Meet Megan, studio owner, tap teacher and hype woman
Hi, I’m Megan, and I lead all the tap classes here at The Melbourne Tap Studio.
I have 30+ years of teaching experience and I started as an adult beginner myself.
Whether you’re brand new to tap or have years of experience, there’s a class for you, and you’ll fit right in.
Dance.
Art.
Movement.
Rhythm.
Dance. Art. Movement. Rhythm.
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Tap dance taught the way adults learn
Classes here focus on more than just steps and copying. Following in the studio’s 40-year tradition, we’ll break every step down into smaller parts, then put them back together so you really understand.
You’ll learn technique, the names of steps and the right body, weight and foot placement. And there’s often a dash of music theory and tap history thrown in, along with improvisation and time to practise on your own.
I have a huge respect for tap dance’s centuries-old history and how it’s been passed down orally. I feel a duty to honour that, passing on what I know with gratitude and creativity.
Studio values
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Community
Most people come for the tap, then find friendships they didn’t expect.
Classes turn into coffees, birthday dinners and a student WhatsApp group that I’m not even in.
Every class is planned so no one dances alone, and we’re all in it together.
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Energy
An hour of tap goes fast.
You’re too busy with your feet to think about your inbox, and when someone finally nails a combination, the whole room celebrates.
Classes are lively and energetic, so you always walk out buzzing.
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Authenticity
Tap dance Tap is a 300-year-old art form and culture, and it deserves appreciation.
I teach technique and the stories behind it, then add my own creativity. You’ll find an amazing group of adults here, just being themselves and respecting one another, along with the tradition.
Why I swapped a corporate career for teaching tap dance
For about 30 years, my day job was arts marketing, events, tourism and brand partnerships. It was fast-paced and interesting, but on weeknights and Saturdays I stepped into my real passion: teaching tap dancing.
I’d started learning tap here at the studio in my 20s, as an adult beginner who’d never before stepped foot on a dance floor.
Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. Pretty soon, I was teaching as a side hustle.
Fast-forward to 2018, and the stress and rush of corporate life were taking a toll on my health. Boarding a plane home from New York, where I’d squeezed in a few tap classes at Broadway Dance Centre, I made a momentous decision to step away from the corporate world and instead follow the career that made my heart sing. Later that year, I officially took over the studio’s reins.
I truly understand the nerves, the learning curves, the doubts and the breakthroughs that come with starting something new later in life, because I’ve lived every one of them.
Whether you’re 18 or 85, my goal is to help you create music with your feet, while building your skills, confidence and courage to take your place in the rhythm.
30+ years specialising in tap dance for adults
Tap teacher since the late 1990s, and principal teacher at The Melbourne Tap Studio since 2018.
Headed the tap dance program at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School for 15 years.
Taught tap at the National Theatre Ballet School.
Full iTap teacher accreditation with Hillary-Marie Michael (Level 1: 2025; Level 2: 2026).
Studied tap in New York with renowned dancers including Savion Glover, April P Cook, Shea Sullivan and Lynn Schwab.
Choreographed for television, major events and film.
Worked with Hinton Battle on ABC America’s television movie Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story (2001).
A tap dance studio with a 40-year history
This studio was among the first in Melbourne to focus on tap, and it started in a theatre.
Back in the 1970s, renowned producer Michael Edgley joined forces with JC Williamsons during the run of No No Nanette. He saw the potential of the Sun Room, their rehearsal space, for classes in tap, jazz, ballet and acting.
Professional dancer Isabelle Ryan was performing in the show and had already been teaching jazz, taking classes for the legendary Betty Pounder while Pounder was working overseas. Now Isabelle was asked to teach tap to the singers and actors, to help them move more confidently on stage.
Teaching tap hadn’t been on her radar, but the classes quickly gained momentum. Before long, she was dashing upstairs to teach in the Sun Room, then racing back downstairs to get ready for curtain call.
As word spread through the theatre community and beyond, more dancers and adults began seeking out Isabelle’s classes. After finishing her professional stage career, Isabelle transitioned into a 30+ year career teaching tap to adults, building a vibrant and loyal community of students.
Originally called Isabelle’s Tap Studio, it continues to flourish today as The Melbourne Tap Studio.
Dance.
Art.
Movement.
Rhythm.
Dance. Art. Movement. Rhythm.
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With thanks to studio founder - Isabelle Ryan
Isabelle remains an active part of the studio, dropping in each week to dance with the more advanced classes.
We’re grateful to have her immense experience in the room. Isabelle trained in ballet, tap and jazz from early childhood, dreaming of one day dancing professionally. That dream came true in her late teens, with a long career performing in major musicals, including No No Nanette, Funny Girl, Irene and The Wiz.
In addition to running her own studio, Isabelle taught tap at the Victorian College of the Arts, the National Theatre Ballet School, the Council for Adult Education (CAE) and many other schools in Melbourne.
Her teaching philosophy – centred around strong technique, correct terminology, learning (not copying) and fitness – is still deeply embedded in the studio’s approach.
The Melbourne Tap Studio is a living legacy of Isabelle’s passion, and continues to be a place where adults of all ages and all skill levels can come to learn, move, grow – and most importantly, have a great time.
Ready to find your class?
Whether you've never danced a step in your life or you're coming back after a break, there's a place for you here.