Tap Dance Made Easy: Learn a 'Single Time Step'

[camillethedeal]

u should do more advance steps

[eliasjohn]

Hey @SK8 thanks for the heads up about the audio/video sync. Weird, it used to be fine but you are right. Something happened and I'm not sure what. Will check into it. Thanks again. --Eli (the guy in the video)

[SK84ANGELDUST]

i would like this video a lot more if the audio were actually synced. the timing gap is serious throwing me off. :/

[xarina77]

Oh wow this is good. I may very well get the rest of your series. Thanks!

[Maiasatara]

The sound and picture are not in sync. Pretty essential in a TAP video, no?

[14ezzer]

wouldn't it be easier saying shuffle,hop,sring,tap,step,ste­p

[MsBroadway1000]

Great Help

Thanks :)

[womansoulblues]

Esse professor é realmente excelente!!

Havia muito tempo assistindo aulas de sapateado

e só agora com essas aulas estou progredindo!!!

Obrigada!

[youk2now244]

Whats the difference between doing a shuffle and a flap? What do I do differently to make them sound differently?

[shufflehop]

This was the first time step I learnt - at the time it was difficult but when you get the feel it gets easy.

[PriNceSSofMusIc10]

i thought it goes like stamp hop step flap step

[lovelyladies96]

@PriNceSSofMusIc10 That's how I learned it also.

[TheGeorge1Carter]

Just to say thank you and that the lessons are fantastic I feel a little self-conscious in my beginner’s lessons, I love trying these out at home where I feel more confident. I hope one day to walk into my class and say “check out my time step biatches” and my class mates are going to be like “wow who taught you that” and I am going to be like “Elias John is who biatches, and he is a well-known gangster tapper” Toodle pip.

[sckvevrbdy]

Excellent teacher. Great method. Thanks.

[NaishChris]

cool! If u like dancing videos watch the sneaky steppers, they ambush the public with tap and irish dance!

[callumtabs]

hey elisajohn

Inhave to say your skills are quite impressive

In scotland instead of sayng flap we say 'ball-change'

So the full thing would be :

Shuffle, hop, step, tap, ballchange, Shuffle, hop, step, tap, ball-change,shuffle, step, shuffle, step, shuffle ball-change

I've already learned single, double and I'm now on triple its really hard

from Callum 12 years old

[MissLolcats101]

Hey eliasjohn,

first of all i wanna say that after surfing through loads of videos on youtube, this is the only one that does it exactly the same as the way we are taught at my dance class in england! Except, after doing it on left, right, left, right we have a 'break' going 'shuffle step shuffle step shuffle ball change'. have you any videos including that?

from emily, 13yrs old.

P.S in the next grade we learn double time step where we add an extra shuffle in, im looking foward to it! =]

[SuDaChiWa]

Well taught Eliasjohn. Your method makes it very clear. It'd be nice to see it up to speed to a tune. Thanks for posting on Youtube, I'm trying to get my 12 year old son involved in Tapping, I don't see a lot of boys choosing this as an activity, and am hoping he catches the rhythm bug. I'll check your website. Great job. Everybody should learn it, Toddlers to Grave, make some noise.

[zazicake]

hello eliasjohn,

Im a beginner which leaves me with a question about the filap.

What is the difference between the filap and the shuffle?

[eliasjohn]

Hi Zazicake,

Learning the difference between a flap and a shuffle is one of the most important things to learn in basic tap dance. The short answer is that the difference between them is that the second sound of a shuffle comes off the floor (aka 'is lifted up') while the second sound of a flap stays on the floor (aka 'takes the weight'). Any basic tap dance course should be able to clarify this for you, whether it be my DVDs or in a live class somewhere near where you live. hope that helps!

[zazicake]

Hey Eliasjohn,

Wow! Thank you for explaining it to me ! Its much easier with your help and I'm starting to be interested in your DVDs! Infact my mum is already thinking about buying them for me because ive been showing her everything ive been learning from you and shes even puting me in a local class!

Thank you Eliasjohn,

Cencierly Zazicake

[jirotrom]

I keep doing shuffle hop step "shuffle" step instead of filap step lol

[eliasjohn]

If this is happening I recommend slowing down your tempo to a VERY slow pace. Force yourself to take the weight on the second sound of the flap. For now you may consider over-exaggerating your movements so that you get the proper weight changes of the footwork set in your body. After you get more comfortable with that, then you can focus on increasing the tempo and improving the look of the step. For now lock down the correct footwork and weight changes. Get that flap down on the floor! :)

[weeehmkaii08]

thank you for this

i can tap and i have been for about 9 years and every other video on youtube teaches them different and your the only person who teaches them the way i learnt them :)

[mercurymagic2]

what is a good song to do this time step to?

[KURTZDI]

I love his DVDS and I'm learning to tap

[ubercosmo]

For a variation in emphasis you can start on the 3rd beat of the bar:

3+4..1+2+

And so emphasise the (back) step, which now falls on beat 1, instead of the hop (which now falls on beat 4)

[eliasjohn]

excellent idea! i will try it sometime...thanks!!

--eli (the guy in the video)

[ubercosmo]

sure thing :) Credit to my teacher though..haha

[xocerysox11]

im 17 and ive just started tap this is the first timestep (and the only one) that ive learnt.

it helps with the counts if you say 'i have beans for my breakfast' :D

[Cassiesplace]

learnt is not a work! ... lean tense

it is disgusting to see the english language butchered ... hope you dance better then you write ... and likely speak ... shame on you

[BelfastBailey]

Actually, "learnt" IS a word, it is most commonly used in Britain, however. Also, I assume you meant LEARN tense rather than "lean" tense. Also, "english" is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS capitalized..."then you write" means that you write after doing something...THAN you write would mean a comparative of dancing to writing. So the crux of my admonition here is...shame on YOU for being hypercritical...as well as *ahem* HYPOcritical. :-) **stepping off my soapbox**

[xocerysox11]

@Cassiesplace Sorry? 'this is the first timestep that I have learnt'. If you find any problem with that, I do apologise. I completely understand that it is your life concern to rant on to others about little mistakes they may make when writing. However, it is not my main priority thanks, and I wouldn't dream of having such low manners to bother someone who may not be *dare i say it* as smart as you CLEARLY seem to be. (ha)

And I dance great, thanks! :)

[walneydd]

I love tap dance very much! I think this vid is helpful for our beginners. Thanks!

[VamLoveAndKisses]

Anyone know any useful vids for a first time tap dancer, seriously, the only practice I have had is one the bonus features of Happy Feet!

Thanks!

[bluekiessmile]

seriously helped me! thank you so much!

[candiiX1]

this is the first kind of time step i ever learned :D whenever he says the step combination it reminds me of my old teacher :)

[HollisterHottie1012]

Wow i have never seen a single timestep like that i though a single time step was: Stomp,hop,jump,flap,step,stomp that is the single timestep that i learned

[jimicrules12345]

cool

I do the time step that goes: Shuffle hop tap spring tap step step shuffle hop tap spring tap step tep shuffle hop tap spring shuffle step shuffle step balchange. I'm on grade 4.. or 3 errr anyway, im 11 :) Im also on grade 4 ballet (going on pointe shoes in 3-4 months) and modern, grade 3

[1animalover1]

Hi, i'm also in grade 4 tap and grade three modern.

[pbjonbreadandbutter]

well done ....

[ambernyates]

wow, ive never seen that type of time step before. very interesting.

[PollyPeachum3penny]

i know neither have i

[vivianina99]

best teacher EVER!!!

[AerobicManiac]

Great explanation of the single time step! Thank you! :)

[Steedrider]

Hey thanks, I used this one. I stopped tap dancing years ago but for whatever reason, I felt like taking out my shoes again.

[yellow2794]

Hey his Really helped me Explain this to my lil Cuz whos only 8 she couldnt understand me and Im 13 and Ive been tapping for 10 years xD

[Christinasvenska]

Thanks for posting! It's been years since I've taken tap, and I just needed a refresher of the timestep rhythm. =)

[poppipenguin]

Lol I Do It To The Tune Of I Must All-Ways Remember Which Really Helped Me =] And A For Half Break I Used To Go Out And Leave The Cat =] I Learnt Full Breaks Today Yay =] Now I Can Do Single, Half Break, Single, Half Break, Single, Single, Full Break :D Wooop =] We Have To Do It For our Grade 2 Exam =]

[setdancing]

well broke down hey, from one teacher to another, different countrys and different dancing but sure dancing is dancing. well done

[ag4515]

wow, ive just started tap dancing, at aged 18, but i love it so much

i was taught this exact time step, but to the tune of

grab your coat and your hand bag

it really works!!!

[Spirit66613]

OMG! I really wanna learn to dance cuz I'm a white girl with no rythem.. xD But more importantly, Tap dancing looks fun, and if you do it right you make your own clicky music. I love it! So I'm gunna watch these video's and try to dance like them! Thanx for putting these up!

[bob27f]

Go for it!