How to Do the Irish Break in Tap Dancing

To execute the Irish in tap dancing, you do a shuffle hop step (stepping down in front of your hopping foot). This is called a carryover as well as an Irish. You can do this moving backwards, and it's considered a carry-back, by stepping behind your hopping foot. It’s a traveling step. After doing the Irish four times, for example, you can then insert the Irish break. A break occurs when the music changes or sometimes stops entirely. The tap steps are clearly heard during the break, and the dancer’s skill can be showcased as she executes the break.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tap shoes

1. Step on your right foot to the count of “1.”

2. Shuffle step on your left foot to the count of “&a2.”

3. Shuffle step on your right foot to the count of “&a3.”

4. Shuffle your left foot and hop on your right, dropping your right heel, doing this to the count of “&4 &a.”

5. Step back on your left foot on the count of “5.”

6. Brush step on your right foot on the count of “& 6.”

7. Shuffle on your left foot and hop on your right on the count of “&7 &.”

8. Drop your right heel on the count of “a.”

9. Jab your left toe behind your right foot on the count of “8.”

10. Memorize the steps: Step shuffle step shuffle step shuffle hop heel drop step brush step shuffle hop heel drop, toe jab. There are 19 sounds.

11. Remember the count: 1 &a2 &a3 &4 &a 5 &6 &7 &a 8.

Tips & Warnings

• It’s hard to learn a tap step or combination from written notations, especially if you don’t have any prior dance experience. Join a dance class or, for starters, check out the Additional Resources section below to observe how various dance steps are executed. It’s always easier when you can see how a step is performed.

Resources

• Tap Dancing For Beginners, Dani Rhodes, You Tube and Expert Village