Tap dance, also known as jiga or step, is a kind of dance, a characteristic feature of which is percussive rhythmic footwork. It came from a harmonious mixture of cultures of different peoples: the ancestor of tap dance is, first of all, Irish dance and African American dance traditions. Dance became popular in the United States at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and in the 30s and 40s of the last century, thanks to Hollywood musical films in which the actors brilliantly performed the tap, the dance direction became fashionable everywhere.
It is necessary
To learn to step dance, you will definitely need special shoes: leather shoes with metal heels and toes. The heels are attached to the shoe with rivets or screws, the sound of the blows depends on the degree of tightening. It is important that the shoes are comfortable and of high quality, because you have quite a long grueling workout ahead of you
Instructions
Step 1
At first, it is very important to set aside time for vigorous training. The basics of dance are quite difficult, and a beginner tap dancer will have to work hard on honing the movements in order to achieve ease and ease of execution. You should start to master tap dance with a basic movement - a step. There are 4 basic steps: ball-change, brush, flap and shuffle.
Step 2
The easiest dance element is the ball-change step. The blow is performed with the foot of the right leg, and then the toe of the left leg hits the floor. Further, the movements alternate.
Step 3
The brush step is performed as follows: the dancer performs a heel kick, pushing the foot forward, after which the leg returns to its place, at the end with a toe kick.
Step 4
Flap - a step, to take which, you need to perform a heel kick while standing on one leg, then perform a toe kick of the other leg, after which the foot is placed on the floor. The same is done with the other leg. Make sure that the blows are not strong, light.
Step 5
Another basic step is similar to flap - shuffle. The difference is that during the performance, the dancer bends slightly while taking a step forward.
Step 6
Having brought the basic steps to automatism, having learned how to perform them very clearly and easily, you can move on to other, more complex elements of tap dance. Constantly and with pleasure practicing, after six months you will learn to tap quite decently, and in a year you will be able to perform your own number in front of friends or on a small stage without hesitation.
