Tapping Into a Trend

Before Beverly Hills psychotherapist Ruth Sossin sees her patients on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she engages in a little psychotherapy herself. Trading her business suit for a body stocking, she high-steps her way through a twice-weekly tap-dancing class at the University of Judaism. “I always feel so much better afterward,” Sossin said. “I just look forward to it. There are very few things in life that give me more joy.” Her classmates at the University of Judaism, most of whom are in their 60s, have been meeting for four years to practice a dance form that has taken off in popularity with the recent release of the movie “Tap.” Clockwise from top, the class strikes a chorus line pose; instructor Jodi Stolove, right, leads the class in a routine; Katie Elinson, left, and Betty Kaplan get ready to tap, and Sybil Bergman, right, performs as Harriet Miller waits her turn.