Basic Tap Dance Steps

If you are a beginning tap dancer and you want to learn the basic tap dance steps, you will need to begin with the most basic tap dance steps and then move on to more difficult tap steps. Since rhythm is much more important for tap dancers than any other kind of dancer, it is really important to build a solid foundation in basic tap dance steps, as these are the building blocks to the rhythmic skills that enable tap dancers to execute the difficult tap steps.

As you learn basic tap dance steps, you can put them together into simple combinations. Some combinations of tap steps are very easy to learn and fun to dance.

Tap dancers must maintain a steady beat when executing tap steps-this can be done by counting out loud or in the head, clicking the tongue or another method. Beginning tap dancers have a tendency to slow down this beat when they encounter difficult steps or have trouble remembering the rhythm of the tap dance steps. With practice in rhythm, keeping beat and the basic tap dance steps, even the novice tap dancer can become an accomplished and skilled tap dancer.

The following tap steps are the most elementary of basic tap dance steps-they only involve one sound made by the foot. They are not difficult tap steps until attempted quickly in sequence. Be sure to execute all the basic tap steps from the ankle, instead of using the entire leg. Many beginning tap dancers try to swing the leg from upper leg or hip, which makes it much more difficult to keep in time.

Brush

To execute brush tap steps, hold your weight on one foot and brush the ball of the other foot against the floor lightly. Brush tap dance steps may be forward, sideways or backward.

Chug

The chug is a favorite among tap dancers. It involves holding the weight on one foot, bending the knee and pushing the heel into the floor. As you do this, you should scoot slightly forward.

Heel

When doing these tap steps, simply hold the weight on the balls of the feet, and then dig your heels into the floor. Hell tap steps can be executed on one side only, or on alternating sides.

Tap

Again, holding the weight on one foot, drop the toe of the other foot lightly to the floor, to make a toe tap. You can do one toe tap, a series, or alternate sides by shifting the weight onto the free foot, and doing a toe tap with the new free foot.

Work on executing these basic tap dance steps perfectly. You can alternate from side to side, do several tap steps of the same type in a row, and speed up or slow down the basic tap dance steps. You are on your way to becoming a great tap dancer!