Ann Pennington
Ned Wayburn’s Tap and Step Dancing
Sometimes Called Clogging
YOU will remember that in a preceding chapter I said that Tap and Step dances were those composed chiefly of motions of the feet which resulted in combinations of various sounds made by different parts of the foot tapping or beating the floor, these sounds or beats being called “taps.” This type of dancing expresses the American syncopated rhythms. It was the most popular type of stage dancing about forty years ago, when it was most beautifully performed by the greatest American dancing stars like the late George H. Primrose, the famous American minstrel.
Buck-dancing is done to syncopated rhythms, and you must get the right accent on those syncopated beats or taps or you cannot get the knack of doing a buck dance properly. So it is most important that you practice over and over again the four kinds of “taps” and “hops” which I shall describe now. First of all, stand in an imaginary circle the diameter of your feet, with your heels together, your right toe pointed right oblique and your left toe pointed left oblique, your weight equally distributed between the two feet, as described in a previous chapter.
Straight tap Straight
Tap Every dancing step is in counts of eight. Remember that all of your counts begin with the left foot unless you are instructed to the contrary. Remember always, when you hop, to land with the knees bent; otherwise, the landing of the body with stiff legs after the hops will be a shock to the nervous system which in time will undermine your health.
The first tap is called a “straight” tap. Put your weight on the whole right foot. The left foot should be held about one inch from the floor. Tap the floor with the ball of the left foot for seven counts, working the foot on a hinge from the ankle, keeping your feet directly opposite and inside the circle or place. On the eighth count put the flat of the left foot down on the floor, shifting your weight to the left foot. Now in doing these straight taps count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, flat. And when you say “flat” you shift your weight to the left foot by putting it flat on the floor. Then comes the same with the right foot—seven taps with the ball of the right foot and “flat” on the eighth count. Now do the sixteen counts, first with the left, then with the right. Thus: (left) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, flat; then (right) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, flat.
Front tap Front Tap The next tap is a “front” tap. The front tap goes front—it gets its name from the direction it takes. Swing the lower leg (from the knee down) like a pendulum. The tap is made with the inside edge of the sole of the shoe, striking the floor as the foot goes front only, clearing the floor as it goes back, the back swing being made to the count of “and.” Put the accent on the number as you say it out loud. “Front-and,” “2-and,” “3-and,” “4-and,” “5-and,” “6-and,” “7-and,” and “8-flat” (weight on the left foot). Swing the lower leg from the knee back and forth, not the upper leg at all, striking or tapping the floor only on the front swing. Then execute the same taps with the ball of the right foot, stopping after the count of “8-flat” with both feet flat on the floor, the weight equally distributed between them. Now, you have had the “straight-tap” and “front-tap” with both feet.
Back tap Back Tap The next is the back tap. Make the back tap like the snap of a whip, swinging the lower leg from the knee only, like a pendulum, with a sharply accented move to back, striking the floor with the ball of the foot as it goes back only to the counts, and swinging it front to the count of “and” when the foot must clear the floor each time. Snap it down—“Back-and,” “2-and,” “3-and,” “4-and,” “5-and,” “6-and,” “7-and,” “8-flat” (with the left foot); then with the right foot, “Back-and,” “2-and,” “3-and,” “4-and,” “5-and,” “6-and,” “7-and,” “8-flat.”
Heel tap Heel Tap We now come to the heel tap, which is made and counted like this: Heel, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, flat (8 counts). The same with the right heel for the same counts (8).
Practice these four taps, the straight, the front, the back, the heel, and the hop faithfully before you try to learn the buck dance, because from these four taps and the hop are built up many combinations which form complicated steps which you will want to learn later on. And the more you practice these fundamentals the better dancer you are going to be. Be sure to review, too, over and over again, the eight stage directions—front, left oblique, left, left oblique back, back, right oblique back, right, and right oblique.
In “tap” dancing, as in the musical comedy dances, there will usually be ten steps; one “travelling” or entrance step which will bring you onto the stage (from “off stage” into the line of sight of the audience), eight dance steps, and one exit-step to take you “off,” out of sight of the audience, which will always be in the nature of a climax to provoke applause.
But, as I have said above, in buck-dancing or in any type of tap and step dancing, the rhythm is most important, and in order to be thoroughly grounded on syncopated rhythms, I shall give you first of all a beginner’s “time-step.” After that you will learn a beginner’s “break.”
The “time-step” and “break” are the keys to tap dancing and must be mastered before the tap dance can be learned. The “time-step” and “break” must be perfectly timed to the syncopated rhythm. And it is going to take long, patient periods of practice in order to perfect them. Do not get discouraged. Apply yourself keenly to both of these fundamental steps.
The Time Step
The purpose of the time step is to get the syncopation into the dancing step, and establish the “tempo” of the dance.
With the weight on the left foot, front tap with the right, back tap with the right, hop with the left, with the right foot back and raised from the floor. The count is “And a one,” with strong accent on “one.” Now straight tap with right foot to count “two” and accent it.
Do a front tap with the left (count “and”), left foot straight front (count “three” and accent), right foot straight (count “four” and accent).
With the weight on the right foot, front tap with the left, back tap with the left, hop with the right, with the left foot back and raised from the floor. The count is “And a one,” with strong accent on the “one.” Now straight tap with left foot to count “two” and accent it. Do a front tap with the right (count “and”), right foot straight front (count “three” and accent), left foot straight (count “four” and accent).
Repeat all six times.