Time to Talk Time Steps 

Sat in the dark, you wait. Then a sliver of light appears on the floor of the stage. And as the curtain rises, you see and hear all those pairs of feet, tapping away. That effortless shuffle, hop and a rhythm so catchy that it stays with you. Those show stopping spectacular sequence of steps used in shows like 42nd Street? Those are the timeless time steps. And now on Saturday at 12 noon, Karen will be on hand to take us to time step land. 

What are tap dance time steps?

Tap Time steps are so important in tap dance. They are the bread and butter step in the tap world. And did you know that time steps come up a lot in many of the First Dance Studios shows and performances? They always take the show number from sprinkle to SPARKLE! Tap dance choreographers like Emma and Karen love them as they are very simple yet so effective and look so impressive up on that stage. 

Take a step back in Time (Step)

The time step is really a time traveller. It first appeared back in the late 19th century mostly as an intro to improvisations. Then they became a way to let the orchestra know the tempo by the tap dancers. It soon became a way to show off an individual’s style during tap dance. That led to the variations that we have today. From the single to the quadruple, the pickup hop one, the roll, there are so many varieties of time steps. You could even come up with your own! But first…

How do I ensure my time steps are tip top?

This Saturday at noon, Karen teaches this simple and basic tap dance step. This is a great opportunity for you to secure this step for your tap toolbox. Starting with the basic pattern and mastering it, we can then play with it. That basic set of steps – shuffle, hop, step, tap step, step –  is your Tap BFF – tap best friend forever!

See here for the video of Karen doing the single time step and a break. And pay attention to that 2nd half as that chase down step is all important. Top time step Tip from Karen, “It’s all about the timing!”

My Time steps are shaky – should I come along?

Yes very much so! Having that single time step will be so helpful for all your tap dance routines. The single time step pattern is one you will return to again and again. If you are struggling with them come along to this time step class so see where you may need to work on. Is it the rhythm? Is it weight placement? Is it feet positioning? Come along and see what the step is and bring your questions along to ask in class. I’m always wondering about my arms during this step!

My Time steps are spot on – should I come along?

Come along on Saturday because we have some fun variations on the tap time step to learn. Even if you think you know them, there are many more to learn. Karen and Emma keep learning new ones all the time. And we also have breaks to learn, from the Irish break and that elegant and wow factor of the Fred Astaire break, which glides beautifully, diagonally. Can you imagine this on stage? I know right? Amazing! 

This will be a fun, energetic dance session and you will be asking yourself, what do you like for your breakfast? Please get in touch with us for details on how to access this great online masterclass.

Time step into Saturday with us at First Dance Studios,

xx