The document provides an overview of basic tap dance steps, terminology, and techniques. It outlines 3 rules for tap dancing posture and 3 parts of the tap shoe. It then describes basic steps like stamps, jumps, and sounds. It progresses to explaining more advanced tap steps, including combinations of basic steps, named steps like paradiddles and riff walks, and rhythmic patterns like cramp rolls and time steps.
The document provides an overview of basic tap dance steps, terminology, and techniques. It outlines 3 rules for tap dancing posture and 3 parts of the tap shoe. It then describes basic steps like stamps, jumps, and sounds. It progresses to explaining more advanced tap steps, including combinations of basic steps, named steps like paradiddles and riff walks, and rhythmic patterns like cramp rolls and time steps.
The document provides an overview of basic tap dance steps, terminology, and techniques. It outlines 3 rules for tap dancing posture and 3 parts of the tap shoe. It then describes basic steps like stamps, jumps, and sounds. It progresses to explaining more advanced tap steps, including combinations of basic steps, named steps like paradiddles and riff walks, and rhythmic patterns like cramp rolls and time steps.
3 RULES: 1. Bend Knees 2. Keep Weight Forward (on balls of feet) 3. Heels Off The Ground (if possible)
3 PARTS OF TAP SHOE: 1. Ball 2. Heel 3. Toe
BASIC STEPS Steps: • Step (changing weight, ball of the foot) • Stamp (changing weight, whole foot, heavy sound) • Stomp (NO change of weight, whole foot, heavy sound)
Jumps: • Jump (always landing on two feet) • Hop (same foot, one foot) • Leap (changing feet, always land on one foot) • Shot Beat (heavy, whole-foot leap to side)
Basic Sounds: • Brush (swinging motion forward or back,; do not scrape) - ball • Taps (comes off floor) – ball, heel, toe • Beats (stays on floor) – ball, heel, toe • Dig (bend knee back to start) – ball, heel • Drop (other part of foot is already on the ground) – ball, heel • Stud (release from floor immediately) – ball, heel • Chug (one or both heels “dropping” at same time, usually travels forward)
Basic Tap Steps: • Flap (brush forward) R, step R) • Running Flap (brush forward R, leap R) • Shuffle (brush forward R, brush back R) • Scuffle (scuff forward R, brush back R) • Riffle (ball dig R, heel dig R, brush back R) • Ball Change (2 quick steps done in one count or less; usually step back 1st) • Grapevine (ball changes done side to side, switching / crossing feet)
PROGRESSIVE STEPS
Miscellaneous (No Name) Flap R, Ball-Change L/R Flap R, Heel-Heel L/R Shuffle R, Hop L, Step R or Irish (when traveling front or back, crossing last step) Shuffle R, ball change R/L, shuffle R, hop L, step R Shuffle R, hop L, toe tap R, shuffle R, hop L, step R Flap R to side, heel-heel L/R, brush-ball L (feet together) heel-heel R/L Flap R to side, heel-heel L/R, brush back L, heel R, toe tap L, heel R
Miscellaneous (With Name) Paradiddles: Heel dig R, brush back R, ball dig R, heel drop R Double Paradiddle: Same as paradiddle, repeat first half of step 2x Drawback: Brush back R, heel drop L, step R backward (lifting toes of L foot up) Drawback “Break”: Brush back R, heel drop L, shuffle R to side, heel drop L, step R 7-Beat Riff: Ball dig R, scuff R, heel drop L, heel beat R, ball drop R, 2 heel drops L/R Riff Walks: Ball dig R, heel R (lift toes up of R, heel stays on floor), ball drop R Suzi-Q: Heel dig R (crossing / twisting in front), step L to L (twisting R toe to R) Bombrashay: Stamp R (crossing / twisting in front), flap L to L (twisting R toe to R) Maxiford: Shot beat R (traveling R), shuffle L (side), leap on L (traveling L), toe R Double Pick-Ups: Jump into air, brush both legs back while still in air, land on 2 feet Shim Sham Shimmy: • Scuffle Stamp R, Scuffle Stamp L, Scuffle R Ball Change R/L, Scuffle Stamp R Essence (front, side, back) (single, double, triple): • Step R (in direction of essence), flap L (or brush back L, step L), step R • NOTE: Number of sounds and direction of first step dictates the essence • NOTE: First “step” can be replaced by “flap” or “shuffle step” Buffalo (4 options): • Traveling: Leap R (traveling side), shuffle L, leap L (crossing) • Changing Feet: Leap R (traveling side) shuffle L, hop R • Traveling: Running Flap R (traveling side), shuffle L, leap L (crossing) • Changing Feet: Running Flap R (traveling side) shuffle L, hop R
Cramp Rolls 4-Count Cramp Rolls: ball R, ball L, heel drop R, heel drop L Change Cramp Rolls: ball R, ball L, heel drop L, heel drop R 5-Count Cramp Rolls: Same as 4-count or change, start with quick brush forward R Pass Cramp Rolls: 5-count cramp rolls that travel to side (can be normal or change) Stamp Cramp Rolls: Stamp R to R, 4-ct change cramp roll (turning clockwise)
Time Steps Time Step: Shuffle R, hop L, leap R, flap L, step R Stomp Time Step: Stomp R, brush back R, hop L, leap R, flap L, step R
Double Time Step Variation: Replace leap with running flap Triple Time Step Variation: Replace leap with shuffle leap NOTE: Change directions (corner to corner) on underlined step