Some people might call it a lost art, but for a group in Irwin, tap dancing is fun, engaging and a great way to exercise.

Every Wednesday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., half a dozen adults gather at Janet's School of Dance in downtown Irwin to practice the rhythmic forms of the tap dancing world. They put on their tap shoes, and, within seconds, the studio is filled with the clicking and clacking most people have heard only in Shirley Temple movies.

Leisa Maghery, the class' instructor, said most members of the class have been with her for a year, and they have made great progress from their start as tap neophytes.

"Some of them danced when they were younger and wanted to come back and do it again," said Maghery, adding that a few members of the class had no prior dance experience at all.

People in the class had various reasons for starting, said Maghery, but the enjoyment they find in dancing keeps all of them going.

"I think they like to make noise," she said.

Maghery pointed out tap dancing provides a surprisingly good workout because dancers constantly are moving about. The nature of tap also makes it appealing, and Maghery said, by its very nature, tap is a lighthearted endeavor.

"It's grueling, but it's not structured like ballet," she said.

Members of the class agree that tap keeps them motivated to exercise.

"It's just a fun way to exercise," Charlotte Gizzi said.

A grandmother, Gizzi said she liked the low impact nature of tap, and said it was easy for her to do even with her osteoporosis. She said the class itself had become a draw on its own, as she enjoys spending time with the friends she had made there.

Susan Jennings said tap dancing gives her a way to shake up her exercise habits. "I like to add variety to the types of exercise I do," she said.

Plus, the weekly rehearsals are a chance to get out of the house and do something unique.

"For me it's an hour out of the house to myself," she said.

The allure of tap came to some people through their relatives.

"I watched my daughters tap, and I always wanted to do it," Debbie Peace said.

Ed Campbell said his wife danced at the studio, and her performances and rehersals intrigued him. "I've seen her dance here and she has so much fun," he said.

"It's exercise. You get laughter."

Blair Wojtoa, the other man in the class, said he always has had a secret desire to tap dance. He and his wife took disco lessons in the 1970s, and at the time he mentioned to his wife his interest in tap.

Last year, his wife learned about the class at Janet's and signed him up. "It's turned out to be a lot of fun," he said.

Maghery said more men are starting to show an interest in tap, as well as other forms of dance.

She said that with the popularity of television shows such as "Dancing With the Stars," people across the country have taken an interest in ballroom dancing, and tap has benefited from this interest.

The members of Maghery's class have become a tight-knit bunch. The group, which Maghery named "Guys and Dolls," will even perform at Janet's School of Dance's recital in June.

While people in the class said they are a little apprehensive about the performance, they know they and Maghery will pull things together.

"We're just one big, happy dancing family here," Maghery said.