Warm-Up #2 Posted

Now you can enjoy both warm-up videos!

Across The Floor: Switching Pullback / Pick-up

Here is another part of the full class I posted, it is an across the floor flap ball change progression that includes a switching pullback.  You may have learned this as a "pick-up" or "alternating pullback", depending on where your teacher was from.

Once my students have mastered the switching pullback in the center, I add it to a simple combination to help them begin to incorporate the movement with other steps.  When they are first beginning, I allow them to take off from a flat foot (in this case a 'stamp').

There are also holds before and after the pick-up sounds, allowing the student to focus on that section.




ACROSS THE FLOOR FLAP BALLCHANGE PROGRESSION
Flap ball change R, flap ball change L,
Stamp R, switching pullback to land on L foot
Repeat

Counts: a1a2, a3a4, 5 (hold 6) a7 (hold 8)

Repeat the combination to the end of the floor.  On the return trip, begin with the left foot.

Tips and Variations:

• Make it more challenging by adding a toe back or shuffle before the switching pullback (on count 6)
• More advanced dancers should replace the stamp with a step (heel lifted)
• Remember to keep your heels off the floor during the flap ball change for clear sounds.

Across The Floor: Flap Progression

Here is another part of the full class I posted last week, it is an across the floor flap progression that repeats a basic pattern but adds another sound on each repeat.

I like to give this combination to my intermediate students when I notice that they have been forgetting to dance with their heels lifted off the floor.  It is simple enough to remember and is easy for hear if a student drops their heels as the flap sound will get muffled.  If during the progression they put their heels down, I send them back and they have to do it again (I'm a meanie!).




ACROSS THE FLOOR FLAP PROGRESSION
Flap R, flap L, flap R, hop
Reverse
Flap R, flap L, flap R, toe back L, hop
Reverse
Flap R, flap L, flap R, shuffle L hop
Reverse

Counts: a1 a2 a3 4, a5 a6 a7 8 | a1 a2 a3 a4, a5 a6 a7 a8 | a1 a2 a3 &a4, a5 a6 a7 &a8

Repeat if you have enough room. If not, turn around and repeat the combination starting with the L foot.

Tips and Variations:

• Add a 4th section by doing: flap, flap, flap, shuffle toe back hop (Counts - a1 a2 a3 e&a4)
• Make it more challenging by replacing the flaps with flap heels or shuffle steps.
• Make it easier by replacing the flaps with marches.
• Remember to keep your heels off the floor at all times during this step for clear sounds.
• Your foot should come off the floor immediately after the toe jab to help with speed and clarity.

Warm-Up Video Posted

I was finally able to record part of the class I posted back a few weeks.

Here is the first part of the warm-up.. look for more videos soon!

Depending on which way you prefer to follow, you can watch me facing away or towards you.  In a class, usually the students would be behind the teacher, but its sometimes easier to see what I'm doing from the front.  Sometimes the timing is a bit off from one side to the other - I recorded one with music and one without, so my timing isn't quite exact.

Full Intermediate Class #1

Happy New Year everyone!  I thought it might be fun to post a full tap class for those of you who practice at home.  So here it is!
Below is a typical intermediate class that I teach - I am hoping to have some time this weekend to video some of these steps and combinations for you.. until then - here is the annotated version of an intermediate tap class.  Enjoy!

Abbreviations & terms I use:
R = Right foot
L = Left foot
double time = twice as fast (if normal is 1 2 3 4, double time is 1 & 2 &)

WARM-UP (Music: "Domino" Jessie J - www.youtube.com . . .)
8 alternating toe drops R & L
8 alternating heel drops R & L
16 toe drops double time
16 heel drops double time

2 toe drops R, 2 toe drops L, repeat for a total of 8x
repeat with heel drops
repeat double toe drops, but double time
repeat double heel drops, but double time

Center Combo: Flap Ball Change

brush R backwards, hop L, toe jab R, hop L
flap ball change R (traveling R)
shuffle L, hop R, step L (in front of R)
flap ball change R (traveling R)
Reverse

Counts: a1 a2, a3 a4, a5 a6, a7 a8

Tips & Variations:

• This combination can be done center floor by traveling to the right and left.  It can also be traveled forward or backwards by traveling each side on the diagonal.
• For intermediate dancers, try turning a quarter or half turn on the brush hop toe hop.  A half turn would allow the dancer to travel across the floor in the same direction, a quarter turn would create a sort of "staircase" pattern.
• You can also try turning the shuffle hop step - a half or full turn would work.
• For advanced dancers, add a single pullback as follows:    brush hop toe hop, flap ball change, shuffle L single pullback R step L, flap ball change

Glossary: Timesteps

Our explanation of timesteps:

Intermediate Timestep/Cramproll Center Combination

This combination begins on count 7:

step R (7) , stamp L (8) to begin
double timestep* L, triple timestep R
double timestep L, triple timestep R

stamp R, cramproll (step L R, heel drop L R)
stamp L, cramproll (step R L, heel drop R L)
sugar sugar RL
repeat stamp cramproll section
-----
Counts & tips after the jump

Snappy Shuffle

Check out this post by The Dance Buzz:  Tap Teaching Tip:  The Snappy Shuffle

Good stuff!

Riff Updates!

Just wanted to let you know that the Riff Glossary page has been updated with some new videos that will hopefully clarify any questions.  Sometimes its just easier to learn from videos.

The videos are short and just show the riffs without explanation.

Enjoy!