How to Do the Double Lancashire Roll in Tap Dancing

The Lancashire step in tap-dancing gets it name from the clog dance that originated in the late 1800s in the industrial city of Lancashire, England. The factory workers entertained themselves by dancing on the streets in heavy shoes that they devised to keep their feet warm. The dance resulted in the clog, and over the years steps have been borrowed from it and incorporated into tap dancing routines. The double Lancashire roll is the press cramproll, or the single Lancashire roll, done twice. A cramproll occurs when the dancer drops first one heel then the other in quick succession. The heel drops are preceded by steps or brush steps. The dancer will make 10 taps in the double Lancashire roll as opposed to five in the single version.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Brush the right foot to the front and drop your left heel. Your right foot is still raised. Remember to dance on the balls of your feet so that it's easy to drop your heel.

2. Step right and then heel drop right followed by heel drop left. This is the cramproll.

3. Repeat the entire combination: brush, heel drop, step, heel drop, heel drop.

4. Note the count: "A 1 and a 2 a 3 and a 4."

Resources

• TapMoves Cramproll