How to Execute Shuffles in Tap Dancing

If you're going to be a tap dancer, you're going to do shuffles. The shuffle is probably the most basic step in tap dancing. The shuffle consists of a brush to the front on the ball of your foot and then a brush to the back, also on the ball of your foot. However, the shuffle can be altered, done in different directions and to different tempos.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tap shoes

1. Execute a front shuffle by standing on your right leg. Your arms should be extended to your sides for balance; or you can hold onto the bar in your dance classroom. Your right knee is bent and your right foot is situated to the back. Brush your right foot to the front. The ball of your shoe swipes the floor. Your heel does not come into contact with the floor. Your right leg is now to the front and is straight. Brush your right foot to the back (a back brush is called a spank), swiping the ball of your foot against the floor. Your right leg is bent once again, and your right foot is situated to the back. When you shuffle, you are working with the lower part of your leg, from the knee down. The shuffle can be done to the count of "and 1" or to the count of "a 1," the latter count meaning that the back brush is done staccato, or quicker than the front brush. (For an explanation of counts and timing, see Tips.)

2. Learn that a shuffle can be done to the front or to the side, or even diagonally to the back. If you want to shuffle to the side, turn your shuffling foot out to the side and proceed. If you want to shuffle diagonally to the back, turn your shuffling foot even farther outward and point/aim your foot diagonally to the back.

3. Execute a double shuffle by doing two single shuffles. Keep your shuffling foot close to the floor and do not raise your shuffling foot to the back until you have completed the second shuffle. Think of the count "e and a 1." The accent is put on the very last shuffle.

4. Achieve a running shuffle by leaping rather than stepping down after you have shuffled. Shuffle on your right foot and leap onto your right foot; shuffle on your left foot and leap onto your left foot. Angle your shuffling foot slightly out to the side. Do not shuffle directly under your body, because you are springing back and forth from foot to foot, and it's easier to accomplish this if your shuffling foot is away from your supporting foot, which is the foot you're standing on.

5. Know that a snapped shuffle is done to the count of "a 1," rather than "1 and." You are putting the emphasis on the last brush (to the back), rather than evenly distributing the sound of the taps. The back brush is snapped/done quickly. It is sharper-sounding than a shuffle that is done to the count of "and 1."

6. Execute a rolling shuffle by first doing a hop onto your supporting leg, then shuffling on the other. Continue hopping and then shuffling on the other foot. The count is "1 (hop) and a (shuffle)." A dancer can travel to the front or to the back while doing a rolling shuffle.

Tips & Warnings

• When you dance, you must count. Dance notation is broken up into five components based on one measure of 4/4 music. When you see or hear the count "1 2 3 4," it indicates that four steps are done on four counts/beats. This is the quarter-note or single-time count. When you see or hear "1 and 2 and 3 and 4," that is the eight- note couplet count; the dancer is doing two steps on one beat of music. When you see or hear the count of "1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a ... ," that is the eighth-note triplet count; the dancer is making three taps/sounds per beat. In the sixteenth or quadruple count ("1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a..."), the dancer is making five taps/sounds per beat. There are four beats in one bar of 4/4 music. Double time would mean that there are eight beats played in that time frame. In dance notation, that would be counted as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and ..." Watch the dance demonstration found in the Resources section. Sarah McLellan shows you how to execute shuffles.

Resources

• Tap Dancing Demo by Sarah McLellanL Shuffles