How to Do a Shuffle Pull-Back Heel in Tap Dancing

In the shuffle pullback heel combination you will do a pullback, which is sometimes called a pick-up. You must do a spank (which is a back brush) on the foot that is bearing your weight. This is one of those dance steps that requires some air time on the part of the dancer. The basic count for a pullback or pick-up is "and 1."

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Stand with your feet parallel and execute a shuffle on your right foot. To do a shuffle, lift your right foot and raise your foot to the rear. The top of your tap shoe will be facing the floor. Your knee is bent. Swing your foot to the front, brushing the ball of your foot against the floor. Your foot is now raised to the front. Brush to the back on your right foot, once again swiping the ball of your foot against the floor, but not the heel. Upon completion of the shuffle, your right foot is back in the starting position, raised and to the back. In this particular dance combination, rather than shuffling directly to the front and to the back, do the shuffle diagonally. When shuffling on your right foot, aim your foot slightly to the right. Do just the opposite when shuffling on your left foot.

2. Do a pullback switch (or swap). Your weight is on your left foot. Make sure that you are standing in a plie position on the ball of your left foot, meaning that your knee is bent. (Note that the pullback is also called a pickup, snatch and grab-off.) Your right foot is still raised to the rear. Hop into the air and brush the ball of your left foot to the back before landing on the right foot. The step is called a pullback switch or swap or graboff because you are landing on the opposite foot. If it were a single pullback, you would land on the foot that you did the back brush on.

3. Drop your right heel. You landed on the ball of your right foot after executing the pullback switch. Simply lower your right heel to the floor, but do it with some emphasis.

4. Note that the pullback does require that you spring into the air and brush your foot to the back before landing, either on the same foot or, in the case of the shuffle pullback heel, on the opposite foot. This step requires air time.

5. Repeat the shuffle pullback heel starting on the left foot. You have just dropped your right heel so your weight is on your right foot. Shuffle on your left foot, execute the pullback on your right foot, which is bearing your weight. Remember that you must bend your knee and spring into the air and brush the ball of your right foot to the back, and then land on your opposite foot, the left one. Drop the heel of your left foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Dancer and instructor Rod Howell demonstrates how to do the shuffle pullback heel in the video found in the Resources section below.

Resources

• Rod Howell of Unitedtaps.com