How to Do the Heel Clip in Tap Dancing

A heel clip occurs in tap dancing when the heel passes by the other heel or toe. In the heel clip, described here, you will strike the right heel with your left toe and that constitutes the clip. A heel clip is different from a heel click, where both heels are struck simultaneously while the dancer is standing on the balls of her feet or while both feet are in the air.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tap shoes

1. Standing with your right foot in front of your left foot. hit the right heel with your left toe.

2. Drop your right heel.

3. Step down on your left foot to the left.

4. Step down on your right foot in front of your left foot.

5. Hit the right heel with the left toe, just as you did in the Step 1.

6. Drop your right heel, repeating what you did in Step 2.

7. Step to the left onto your left foot, repeating what you did in Step 3.

8. Step down on your right foot in front of your left, just as you did in Step 4.

9. Remember the count that goes like this: and-a-1, 2 and-a-3, 4.

Tips & Warnings

• Watching videos of dance steps helps. In the video found in the Resource section, you won’t see a demonstration of the heel clip but you will see how a heel dig is done, as well as the shuffle, which are steps that you will use frequently in tap dancing.
• In the heel clip step, you are dropping your heel rather than digging it. You’ll have to lift up the heel before you can drop it, standing on the ball of your foot. Bend your knees slightly to make exelcution of the heel drop easier.

Resources

• Dani Rhodes, Expert Village