Tap dancing, a style of dance that combines rhythm and expression, is a fascinating art that has been a source of entertainment for many. Dancers make the tap noise by tapping metal plates attached to their shoes on the ground. Tap dancing combines dancing to music with expressing oneself through physical movement.
Learning basic tap steps is essential for those taking up the art form. These basics serve as a springboard to more advanced methods and practices. This helps dancers develop a strong framework for learning how to tap dance.
This blog will explore the origin of tap dancing, the names of dance moves, and helpful tips on perfecting the basic tap steps and beats. Let's begin learning tap dancing for beginners from the ground up.
Origin of Tap Dancing
Tap dancing originated in the mid-1800s when African and Irish dancing styles met in the dynamic cultural stew of American cities.
After the Civil War, tap dancing became a staple of minstrel performances. The arrival of the 20th century saw its widespread incorporation into Vaudeville shows, where its rhythms quickly became crowd favorites. Tap dancers used to gather at Harlem's Hoofer's Club in the 1930s to practice steps and compete in friendly dances. This was the start of a thriving tap dance community.
The 1950s saw a downturn in tap dance's popularity, but the style's legacy lives on in the form of jazz dance. Nowadays, it's not hard to find an educational institute like Superprof that offers dance classes near me for kids and adults, so the art form keeps influencing and being loved by future generations.
If you're curious about the origins of modern tap dancing, it's important to learn about the pioneers who shaped tap dancing history. Here is a brief overview of some of the most influential figures.
| Name | Years of Fame | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Bill "Bojangles" Robinson | 1878-1949 | Use of wooden taps on shoes |
| Fred Astaire | 1920s-1960s | Renowned for innovation in tap dance on film and stage |
| Gene Kelly | 1940s-1980s | Known for blending tap dancing with ballet and modern dance |
| Sammy Davis Jr. | 1930s-1990s | An all-around entertainer who excelled in tap dancing |
| Gregory Hines | 1970s-2003 | Introduced modernized tap dancing and contributed to its revival in the late 20th century |
What Are the Fundamentals of Tap Dancing?
Tap dancing is a fusion of the tap dance moves and the synced beats. Below are a few of the tap-dancing basics that every dancer who wants to learn to tap dance should master:
Right Footwear
The right kind of tap shoes can make or break your dance routine. Tap shoes are a special footwear with metal taps affixed to the bottoms. Using these metal taps, dancers make rhythmic noises by tapping the floor.
Correct shoes for tap dancing are crucial for a dancer. Shoes should be close fitting without being restrictive, allowing for free movement of the foot. When your feet aren't supported properly, it might be difficult to perform tap dance steps precisely. Additionally, the kind of tap shoes you wear might modify your dancing experience. Tap shoes come in two varieties: slip-on jazz and lace-up oxfords. Slip-ons are sleek and easy to put on, while lace-ups provide more ankle support.
Tap Dance Steps for Beginners
The key to mastering tap dancing is first to learn the beginner tap steps. With this, you can master more complex routines. Some of the common tap-dancing step names are:
- Shuffle Ball: This is on top of the list of dance moves that every beginner starts with. The shuffle ball change is a simple step that involves alternating movements of the ball and the heel of the foot. It is a common starting point for new dancers since it emphasizes the importance of rhythm and controlled footwork.
- Flap: To flap, you brush the floor with the ball of your foot, then tap your heel swiftly. Tap-dancing types often rely on various tap sounds, making them crucial in many routines and performances.
- Brush: It is one of the most common beginner tap steps that involve a light brushing sound produced by the foot as it rolls softly over the floor, either on the ball or the heel. This is a great way to create fluid, beautiful motions and give depth and richness to your performance.
- Ball change: Ball change dance definition refers to transitional steps used in several dance styles, notably tap dancing and jazz. This fundamental step appears often in tap dancing combinations and performances. Like any other tap-dancing step name, the ball change requires practice and control to perfect before it can be included in a dancer's routine.
Alignment and Posture
Tap dancing requires perfect alignment of the body at all times. The capacity to maintain stability and perform dance moves precisely depends on the dancer's posture. Keep your back straight, chest out, and abdominals tight for this. When your back is straight, you'll have more command over your body and less chance of strain. Superprof's trainer suggests keeping your weight equally distributed between your feet and maintaining a balanced body weight, allowing fluid transitions from one step to the next.
Maintain Your Composure
One of the most important components of tap dancing is learning to keep your balance and composure. To execute dance steps gracefully and accurately, dancers must precisely transfer their weight from one foot to another. Regulating your center of gravity allows you to perform each step easily and assuredly. Don't sway too much; it helps you maintain your balance and perform better.
Focus on Sound
Tap dance is founded on sound creation. To master the art form, focus on making clean, distinct sounds by tapping the shoe's toe, ball, or heel. Get some practice with these controls so you can add or subtract tones and accents as needed.
Superprof's tap dance experts recommend adjusting your foot pressure and angle to produce different sounds. Every tap must ring if you want your performance to have a strong rhythmic foundation. Due to your mastery of sound generation, audiences will be captivated by the melody of your motions as you demonstrate your technical prowess in your tap dance performances.
Practice
Practicing is the best way to improve your technique and build muscle memory. The more you work on your form, the more natural and effortless it will seem. Schedule time to practice certain moves, sequences, and routines. Challenge yourself by doing more difficult exercises as you train. Record your practice sessions and analyze your progress to determine what you must work on.
Train with an expert dancer like the ones in Superprof for more in-depth training. Whether you want to learn dance for beginners or expert level, practice will help you a great deal.
Timing & Rhythm
To understand what is tap dancing, one must equally grasp the correlation between rhythm and timing. Use a metronome and count beats to perfect your time; this will help you catch the beat. The quality of your performance will increase if you can strike each beat precisely. Whether it's slow music, quick jazz, or pop culture tap dance, mastering rhythm and timing is essential for dancing.
What Are the Benefits of Tap Dancing?
Tap dancing is a fun activity that provides great advantages to your health. Some of them are given below:
Enhanced Cardiovascular Health and Aerobic Fitness
Tap dancing is a great way to increase your heart rate and aerobic fitness since it keeps your heart rate up and your muscles moving and oxygenated. Regular tap-dancing practice improves cardiovascular health, reduces disease risk, and increases physical stamina. This kind of cardio training improves lung health by expanding lung capacity and enhancing efficiency.
Stronger, More Toned Muscles.
Tap dancing uses several muscle groups and improves muscular tone, strength, and stamina. Tap dancing is a fantastic full-body exercise because of the dynamic footwork and rapid motions. Your lower body muscles, like quads, hamstrings, and calves, will strengthen and tone, and your abs will help you stay balanced and stable as you do more advanced exercises. Furthermore, you can leverage this stamina in your everyday work for maximum productivity.
Lessen Osteoporosis Chances
Weight-bearing activities like tap dancing help build bone mass and lessen the likelihood that one may develop osteoporosis. Impact from tapping your feet on the floor helps bones grow and change, especially in the lower limbs. Those prone to bone loss due to age or other causes can benefit greatly from this art form. Keeping your bones healthy as you get older is important for both your mobility and health and tap dancing is a great method to strengthen your bones and lower your chances of osteoporosis.
Controlling One's Weight
Dancing the taps requires a lot of energy and muscle, so it's no surprise that it helps you shed pounds. Taking tap dancing lessons or practicing regularly has been linked to healthier weight control and even weight reduction in some people.
Dancing promotes weight loss, improves cardiovascular health, increases muscle activation, and boosts metabolism. Plus, it's an enjoyable activity that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.
Enhanced Stability and Mobility
To become a proficient tap dancer, one must have good balance and flexibility. Practicing complex routines while maintaining an upright posture helps improve balance. The required reaching and extending motions also contribute to increasing flexibility. Flexibility training is beneficial not only for dance performance but also for joint health and mobility. Additionally, tap dancing is a fun way to stay fit as it combines aerobic, weight training, and flexibility exercises in one activity.
Learn Tap Dancing with Superprof
In conclusion, learning tap dance is a fun and rewarding experience. You can develop a one-of-a-kind and fascinating ability that will make an indelible impact on others with enough time and effort spent learning the basics.
Seek expert instructors on sites like Superprof to learn tap dancing or improve your current abilities. If you want to enhance your tap dancing skills, take advantage of Superprof's popular tap dancers' advice, guidance, and instruction.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up today!
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