About Us

ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida: A brief history

In 2000, Wisconsin native Pat Vogelsang and her husband Paul moved to Marco Island FL to enjoy retirement. Pat’s interest in the arts – tap dance in particular – led her to search for adult tap classes. While she found some at community centers in Naples, the only studio on Marco Island did not offer adult classes.

 In 2003, her enjoyment of tap dancing intensifying, Pat determined to create an adult tap program on Marco Island. She rented space at Island Dance Academy, hired a Naples teacher and advertised the classes. By 2006, the Marco Island adult tap program was robust enough to turn over to the owner of the studio, who began teaching two adult tap classes weekly during southwest Florida’s busy winter season.

Meanwhile, in 2004, Pat had recruited family members and friends to fund the non-profit ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida. In 2005, the fledgling organization hired an artistic director to produce an audition tape to submit to Naples’ Fifth Avenue Association in hopes of being included in the popular “Evening on Fifth” live entertainment programs. The audition tape was a success, ReCreation Tappers made its first public appearance and the organization was in business.

In the years since, ReCreation Tappers has grown to more than 80 members. Its performing troupe regularly participates in a variety of public and private performances in the greater Naples/Marco Island area during winter season.

Pat passed away in 2019 but left an impressive legacy in ReCreation Tappers, which now is the premiere adult dance group in SW FL. Scholarships that ReC Tappers awards to local dance studios to support their tap programs are named in her memory -- Pat Vogelsang Youth Tap Scholarships.