Ryan Heffington’s choreography career started in the clubs: Born in Northern California, the 46-year-old grew up “tap dancing my life away” before leaving his hometown for Los Angeles.
There, he threw himself into the city’s nightlife scene, performing in punk-influenced club shows during which he and his fellow dancers would sling fake blood before a big tap-dance finale. “In the club there weren’t any rules,” says Heffington, “and we were really great tappers.”Soon enough, he discovered much of his nightclub audience was yearning for noncompetitive dance classes, so he started teaching at the venue, with dozens of students clutching cocktails as they learned routines.