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Tap Dance Terms

(r) = right foot    (l) = left foot            

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What we cover in Intro to Tap

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ball-change - Step behind on one foot, and step down with the other foot (2 sounds)

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back essence
Step(r) behind, step(l) side, step(r) side (3 sounds) OR
brush(r), step(r) behind, step(l) side, step(r) side (3 sounds)

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buffalo - leap (r) shuffle (l) leap (r) - Start with right leg crossed over your supporting le. End in the same position (4 sounds, moving sideways)

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brush (also see Spank) - Ball of your foot strikes the ground while brushing forward. Typically starts in the back and ends in front (1 sound)

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chug - with heel up, slide ball-of-the-foot forward, drop heel (1 sound, moves forward)

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cramp-roll - Step (r) step (l) heel (r) heel(l) (In place. 4 sounds)

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drawback - spank(r) ball(r) heel(r) (3 sounds) OR spank(r) heel(l) step(r) (3 sounds)

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flap - Starting behind, ball-of-your-foot forward strikes the ground(r) then taps or steps down in front(r) (2 sounds)

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grapevine

          step (side, r) step (crossing-front, l) step (side, r) step (crossing-back, l) (moving sideways, 4 sounds)

          step, heel (side, r) step, heel (crossing-front, l) step, heel (side, r) step, heel (crossing-back, l) (moving sideways, 8 sounds)

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heel - Place your entire heel down on the ground underneath you. (1 sound)

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heel-dig - Place the back portion of your heel on the ground with a partially flexed foot and relaxed knee. (1 sound)

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Maxi Ford - step(r), shuffle(l), step(l), toe(r) (5 sounds) / Double Maxi Ford - flap(r), shuffle(l), step(l), toe(r) (6 sounds)

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paddle - heel-dig(r) spank(r) step(r) (3 sounds)

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paradiddle AKA "Paddle & Roll" - heel-dig(r) spank(r) step(r) heel(r) (4 sounds)

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paddle turn - flap, step (turning) Weight is placed in the flap, and then again in the step down. Performed in place, but in a circular direction

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Shim-Sham (heel-dig version) 

          Heel-Dig(r) step(r) Heel-Dig(l) step(l) Heel-Dig (r) ball-change(r-l) Heel-Dig(r) step(r) 

          Heel-Dig(l) step(l) Heel-Dig(r) step(r) Heel-Dig(l) ball-change(l-r) Heel-Dig(l) step(l)

          Heel-Dig(r)  ball-change(r-l) Heel-Dig(r)  step(r) 

          Heel-Dig(l) ball-change(l-r) Heel-Dig(l) step(l)

          Heel-Dig(r) step(r) Heel-Dig(l) step(l) Heel-Dig (r) ball-change(r-l) Heel-Dig(r) step(r)  

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shuffle - Brush forward(r) and brush back with the ball-of-your-foot(r) Starts in back and ends up in the back. (2 sounds)

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spank (AKA pull) - Ball of your foot brushes back and strikes the ground. (Starts up in the front and ends up in the back. 1 sound)

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Step (AKA "ball) - All of your weight down on the ball of your foot while keeping your heel of the ground. (1 sound)

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stamp - Place your entire foot down on the ground. The foot gets your entire weight. (1 sound)

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stomp - Place your entire foot down on the ground at once and lift up immediately. The foot gets no weight. (1 sound)

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toe-drop (AKA Toe) - Place the tip of your toe on the ground. This is usually done behind the supporting foot. (1 sound)

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touch - (version 1) While your heel stays on the ground, lift and place the ball of your foot down.  (1 sound)

          (version 2) Place the ball of your foot down but do not place any weight  (1 sound)

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Waltz Clog - Leap(r), shuffle(l) ball-change(l-r) (usually done to waltz music - but 5 tap sounds)

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Level 1 & 2 Steps

back essence 

      (w/spank) Spank(r), step(r) behind, step(l) side, step(r) side (4 sounds)

      (w/flap) Spank(r), step(r) behind, flap(l) , step(r) side (5 sounds)

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bombershay - step(l) spank(r) heel-step(r) (3 sounds)

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Cincinnati - Spank(r) heel(l) shuffle(r) step(r) OR spank(r) hop(l) shuffle(r) step(r) (5 sounds, moving back)

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Irish - Shuffle(r) hop(l) step(r) OR hop(l) shuffle(r) step(r) (4 sounds, moving forward or backward)

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LA Time Step- Spank(r), heel(l), step(r), shuffle(l), ball-change(l-r), shuffle cramp roll, flap(l), ball-change(r-l)

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riff - brushing forward with the ball-of-your-foot(r) followed by brushing your heel(r) (2 sounds)

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riff-walk - brush forward with the ball-of-your-foot(r) brush your heel(r) heel-dig(r) tap(r) (4 sounds, moving foward)

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Shim-Sham (Studio's official version)

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Shim-Sham (Short Shuffle version)

          Shuffle(r) step(r) shuffle(l) step(l) shuffle(r) ball-change(r-l) shuffle(r) step(r) 

          Shuffle(l) step(l) shuffle(r) step(r) shuffle(l) ball-change(l-r) shuffle(l) step(l)

          Shuffle(r)  ball-change(r-l) shuffle(r)  step(r) 

          Shuffle(l) ball-change(l-r) shuffle(l) step(l)

          Shuffle(r) step(r) shuffle(l) step(l) shuffle(r) ball-change(r-l) shuffle(r) step(r) 

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Shirley Temple - Flap(r) heel(l) heel(r) spank(l) heel(r) toe-drop(l) heel(r) (8 sounds, moving side-to-side)

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the Soft-Shoe (basic)

          Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r)

          Spank(l) step(l) flap(r) step(l)

          Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r) spank(l) step(l) step(r) flap(l) step(r)

 

          Spank(l) step(l) flap(r) step(l)

          Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r)

          Spank(l) step(l) flap(r) step(l) spank(r) step(r) step(l) flap(r) step(l)

 

          Clockwise Turn -  Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r) flap(l) step(l) flap(l) step(r)

          Counter Clockwise Turn - Spank(l) step(l) flap(r) step(l) flap(r) step(r) flap(r) step(l)

 

          Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r)

          Spank(l) step(l) flap(r) step(l)

          Spank(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r) spank(l) step(l) step(r) flap(l) step(r)

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Susie Q - cross in front stamp(r) step(l) while pivoting the stamping foot out(r) (2 sounds)

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Time Step (First) 

          stomp(r) hop(l) step(r) flap(l) step (r)   (starts on count 8)

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Time Step (Second)

          stomp(r) hop(l) flap(r) flap(l) step (r)   (starts on count 8)

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Time Step (Triple)

          stomp(r) hop(l) shuffle(r) step(r) flap(l) step(r)  (starts on count 8)

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Time Step (Double Triple)

           stomp(r) hop(l) shuffle(r) step(r) shuffle(l) step(l) step(r)  (starts on count 8)

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Travel Time Step

           Step, shuffle, ball-change, ball-change, spank, hop, step, brush, hop step

 

Level 3 & 4 Steps

grab-off  (**we have covered this version in Level 3)         

          spank(l) leap(r) (2 sounds)         

          shuffle(r) spank(l) leap(r) (4 sounds)**         

          shuffle(r) spank(l) leap(r) heel(r) (5 sounds)

 

pullback - moves backward

          single pullback: spank(r) spank (l) step(r) step(l) (spanks at same time, steps at same time. 2 sounds)

          double pullback: spank(r) spank (l) step(r) step(l) (4 sounds)

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riffle - riff(r) spank(r)  (3 sounds)

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riffle step- riff(r) spank(r) step(r)  (4 sounds)

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scuff - strike the heel in a forward motion (1 sound)

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scuffle - strike the heel forward(r) spank ball-of-the-foot back(r) (2 sounds)

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toe-tip cramp-roll - toe-tip(r) toe-tip(l) step(r) step(l) (4 sounds)

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wing - Both feet brush to the side, spank in, and step down (3 sounds)

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