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How to Tap Dance

Presented by Sue Fletcher

If you are a beginner tap dancer check out this instructional video series of free tap dance lessons and start tapping today!

Series Summary

The rhythmic foot stomping we call tap dancing emerged in the 1830’s from a blend of cultures in Manhattan’s original melting pot, the Five Points neighborhood (recently depicted in Scorsese’s film Gangs of New York.) Essentially a blend of African shuffle and Irish jig, tap dance became extremely popular in the first half of the 20th century. The metal plates attached to the bottom of the dancer’s shoes create a percussive rhythm which could either accompany music, or be used as an instrument itself. A recent resurgence of tap enthusiasm came in the 90’s with the infusion of new dancers, such as Savion Glover, who began to incorporate a more personal style into their performances, and essentially made tap dancing “cool” again.

In this free video clip series our expert, Sue Fletcher, walks you through the ten basic steps of beginner tap dancing. Each step is explained from beginning to end in detail so you'll never feel lost or left behind. You'll learn moves like the brush step, the ball change and the flap, all of which are great for any level of expertise. She even cheats a bit and goes so far as to show how a paradittle is done. It's a bit more of an advanced move but for you guys we'll let it slide. So check out this series and get out there on the dance floor!

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