Vance's Fantastic Tap
Dictionary |
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Stamp | A step on the entire flat of the foot, taking weight. More commonly known today as a "Flat Step." | |||
Step | Placing of the ball of the foot firmly on the floor. | |||
Step Chug | A stepping forward on the ball or flat of the foot, followed by a Chug which is an exaggerated heel drop. | |||
Step Brush, Heel Drop | A basic combining of tap movements: | |||
A. Measure | Count | Movement | ||
1 | 1 | Step L bk | ||
and | Brush R bk | |||
2 | Drop L heel | |||
3 | Step R bk | |||
and | Brush L bk | |||
4 | Drop R heel | |||
Step Pull | Also known as a Step, Slide: A step and slide back on the same foot. The term "Pull" has been used to mean a Back Brush. | |||
Stomp | A striking of the floor with the entire flat of the foot; this movement does not take weight. Today, this movement is more commonly referred to as a "Flat Tap". | |||
Stomp Roll | A series of heel drops from side to side. | |||
Strike | With the weight on the heels of both feet, strike the toes together. More commonly called "Hit." | |||
Stub | Hit R toe against L heel or reverse. | |||
Stub Toe Walk | Basically, a movement from the Lancashire Clog: | |||
and | Drop L heel | |||
1 | 1 | Hit R heel against L toe | ||
and | Drop L ball | |||
2 | Step R (XF of L) | |||
and | Hit L toe against R heel | |||
3 | Step L (to L side) | |||
Supporting Foot | The foot on which the weight is placed. | |||
Suzi-Q | Dance craze of 1937: Clasp the hands and hold them extended in front of the body; slide on foot across in front of the other and step to the side with the opposite foot. The arms move to the R on the cross movement and to the L as you step on the L foot to the L side. | |||
Swirl | Bent knee turn: With the L knee bent and foot flat on the floor, execute a complete turn L while the R ft is ext. to the side. | |||
Swivel | Quarter or half turns executed on the balls of the feet. Feet do not leave the floor. | |||
Tanglefoot | A tap movement derived from the Charleston Theme Step, consisting of the inward and outward motion of the toes. This movement is sometimes called a "Heel Twist." The following is one form of a Tanglefoot. | |||
and | Step L (to R ft) | [A] | ||
1 | 1 | Dig R heel fwd (to R side), toe raised |
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and | Drop R ball (to R side) | |||
2 | Repeat A | |||
and | ||||
3 | ||||
and | Step L (to R ft) | |||
4 | Step R (to R side), toe turned in |
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a | Drop R heel (to R side) | |||
and | Drop R ball (to R side) | |||
a | Repeat A | |||
2 | 5 | |||
and | ||||
6 | Repeat A | |||
and | ||||
7 | ||||
and | Step L (flat) | |||
8 | Step R (flat) | |||
Tap Heel | Same as a Heel Tap. | |||
Tap Spring | Same as a Tap, Leap: Tap R ball (to L ft); Leap fwd to R ft. | |||
Tap, Step | A combination of two tap sounds: Tap R ball fwd, Step R bk. | |||
Three | Also called a Triple, commonly known as a shuffle and a step. | |||
Tiller | A term referencing John Tiller -- meaning a high-kicking, precision dancing chorus line or "Line Number." | |||
Time Step | A repeatable combination that marks tempo. Time Step can refer to an eight measure movement placed at the beginning of a dance routine. A total of six Time Steps were usually executed, followed by a Break. Originally used for the purpose of setting the tempo of a routine for the musicians as rehearsals were rarely exercised in small time vaudeville. There are countless variations of the Time Step. | |||
Standard Time Step - Single: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
2 | Step R bk | |||
and 3 | Flap L fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
4 and | Shuffle L fwd | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
6 | Step L bk | |||
and 7 | Flap R fwd | |||
and | Step L | |||
Standard Double Time Step: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
and 2 | Flap R fwd | |||
and 3 | Flap L fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
4 and | Shuffle L fwd | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
and 6 | Flap L fwd | |||
and 7 | Flap R fwd | |||
and | Step L | |||
Standard Triple Time Step: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
and a | Shuffle R fwd (to R side) | |||
2 | Step R bk | |||
and 3 | Flap L fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
4 and | Shuffle L fwd | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
and a | Shuffle L fwd (to L side) | |||
6 | Step L bk | |||
and 7 | Flap R fwd | |||
and | Step L | |||
Standard Double Triple Time Step: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
and a | Shuffle R fwd (to R side) | |||
2 | Step R bk | |||
and a | Shuffle L fwd (to L side) | |||
3 | Leap fwd to L ft (to L side) | |||
and | Step R bk (XB of L) | |||
4 and | Shuffle L fwd | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
and a | Shuffle L fwd (to L side) | |||
6 | Step L bk | |||
and a | Shuffle R fwd (to R side) | |||
7 | Leap fwd to R ft (to R side) | |||
and | Step L bk (XB of R) | |||
Standard Toe Tap Time Step: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
and | Toe tap R bk | |||
2 | Step R bk | |||
and 3 | Flap L fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
4 and | Shuffle L fwd | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
and | Toe tap L bk | |||
6 | Step L bk | |||
and 7 | Flap R fwd | |||
and | Step L | |||
Stomp Time Step: | ||||
8 | Flat tap R fwd (no wt) | |||
and | Brush R bk | |||
1 | 1 | Hop L | ||
2 | Step R bk | |||
and 3 | Flap L fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
4 | Flat tap L fwd (no wt) | |||
and | Brush L bk | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
6 | Step L bk | |||
and 7 | Flap R fwd | |||
and | Step L | |||
Single Traveling Time Step: | ||||
8 and | Shuffle R fwd | |||
1 | 1 | Step R | ||
and 2 | Shuffle L fwd (to L side) | |||
and 3 | Ball change L-R (to R side) | |||
and 4 | Ball change L-R (to R side) | |||
2 | 5 | Hop R | ||
6 | Step L | |||
and 7 | Shuffle R fwd | |||
and | Step R | |||
Off Beat Time Step: Same as a Stomp Time Step. | ||||
Waltz Time Step: | ||||
1 | 1 | Step L | ||
and 2 | Shuffle R fwd | |||
and 3 | Ball change R-L | |||
4 | Step R | |||
2 | and 5 | Shuffle L fwd | ||
and 6 | Ball change L-R | |||
Toe Back | Same as a Toe Tap: Strike the point of the toe in back of the standing foot and immediately raise the foot from the floor. Does not take weight. | |||
Toe Beat | Same as a Toe Tap but the toe remains on the floor | |||
Toe Click | Same as Click Toes: With the weight on the heels of both feet (toes up) Strike the toes together. | |||
Toe Dig | Emphasized step fwd on the ball of the foot with the knee bent; a strut or jazz type movement. | |||
Toe Drop | With the weight on the heel (toe up), force the ball of the foot to the floor. | |||
Toe-Heel | An old term for a Brush R fwd, Dig R heel fwd (toe up). | |||
Toe Stand | A flashy movement in which the dancer is on the toe points of both feet. | |||
Toe Tap | Also "Toe Tip" -- a striking of the point of the toe in any direction and immediately raising the foot from the floor. Normally, this movement does not take weight. | |||
Trench | A flash step consisting of slides back,
alternating from one foot to the other and swinging the arms 180 degrees
in a windmill fashion:
"With the weight on one foot, extend the other leg in the air, diagonally to the back or Upstage; slide back on the outer edge of the supporting foot, landing on the opposite foot; at the same spot from which the first slide started. When the movement is executed in this manner, the body is bent forward with the arms extended and in line with the shoulders. If the L leg is extended in the back on the beginning of the movement, the L arm would be extended forward and towards the floor. Trenches may also be executed forward with the body leaning back in a "Cake Walk" fashion." |
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Turns | There are four basic turns associated with tap: | |||
Right Inside Turn: Pivoting on the R foot, execute a
complete turn to the R in a forward movement. Right Outside Turn: Pivoting on the L foot, execute a complete turn to the R in a backward movement. Left Inside Turn: Pivoting on the L, execute a complete turn to the left in a forward movement. Left Outside Turn: Pivoting on the R foot, execute a complete turn to the left in a backward movement. |
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Two | A Shuffle. | |||
Two Step | A movement commonly associated with the Fox Trot. Step R fwd (1), Close L to R ft (2), Step R fwd (3), Rest (4). | |||
Waltz Clog | Traditionally refers to a Waltz Time Step. | |||
Wings | A wing, in the general sense of the word, is a movement executed on one foot while the other foot is in the air: With the toe of the supporting foot turned inward, brush the foot outward in a swishing movement, executed on the outer edge of the sole (AST lifting body upward in the air) then execute a back brush step on the descending movement (3 sounds). Some dancers, on the outward swishing movement, force the ankle to roll out. | |||
Double Wings: This movement is executed almost simultaneously
but not quite. One foot should move slightly ahead of the other foot in order
to achieve six distinct sounds. Russian Wings: Sometimes referred to as "Squat Wings." Throw both feet forward and brush (AST body raises almost to a standing position) strike the heel of the right foot first and then the left. (Heel Scuffs); as the feet are returning, execute a back brush step R, followed by a back brush step L (AST returning to the squatting position) and land on both feet. This combination makes six distinct sounds; one example is "a 8 a and a 1." Scratch Wings: Same as Swap Wings. Swap Wings: With the weight on one foot, execute the first two sounds of the Wing on this foot, landing on the opposite foot for the third sound. |
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Index
[A-B] [C
- E] [F - N]
[O - Sp]
[Sq - Z]
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