Practice this step that we worked on last summer. It is part of the new dance we are learning.

Weight on right foot, do toe jab with left foot behind right foot.

Now... from this position -slide left toe along ground to front (from behind right foot) and drop right heel as youu do this ,
brush left foot back, left dig toe-(next to right foot) drop left heel.
right heel jab (to front), right brush back, drop left heel, right toe jab behind left foot
you are now in position to repeat step sliding right toe out...
again repeat sliding left foot out...
again begin to repeat sliding right foot out, drop left heel, brush back on right,right dig and right heel drop then STEP onleft foot to end the step.

If this doesn't make sense-not to worry-I'll explain in class next week. Don't practice it wrong.
Cathy

Steps

What we worked on this week:

Flap(r) flap(l) flap(r) (staying on balls of feet) shuffle(l) heel(r)
flap(l) scuff(r)-hold this scuff
brush back ((r) step(r) ball(l) change(also known as a 'step') on right foot

repeat starting on left; repeat again starting on r (so do 3 times)
Then to end step ....flap (l) scuff(r).... brush Back step (r) scuff(l).....brushback step(l) scuff(r) ..brush back step (r) ball(l) change(r)
We will do this step in a circle, but work on it across the floor, (it travels) before wee work on doing it in a circle.


We also learned riffs: (in a 'scooping' motion) toe(r) heel(r) heel(l) heel(r) toe(r) then the same beginning on left (to left)
(in a 'scooping' motion) toe(l) heel(l) heel(r) heel(l) toe(l) then can keep repeating on each foot


Practice!

great tap videos

Hi all! I just discovered some great tap videos on www.youtube.com then search for 'tap steps'.
Cathy

dance steps

Hi tappers! See you tomorrow night -Thursday at 5 p.m.
I can't remember the steps except one:

Flap(r) flap(l) flap(r) (staying on balls of feet) shuffle(l) heel(r)
flap(l) scuff(r)-hold this scuff
brush back ((r) step(r) ball(l) change(also known as a 'step') on right foot

repeat starting on left
down lightly on balls of feet in 'soft shoe' style, go across the floor with this step alternating starting on left then right foot
Cathy

bigger tap floor

We have moved into a bigger room at A Step Ahead, so we have room for more students. I didn't do a lot of promotion of the class when we started back up as space was limited. So now if you know of anyone that is interested in tapping you can tell them about the class! I had fun tapping yesterday but I can't remember what we did to post new steps.
Cathy

Great class last Thursday. Please see the post from July 10, 2007 for info on the Shim Sham and see earlier posts for description of basic tap moves. Here is the new step we have been working on.

step on right crossing over left and chug back on right foot.
step on left crossing over right and chug back on left foot.
step on right crossing over left and chug back on right foot.
step on left beside right foot.
slight pause.
quickly-jump onto right heel then left heel then jump onto right ball of foot then left ball of foot
repeat then staying on left ball of foot (a little slower)
do a right heel jab (slightly to front diagonal) , brush back with this right ball of foot, drop left heel and then do a right toe jab behind left foot.
slight pause

slide right toe to front diagonal (a little slowly), drop left heel near end of 'slide out' of right foot.
on right do brush back dig heel (bringing right foot beside left foot).
do a heel jab to left diagonal with left foot, brush back with left foot, drop right heel and jab left toe behind right foot. You are now reeady to slide right toe out and drop left heel repeating step on left then repeat again on right
then end with slide left toe out and drop right heel, brush left foot back and do left dig heel beside right foot , then end step by stepping on right foot.

Hope this makes sense.
Happy tapping,
Cathy

class cancelled this week

My daughter is in the hospital and I have to cancel class this week. So sorry.
Cathy

See you tomorrow at 5p.m.!!!!!
Cathy

let's get tapping

We will begin tap dancing again this Thursday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. at A Step Ahead dance studio. It is in downtown Middletown at the corner of Central and Verity. The entrance faces Verity. You may park in the parking lot just beyond the entrance. When you come in just follow the signs and the staircases around and around until you come to the studio. We are in the smallest studio right next to the reception desk. Because the studio is so small we will not open it up to newcomers (unless I have already talked to you.) There will be a forty dollar a month rental fee for the studio. Therefore, there will be a small fee for each class to cover sudio costs.
See you on Thursday.
Cathy

Next two classes

Attention tappers! Next week's class will be on Monday (July 30) at 8 a.m. because I will be gone on Tuesday. The next week's class (on Tuesday August 7 at 8 a.m.) will be our last at that location-at least until after school starts. They need to wax the stage and hall to get ready for the school year. We may have some classes at a dance studio in Westchester for the couple weeks in mid August. I am checking on that.
Keep tapping!
Cathy

tap class July 24

Hey tappers! It looks like we may not have any beginning tappers tomorrow. So...we may start in on the more advanced stuff right away. Now if a beginning tapper is reading this and plans to come --please still come -I can lead a two level class!
See you tomorrow at 8a.m. Don't forget park in rear and come in door H and go up the steps.
Cathy

see you in class July 17

Hi Tappers! See you in class tomorrow morning. For those of you interested, Rhythm in Shoes tap classes start tonight.
Cathy

homework from today's class

For those of you who want to practice I will attempt to describe the steps.

Shim Sham
1st step
(rocking motion) touch right ball of foot toward right then 'rock', back and do left heel drop--repeat
dig heel-on right to right, dig heel on left stepping over right, step on right to right.
REPEAT ALL OF ABOVE (starting on left ffoot,touch ball of left foot to left and rock back to do a heel on right etc.)
REPEAT ALL OF ABOVE AGAIN TO RIGHT on the last 'step on right to right' you then go on to do (starting with left foot and moving toward the left) dig heel dig heel step. Then again to right dig heel dig heel step(r) step(l). You then begin Tack Annie
2nd step
bring right ball of foot into tap floor next to left foot and then step back out to right. Bring left bal of foot into tap floor besid right foot and step back to left side, bring right ball of foot to strike floor next to left foot and step back out to right side and then***bring left foot to strike floor with ball of left foot AND PUT YOUR WEIGHT ON IT so you can then step out on right foot and then left foot.repeat
3rd step
(all on right foot)step (to front), brush back, step
repeat all on left foot
repeat all on right foot except then go on and do another step on left foot
repeat all on right foot again

the rhythm for this is ---
step brush step
step brush step
step brush step step
step brush step
Repeat

4th step

Lunge forward on right foot
step back on left foot
shuffle (r) ball (l) change(L) [change means step]
Repeat

Break step
step (r), toe jab (left -behind right foot), step (l)
step on right behind left foot-chug right foot forward
step on left behind right foot-chug left foot forward
jump on both feet to sides
bring both feet together in a sliding motion (nice if can cause heels to click when brought together)

For more advanced students:
New step
step to right on right
brush back on left, drop heel on right, jab left toe behind right foot
drop right heel then (repeating step), step to left on left, brush(r), drop heel (l),jab right toe behind left foot
dropping left heel repeat again to right except after ending toe jab do another drop heel on right and jab left toe to left , drop right heel again and jab left toe again behind right foot (repeat whole sequence starrting with left then again starting with right foot)
Now... from this position -slide left toe along ground to front (from behind right foot) and drop right heel as youu do this ,
brush left foot back, left dig toe-(next to right foot) drop left heel.
right heel jab (to front), right brush back, drop left heel, right toe jab behind left foot
you are now in position to repeat step sliding right toe out...
again repeat sliding left foot out...
again begin to repeat sliding right foot out, drop left heel, brush back on right,right dig and right heel drop then STEP onleft foot to end the step.

Happy practicing!!

tap class 7-10-07

Hi Tappers! See you tomorrow morning. Remember- the only door open to the building will be around the back of the school at the far end of the little semi-enclosed parking lot. You can park right by the door. Then just come up the steps. I'm looking forward to tapping with you.
Cathy

Hi Tappers! Check out the following link to see about some summer tap classes on July 16-19 in Dayton. If for some reason the link doesn't work, go to www.rhythminshoes.org and click on classes. See you tomorrow.

http://rhythminshoes.org/index.php/?page_id=3

Cathy

class Tuesday July 3, 2007

Looking forward to tap dancing with you on Tuesday, July 3 at 8 a.m. ...or 8:30 or 9:00. (Same place as before!)
Cathy

No class this Tuesday and next

No tap class this Tuesday, June 19 and next Tuesday, June 26. We will resume class on Tuesday, July 2 at 8:00 a.m. (or later if you want to come at 8:30 or 9:00.) Keep tapping!

tap class review for 6-12-07

Beginners: Some basic tap moves (sometimes called 'tap vocabulary')

dig(or toe) -hit the floor with the ball of your foot, often followed with then dropping the same heel for a second sound (and putting your weight on that foot so you are then free to do a dig heel on the other foot and so on to the beat of the music). This is part of what we did as a warm up.
heel (picking up your foot and putting it to the floor on your heel for one sound, followed by smacking that same foot's toe down for the second sound -while transferring your weight onto that foot so you are free to do same with your other foot and so on to the beat of the music.-also part of our warm up.

slap-2 sounds-brush forward with the ball of your foot and then touch that same foot to the ground for the second sound. No weight change.

flap-same as slap except you step onto the foot and put your weight onto the foot making the second sound (so you are then free to do a flap on the other foot.)

shuffle- brush forward and then back with the ball of one foot-your weight of course will be on the other foot.

shuffle ball change-shuffle with right foot then bring ball of right foot to floor-putting weight on it long enough to step onto your left foot. So 4 sounds -shuffle(2)ball(1)change(1)(the 'change' is the step onto your left foot.) Practice with right foot then do on left foot.

For all tappers-work with knees slightly bent with your weight over the balls of your feet. As much as possible work from your hip with a loose ankle. We will practice and develop this in class-do not stress over this-it will come. Just have fun.

More advanced tappers...
Perididdles(spelling?)-
drop left heel, stick right heel into floor, then brush right foot back and do a dig with the ball of your right foot-one perididdle
you are now free to do the same step beginning with your right foot. Drop right heel, stick left heel to floor, brush back with left foot and dig ball of lefft foot into floor and so on. Practice slowly to music and don't do faster until you can hear each sound distinctly. We practiced putting the emphasis on the dropped heel.

Virginia essence-
slap (right foot to right side), drop left heel then right heel, brush back with left foot, drop right heel, stab left toe to ground behind right foot , drop right heel. You are now free to take that left foot that is raised in air behind right foot and do same step to left...slap left foot to left side, drop right heel, then drop left heel, brush back with right ball of foot, drop left heel, stab right toe to floor behind left foot then drop left heel and you are now free to repeat step to the right.

Tuesday tap class

Hi tappers! I look forward to tapping with you this Tuesday (June 12) at 8a.m. (or a little later if you are an experienced tapper!) at Roosevelt/Wildwood school on Central avenue. Please check this site to see messages regarding class for the week as a way for me to tell you if class is unexpectedly cancelled etc. There may also be messages regarding what we are learning, about upcoming tap events etc.