Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Beckytwoshoes |
tap terminologySo, I'm currently taking a beginner tap class, and our teacher has taught us a move, but cant' remember what it's called. It goes...Flap right, heel L, heel R, pull back with left foot, heel R, toe L, heel R (makes 8 sounds). Reverse everything for left side. It's driving us crazy not knowing what it's called. Anybody have a clue? |
||
| MaryMag |
maybe it's a version of a time step. there are about 30 billion different ways to do a time step and perhaps that's one of them. I'm guessing that since it's 8 counts for each side and reverses. But jazzy teaches tap - hopefully she'll respond! 
|
||
| kakoforever |
Doesn't sound like a time step to me. I know exactly what you're talking about, that combination is used ALOT, and by several different names. My old teacher called it "The Butterfly Step", and you do it on the right, like you described it, and then immediately to the left.
Most of the other teachers/choreographers I've worked with just say "flap heel heel brush heel toe heel". |
||
| SuperKabob |
I think its called a hiccup... i do know what step youre talking about, but I think the name might be unique to where I take it, as my teacher had never heard it called that beofre she started teaching there. Hope that helps! | ||
| bwayblonde21 |
I know what you're talking about haha.
I did learn that combination once..my dance studio has a special name for it so unfortunately it wouldn't help you. |
||
| Celeste_SM |
rhythm roll | ||
| Jordan |
Y'Know, I was trying so hard to find a clip of that Simpsons episode... Yeah that step's called 'Tappa tappa tappa' 
|
||
| jazzygirlsings |
That's what I've heard it called as well, but I think there's a more universal term for it and (I'm sorry!) I'm TOTALLY blanking! LOL! And for the record, it's "fallap, heel, heel, SPANK, heel, toe, heel" (You brush to the front, a spank is to the back...)
|
||
| Bianca. |
seconded. |
||
| MissMusic |
OMG I SO KNOW THAT STEP!
Gar its gonna bug me because i cant remember what its called! i stopped tap this year! AHHHH! the only way i remember is flap heal heal brush heal toe heal... GRR! IS it a traveling time step? No... hmm! AHHH |
||
| Jordan |
It's 'tappa tappa tappa' I tell ya! I saw this on The Simpsons! | ||
| jazzygirlsings |
Technically...it's not a "brush"...if your foot is going back to make the sound, 'tis a spank... |
||
| BwayJuvinile |
this is the basic of this step. You can had decorations to it that make it really cool sounding, and you can add it into rift combo's too. It is a great filler step for beginners. | ||
| SuperKabob |
While we're talking about tap, does anyone have any tips for mastering pullbacks? (the step where you sort of do a backwards-flap-jump-thing)
That's the one step I really cant get. My teacher showed different ways of learning, like doing it on the barre, or sitting down. Are there any other ways? |
||
| InaraSanguine |
My tap instructor says that it's important to focus on the jump first and to make sure that while you're in the air your legs are fully extended. And the "backwards flap thing" will come later. But I don't know any special technique, mostly I just do it. I think it helps if you're not stressed out about it. |
||
| jazzygirlsings |
It's definitely a "trick"...some people can do it on the first try and some just take forever to learn it...
I'm still trying to master my double pullback, which I TOTALLY suck at. Doing the exercise in a chair or over and over at the barre is usually the best way. On barre, you can hold your weight up with your arms and slow the motion WAY down so you can get a sense of what your feet are doing on the way down from the jump. A good cheat to get the end of this jump, is to start with your weight just on your heels and then jump off your heels and pull your toes down as you jump...(Does that make sense??? Sorry...it's late! LOL!) Eventually, you won't have to use your heels to jump off of...that's kinda how I remember learning it from the great Mark Santoro...He was so patient...lotsa luv, dude! LOL! 
|
||
| SuperKabob |
I was able to do it about twice with just my heels on the ground... more then before! But now my parents are complaining about the noise.. 
Thanks for the advice! |
||
| jazzygirlsings |
No problem!
I teach a basic tap class, so I don't get to teach any tricks...it was fun to think of how it was broken down so I could originally get it, though! Glad I could be of help! NOW GO TO BED! LOL!
|
||
| SuperKabob |
Bah, I can't sleep this week. Last night I went to bed at 2:30, woke up at 6:30 completely refreshed... No idea what was going through my head.
hmmm... sleep is probably a good idea now. |
||
| jazzygirlsings |
Yeah...I'm about to turn in myself...it's just a matter of time before my boyfriend wakes up and beeotches me out for being awake... | ||
| SuperKabob |
http://www.tapmoves.com/
Meant to post this.... Its a great site with videos and explanations of basic (and harder!) tap steps. Great for those who need it demonstrated a lot. Ok, I'm going to bed now, I swear! |
||
| BwayJuvinile |
PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR HEELS FOR PULLBACKS!!!!!!!!!!
Never take a shortcut to learn a step, it creates horrible habbits and inhibits you from actually tap dancing correctly and to the CORRECT syncopation. Most people who say they TAP do not do the steps correctly. Its annoying. Tip for pullback, stand on balls of feet, squat down really low, and spring up and back and try to graze the tips of your toes on teh ground. Master 1 sound pullbacks before you try the double sound pullbacks. |
||
| Matthew |
Another tap tip:
For pullbacks, do a back flap on each foot, then attempt. |
||
| jazzygirlsings |
GEEZ! Excuse me! I had a Broadway veteran train me, so I guess I'm all wrong now...in my opinion, it isn't a bad shortcut for the step...I DID end up learning them correctly, but initially I didn't understand how the feet came down before hitting the floor. That shortcut helped me SO MUCH! From that shortcut, I then worked again on the beginning of the step on the balls of my feet, with my toes raised and it totally worked...(Sorry, I didn't add that!) And YES...it was the CORRECT syncopation...I have a sense of rhythm...DUH...I'm a musician! LOL! I think with learning dance "tricks", it's different strokes for different folks. What might not work for one person will TOTALLY work for another... And double pullbacks are still a problem for me (the second sound kicks my butt!), but I can totally rock the singles! LOL! (I can do them on one foot, etc...) And no hard feelings, but I seriously learned the step correctly this way...(He had done the heel thing after MUCH frustration from me and stressed that the beginning of this move was not how it would be in the beginning of the actual move...) I think my worst problem was that no matter how many times I did what you said above, I think my ankles just froze up in the air and I just didn't get it...When I was on my heels, I got the sense of what my ankles needed to do when I did what you described above. |
||
| Celeste_SM |
Who trained you jazzygirl? | ||
| jazzygirlsings |
Why do you ask? (And I listed one of my favorite teachers earlier in the thread who has been on Broadway numerous times...) | ||
| Celeste_SM |
I was just curious what Broadway vet trained you to do pullbacks with that method. So, I guess Mark Santoro was it, but please correct me if I'm wrong in drawing that conclusion. In discussing your suggested technique with a well known tapper (Sam Webber), he asked who was teaching in this style, probably to see if it was someone he knew, and I didn't know. So, I thought I'd ask. |