started as a way to pass the time on Monday nights turned into a celebration of movement and community.
Dianne’s love for dance began when she was around seven years old. She was underweight and her parents wanted her to build up some muscle.
“They tried figure skating, but that didn’t hold my interest. I liked dancing much better,” she says.
Years later, with her kids grown and her husband occupied with Monday Night Football, Dianne was looking for something new to fill her Monday evenings.
“I started flipping through the Elmhurst Park District brochure to find something that looked interesting and was held on Monday nights. When I saw Adult Tap I thought, ‘I used to do that’! I found a pair of tap shoes at a garage sale—and the rest is history.”
This old hobby soon grew into something much bigger. When the class instructor moved out of state, she was asked to consider taking over. At first, she hesitated.
“I had a day job and wasn’t really looking for part-time work,” she explains. “I figured I was going to the 1-hour class on Monday nights anyway, so I might as well teach it. I had taught children’s classes in the past and I knew the adult tappers already, so I took the leap.”
That leap of faith has led to over two decades of teaching, choreographing, and cultivating a community of adult dancers from all walks of life.
One of the most rewarding - and challenging - parts of the job? Managing the wide range of skill levels among her students. Some come with years of experience, others have never danced. To engage the wide range of experience, she’s enlisted the help of long-time students and added additional classes to the schedule.
Dianne also encourages collaborative input for music and choreography. This open, supportive atmosphere has not only sustained the dance classes, but also built lasting friendships.
In 2014, something special happened: the formation of The Tree Town Tappers, a dance troupe that performs regularly at senior residences and community events.
Dianne loves to see the camaraderie that develops amongst the dancers.
“After our performances we go out to eat and that’s when we really get to know each other,” she says. “I see the same thing happen with my other classes especially when the groups perform at the annual dance recital.”
It’s this sense of belonging and community that keeps students coming back, and new ones joining all the time. A sign in her studio reads, “It’s Never Too Late to be a Tap Dancer” and she truly believes it.
“Whether someone comes to a Beginner Adult Tap Class with a little experience from their childhood, or they are putting on tap shoes for the first time, within a few weeks they are tapping and loving it!”
One of her favorite examples of this is Margaret, a woman who joined the Monday night class the same year she did. Margaret had never danced before, but she learned quickly - and is still tapping with Dianne today at 96 years old. In fact, Margaret now dances alongside her two daughters and her granddaughter, making it a three-generation tap tradition.
Another delightful moment came when two sisters who were originally in her classes returned after a 13-year hiatus.
“They told me they would be back when their children went off to college. They are now members of the Tree Town Tappers and I am so delighted to have them back!
Through her decades with the Elmhurst Park District, she has not only shared her love of dance but created a welcoming space where adults can connect, grow, and shine. Whether you're 26 or 96, her message is the same: It’s never too late to dance.
And after twenty-five years of doing just that, she’s still going strong.
