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.