Tapdance -- Basic Steps and Moves

@title{Tapdance} @subtitle{Basic Steps and Moves} @subtitle{Revision: 0.7} @subtitle{Generated: 30 October 1998} @author{(C) Robert Muth 1998 }

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Introduction

Timing Notation

Abbreviations

SC	means shortcut
WC	weight change
F	foot
l	left
r	right
f	forward
b	backward
x	cross

Simple Steps

Name	SC	WC	Description
Ball Drop	BlDr	n	Drop Ball of foot while standing on the hell
Ball Step	BlSt	y	Step on ball of the foot
Brush	--	--	see Brush Forward
Brush Backward	BrBw	n	Hit the floor with the ball in a backward motion
Brush Forward	BrFw	n	Hit the floor with the ball in a forward motion
Chug	Chug	y	Slide leg forward, drop heel
Clap	Clap	n	Clap hands
Dig	--	--	see Heel Step
Heel Drop	HlDr	n	Drop heel of foot while standing on the ball
Heel Step	HlSt	y	Step on heel of the foot
Hop	Hop	n	hop on supporting foot
Jump	Jump	n	Jump with both feet landing on both feet
Leap	Leap	y	Jump from supporting foot to the other
Pull	--	--	see Brush Backward
Scuff	Scuff	n	Hit the floor with the heel in a forward motion
Snap	Snap	n	Snap fingers
Spank	--	--	see Brush Backward
Stamp	Stamp	y	Step on full foot
Step	--	--	see Ball Step
Stomp	Stomp	n	Step on full foot
Tap	Tap	n	Step on ball of foot

The shortcuts are subsequently used to describe more complex combinations. Steps without a shortcut are synonyms of those that have one. They often have the advantage of being one-syllable words which is convenient for memorizing combinations and their rhythm.

More Steps

Name	SC	WC	Description
Ball Change	Ball-Change[r]	n	BlSt[r] Stamp[l]
Closed Third
Heel Change	Heel-Change[r]	n	HlSt[r] Stamp[l]
Open Third	--	--	see Riffle
Riffle	Ri-ff-le[r]	n	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] BrBw[r]
Slap	Sl-ap[r]	n	BrFw[r] Tap[r]
Flap	Fl-ap[r]	y	BrFw[r] BlSt[r]
Paddle	Pad-dle[r]
Riff	Ri-ff[r]	n	BrFw[r] Scuff[r]
Scuffle	Scuf-fle[r]	n	Scuff[r] Tap[r]
Shuffle	Shuf-fle[r]	n	BrFw[r] BrBw[r]
Toe Heel	Toe-Heel[r]	y	BlSt[r] HlDr[r]
Heel Toe	Heel-Toe[r]	y	HlSt[r] BlDr[r]

Timestep

Name	Description
Single (A)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]: 7 8 \| 1 . 3 4 5 6
Single Break (A)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[r] Timing[8]: 7 8 \| 1 2 3 4 5 .
Single Break (B)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[r] Timing[8]: 7 8 \| 1 . 3 4 5 6 7 8 \| 1 2 3 4 5 .
Single (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:
Single Break (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[l] Timing[8]:
Double (A)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]: 7* 8 \| 1* 2 3* 4 5* 6
Double (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:
Double Break (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[l] Timing[8]:
Triple (A)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[24]: 19* . . 22 . . \| 1* . 3 . 5 . 7* . . 10 . . 13* . . 16
Triple (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:
Quadruple (A)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] HlDr[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:
Quadruple (B)	Stomp[r] Hop[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] HlDr[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:
Travelling	Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] Ball-Change[l] BrBw[l] Hop[r] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:

Riff

Name	Description
4 Point Riff	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] Dig[r] ToDr[r] Timing[2*3]: 4 5 6 \| 1 . .
5 Point Riff (A)	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] HlDr[l] Dig[r] ToDr[r] Timing[2*3]: 3 4 5 6 \| 1 .
5 Point Riff (B)	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] Dig[r] ToDr[r] HlDr[r] Timing[2*3]: 3 4 5 6 \| 1 .
6 Point Riff	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] HlDr[l] Dig[r] ToDr[r] HlDr[r] Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 Point Riff	BrFw[r] Scuff[r] HlDr[l] Dig[r] ToDr[r] HlDr[l] HlDr[r]

Buffalo

Name	Description
Single (Sideways to r)	Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (side, lift rF in front of lA) Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 . .
Double (Sideways)	Fl-ap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (side or back, lift rF) Timing[2*3]: 6 \|1 2 3 4 .
Triple (Sideways)	Shuf-fle[r] Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (side or back, lift rF) Timing[2*3]: 5 6 \| 1 2 3 4

Routine
Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (single buffalo repeat twice)
Fl-ap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (double buffalo repeat twice)
Hop[l] (hop forward over R leg) Hop[l] (hop backward over l leg)

Routine
Flap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (double buffalo repeat thrice)
Timing[2*3]: 6 |1 2 3 4 . (repeat thrice)
Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[l]
Timing[2*2]: 4 |1 2 3
Flap[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] (double buffalo repeat thrice)
Timing[2*3]: 6 |1 2 3 4 . (repeat thrice)
Fl-ap[l] Ball-Change[r]
Timing[2*2]: 4 |1 2 3
Flap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (double buffalo)
Timing[2*3]: 6 |1 2 3 4 .
Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[l]
Timing[2*2]: 4 |1 2 3
Flap[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] (double buffalo)
Timing[2*3]: 6 |1 2 3 4 .
Fl-ap[l] Ball-Change[r]
Timing[2*2]: 4 |1 2 3
Flap[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] (double buffalo repeat thrice)
Timing[2*3]: 6 |1 2 3 4 .
Fl-ap[r] Ball-Change[l]
Timing[2*2]: 4 |1 2 3

Irish

Irish (Sideways)	BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Hop[r] (Xover in front of RF) BlSt[l] Timing[8]:
Irish (Forward)	Shuf-fle[r] Hop[l] BlSt[r] (xover in front of LF) Timing[8]:
Double Irish (Sideways)	BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] HP[r] BlSt[l] Ball-Change[l] (xover in front of RF) Timing[8]:
Double Irish (Forward)	Shuf-fle[r] HP[l] Ball-Change[r] Shuf-fle[r] HP[l] BlSt[r] Timing[8]:

Waltzclog

Name	Description
Waltzclog (A)	BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] Timing[6]: 1 2 3 4 5 .
Waltzclog (B)	Fl-ap[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] Timing[6]: 6 \| 1 2 3 4 5
Waltzclog (C)	BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] BrBw[r] Ball-Change[l] Timing[9]: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 . .
Double Waltzclog	BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] Timing[9]: 1 2 3 4 5 6 \| 1 2 3 4 5 .

Routine
BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Ball-Change[r] BlSt[r] BlSt[l]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* 4 5* . 7* 8 | 1* 2 3* . 5* . 7* .
BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Ball-Change[r] BlSt[r] Clap
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* 4 5* . 7* 8 | 1* 2 3* . 5* . 7* .
BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Ball-Change[r] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] BlSt[l] BlSt[r]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* 4 5* . 7* 8 | 1* 2 3* . 5* . 7* .
BlSt[l] Shuf-fle[r] Ball-Change[r] BlSt[r] Shuf-fle[l] Ball-Change[l] BlSt[l] Clap
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* 4 5* . 7* 8 | 1* 2 3* . 5* . 7* .

Soft Shoe

Name	Description
Single Essence (A)	BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 . .
Single Essence (B)	BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (lF xf) Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 . .
Single Essence (C)	BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Heel-Change[l] (lF xf) Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 . .
Double Essence	BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] BrBw[l] Ball-Change[l] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 5 6 \| 1 2 3 4 . .
Single Paddle Turn
Double Paddle Turn	BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] (one full r turn in place) Timing[2*3]: 1 2 3 4 5 6 \| 1 2 3 4 . .

Routine
BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (to l) BlSt[l] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] (to r)
BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] BrBw[l] Ball-Change[l] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (to l)
BlSt[l] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] (to r) BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (to l)
BlSt[l] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] BrBw[r] Ball-Change[r] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] (to r)
BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (to l) BlSt[l] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] (to r)
BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] Fl-ap[l] BlSt[r] (one full r turn)
BlSt[l] BrFw[r] Ball-Change[r] (to r) BlSt[r] BrFw[l] Ball-Change[l] (to l)
BlSt[l] Fl-ap[r] BlSt[l] Fl-ap[r] BlSt[l] Fl-ap[r] BlSt[l] (one full l turn)

Combinations

Name	Description
Bombershay
Noname1	BrBw[r] Hop[l] Hop[l] BlSt[r] BlSt[l] Scuff[r] (travel to r)
Noname2	BrBw[r] Hop[l] Hop[l] BlSt[r] BlSt[l] Scuff[r] (travel to r)
Cincinatti (A)	BrBw[r] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] (back) Timing[8]:
Cincinatti (B)	BrBw[r] Hop[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] (back) Timing[8]: 7 \| 1 . 3 4 5 .
Cincinatti (C)	BrBw[r] HlDr[l] Shuf-fle[r] BlSt[r] (back) Timing[8]: 7 \| 1 . 3 4 5 .
Cramp Roll (A)	BlDr[r] BlDr[l] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] Timing[8]:
Cramp Roll (B)	BlDr[r] BlDr[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] Timing[8]:
Maxiford (A)	Stamp[r] Shuf-fle[l] Leap[l] BlSt[r] (xover back) Timing[6]: 1 2 3 4 5 .
Maxiford (B)	Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] Leap[l] Tip[r] (xover back) Timing[6]: 1 2 3 4 5 .
Pony	Tap[r] (away from LF) HlDr[r] HlDr[l] Tap[r] (next to LF) HlDr[r] HlDr[l] Timing[4]: 1 2 3 .
Pull Back
Pull Off	BrBw (l and r) follow by BlSt (l and r), all in one single jump backwards Timing[8]:
Train	Ball-Change Ball-Change BrBw Fl-ap Stamp BrBw Fl-ap Fl-ap Timing[16]:
Wings	Timing[8]:

Routines

Maxiford Routine

Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] Leap[l] Tip[r] Leap[r] Shuf-fle[l] Leap[r] Tip[r] BlSt[r] Clap
Timing[8]: 1 2 3 4 5 . 7 8 | 1 2 3 . 5 . 7 .
Leap[l] Shuf-fle[r] Leap[r] Tip[l] Leap[l] Shuf-fle[r] Leap[l] Tip[l] BlSt[l] Clap
Timing[8]: 1 2 3 4 5 . 7 8 | 1 2 3 . 5 . 7 .

Pony Routine

Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] (repeat 3 times ) Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[l]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* . 5* 6 7* . (repeat 3 times) 1* 2 3* . 5* . . .

Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] (repeat 3 times ) Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[r]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* . 5* 6 7* . (repeat 3 times) 1* 2 3* . 5* . . .

Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] | Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[l]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* . 5* 6 7* . | 1* 2 3* . 5* . . .

Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] | Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[r]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* . 5* 6 7* . | 1* 2 3* . 5* . . .
Tap[r] HlDr[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[l] | Tap[l] HlDr[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[r]
Timing[8]: 1* 2 3* . 5* . . . | 1* 2 3* . 5* . . .

Noname Routine 1

BrBw[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[r] BrBw[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[l] BrBw[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[r] (travel backwards)
HlDr[r] HlDr[l] HlDr[r]
BrBw[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[l] BrBw[r] HlDr[l] BlSt[r] BrBw[l] HlDr[r] BlSt[l] (travel backwards)
HlDr[l] HlDr[r] HlDr[l]

Timestep Routine

Literature

Tap Dancing at a Glance
Jimmy Ormonde
List Price: $9.95
1996 Reprinted Edition
Inside Tap : Technique and Improvisation for Today's Tap Dancer
Anita Feldman
Paperback, 200pp.
List Price: $18.95
1996
ISBN: 0871271990
Tap : The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories, 1900-1955
Rusty E. Frank, Gregory Hines
Paperback, 342pp.
List Price: $19.95
1995 2nd Revised Edition
ISBN: 0306806355
Tap Dance (a Dictionary in Labanotation)
Sheila Marion
Paperback, 60pp.
1986
ISBN: 0960200258
Tap Dance Dictionary
Mark Knowles
Hardcover, 240pp
1998
ISBN: 078640352
Tap Dancing
Tracy Maurer
Hardcover
1997
The Book of Tap: Recovering America's Long Lost Dance
Jerry Ames, Jim Siegelman
Paperback, 178pp.
1977
ISBN: 0679506322
Tap Along With Tommy Tommy Sutton
1986
List Price: $49.95
ISBN: 0961756802

This document was generated on 30 October 1998 using the texi2html translator version 1.52.

Tapdance -- Basic Steps and Moves

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