There is no muckin’ around with Movin’ Melvin Brown. His workshop, Tap Into Health, starts with a brief tap performance by the man himself and before you can think ‘That looks too hard, I’m leaving’, he has you tapping away, working up a sweat, clickity click.

Melvin starts off simple with The Walk and soon progresses to more demanding tap techniques. There is a range of people at the Bakery Main Space: young and old, absolute beginners and local tap dancing teachers and veterans. Up on stage, smiling and sweating away in his burgundy leotard, Melvin exudes a fantastic warmth and jokey calmness. This puts the beginners at ease. A father, who had just come to watch over his two young daughters, soon kicks off his thongs and gets involved.

The more advanced tappers were impressed by Melvin’s old-school style, which emphasises the heel over the toe. Some people wanted to learn more difficult techniques; they asked Melvin individually and he was happy to oblige.

The workshop went for two hours with three short breaks. There was no air-conditioning at the Bakery so, during the breaks, tappers huddled around the giant fans, lifting their sweaty shirts to cool off. This was all part of the fun.

Movin’ Melvin is a man of soul and solidarity. He managed to create a great sense of camaraderie between everyone, and by the end of the class, with the heart beating and the endorphins pumping, his closing words of encouragement didn’t seem so far-fetched: “Next time I see you, you’ll be teaching me.”

Tap into Health runs until January 31; 6.30-8.30pm and is part of Fringe World 2013. Tickets are available from www.fringeworld.com.au.