How to Do a Shuffle Toe Heel in Tap Dancing

The shuffle step is one of the most basic steps in tap dancing. The shuffle step is sometimes called the front back down or rattles step, shuffle down, treble or triple. It requires that the dancer brush her foot forward and ball on the ball of the foot. The shuffle step can be done quickly (quick treble) to the count of "and a 1" or slowly (slow treble) to the count of "8 and 1." In this combination you will be doing a "quick treble." The count is "and a 1" when you do the shuffle.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tap shoes

1. Shuffle step on your right.

2. Drop your right heel and then drop your left heel, followed by another heel drop on your right. The count is "and a 1 and a 2."

3. Combine the steps. Shuffle step right heel drop, left heel drop and right heel drop.

4. Realize that your left foot is free so you can repeat the step on the other foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Why, precisely, the step is called shuffle toe heel is unclear, other than the fact that when you step down on your foot you are stepping down on the ball of your foot, which is the toe area.

Resources

• Expert Village, Sarah McLellan