Hi guys, and welcome.
My name's Bill Simpson and I'm a professional tap dance teacher, performer and choreographer,
and the creator of the 'Just TAP' series.
In this video, I'm going to show you
one of the most important and universal combinations of steps in the history of tap dance -
The Traditional 'Time Step'.
The Time Step is not only
a crucial and useful addition to your tap toolbox,
it's one of the most commonly used steps in tap dance.
Whether you know it or not, you've undoubtedly seen them done before,
and you'll almost certainly see them again throughout your tap journey.
But! Before we jump in, there's something that you should know…
There are a lot of different types of Time Steps,
and a lot of variations and styles in which the step can be done.
the 'Traditional Time Step' that I'm about to show you is effectively the base pattern.
Of all the Time Steps that you could learn,
this is the one that will be most useful to you on your tap journey.
On that note, let's jump in and get started,
and I'll talk more about the Time Step after,
and why I feel it's such an important step for any tap dancer to know.
So, the Time Step is made up from a small number of very basic fundamental steps,
primarily, the 'shuffle', and the 'Flap'.
The shuffle is made up of 2 brush beats –
The 'Brush Forward',
and the 'Brush Back'.
Keep the ankle relaxed, and think of the movement
pushing down and up, rather than forward and back.
The next step is known as a 'Flap';
specifically, a Flap Walking -
also commonly known as a 'Tap Step' or 'Brush Step'.
The first beat of the flap is the same as that of the shuffle:
the brush forward, then, instead of the brush back
as we do with the shuffle, we 'Ball-Dig' that same foot,
allowing us to lift the previously supporting leg
to repeat the step on the other side.
The shuffle and the flap are very similar steps,
and when you're starting out, it's easy to get them confused.
Here's the crucial difference between the two steps:
with the shuffle our weight stays where it is,
but with the flap the weight changes to the other side.
So, now that we've got those 2 steps prepared, let's put them together with a few more beats
to learn the base Time Step pattern, commonly known as a 'Single Time Step'.
We're going to start the Time Step on count 8, with a shuffle on the right foot.
We then hop on the left on count 1,
then step onto the Ball-Dig on count 2.
We then lift the previously supporting leg, and do a flap on the left,
then step onto the Ball-Dig on the right once again,
lifting the left, ready to do the whole thing on the other side.
That's it. That's the Time Step.
Have a look at the single Time Step, with counts, starting on the right foot.
Now, let's break down the other side.
Starting with our weight on the right,
we shuffle the left on count 8.
Hop on the right on 1,
Ball-Dig on 2,
flap on '&3',
and then step onto the Ball-Dig on the left,
lifting the right, ready to begin the whole thing again.
Have a look at the Single Time Step starting left with counts.
As you can see, rhythm-wise,
there's a little pause after the hop on count 1.
But aside from that, the rest of the beats are even.
Here are a few things to watch out for,
and a few hints to help get this step flowing as quickly as possible.
In tap dance, it's generally not the individual steps that will mess you up,
it's the weight placement,
and the transition of weight between the right and the left.
Ensure that you're constantly preparing for the following beats
by transferring your weight as efficiently as possible.
With the Time Step, there's 2 weight transitions to watch out for:
after we hop on count one, we step on count 2,
lifting the supporting leg ready for the flap,
and then again on the Ball-Dig after the flap,
which readies us to do the whole step on the other side.
Also, remember that with this particular Time Step,
ideally, we want to try to keep the heels off the ground.
Here it is again this time, alternating between the sides.
Now, I strongly encourage you to jump in and give it a try,
but at this point, let me stress: it won't happen straight away -
it's meant to take a little time.
Practice it slowly to begin with, one side at a time,
then gradually start speeding up
and alternating between the sides as the Time Step settles into your muscle memory.
When you're practicing, you may discover there's actually a hidden trap within the Time Step:
As I mentioned the shuffle and the flap can be easily confused,
And the problem is that each step will put your weight in a very different place,
and doing one where you should be doing the other, will completely muck up the weight placement of the step.
If this happens to you, don't worry - it happens to most of us when we first learn it.
But to help you remember, within the single Time Step, it alternates between the shuffle
and the flap.
Make Sense?
One last little hint:
when you're practicing the step, try saying the beats as you're doing them.
This may help to get it flowing.
Now, once you understand the Single Time Step,
learning the Double and Triple Time Step becomes a relatively simple task.
They're not nearly as scary as they sound,
and in fact, they utilize the same Time Step pattern that you just learned.
Let me explain…
In order to do a Double Time Step, we're only adding one more beat to the single.
Fortunately, we've got a nice rest in the rhythm of the Single Time Step,
straight after the Shuffle Hop that begins the pattern.
Here, we're going to add a 'Brush Forward' beat, and then step onto the Ball-Dig.
So effectively, it becomes another Flap.
Let me show you:
The single Time Step starts with the Shuffle Hop, then after a slight pause, the Ball-Dig.
The Double Time Step starts with the same shuffle hop,
but then straight away, brushes forward into a Flap.
And that's the only difference between the Single and Double Time Step.
Have a look, one more time:
As you can see the beats within the Double Time Step are completely even.
Unlike the Single, there are no pauses.
Now, just as the Double Time Step has one more beat than the Single,
the Triple has one more beat than the Double.
But finding a place for this extra beat isn't quite as obvious in the Double Time Step,
where we have an even rhythm, and no pauses where a beat could easily fit.
If we added another beat and kept it even,
we'd throw off the timing of our 8 count rhythmic phrasing.
So, in order to accommodate this extra beat, we have to change the rhythm.
As we just saw, the Double Time Step starts off with a Shuffle, Hop, Flap.
But with a Triple Time Step, we change the 2 beat 'Flap' to a 3 beat 'Shuffle-Step'.
So it goes: 'Shuffle, hop, shuffle step, flap, step'.
Once again, the rest of the Time Step pattern is exactly the same,
and once again, there are no heels in the step at all.
So, now we know where the extra beat goes, here's how we change the rhythm:
In order to keep the Time Step within the 8 beat phrase, we have to do what is called a 'triplet'.
This simply means fitting 3 beats in the time of 2.
Think of it like this:
the hop is still on count 1,
and the Ball-Dig is still on count 2 -
we just have to fit the 2 Shuffle beats evenly between them.
And that's the Triple Time Step
So, the Single, Double & Triple Time Steps.
As I mentioned, once you've learned the fundamentals of tap dance,
the Traditional Time Step is one of the most important small combinations of steps for any tap dancer to know.
Aside from being one of the most commonly used tap combinations throughout the world,
the Time Step provides a first glimpse into how in tap,
we take a small number of very simple steps,
and combine them together in an endless variety of wonderful and challenging ways.
So hopefully that's making sense so far and you feel like you're off to a great start with the Time Step,
but if not, don't worry.
This has been only a very brief whirlwind introduction to the Time Step, and it's meant to take a little time.
In the full 'Just TAP' course for ADVANCED BEGINNERS,
we explore the Time Step, and many more of the most important and useful tap dance steps
in a detailed, yet super-fun way.
Over my years as a tap teacher, I've been refining my teaching method,
which I have carefully compiled into this course,
specifically for beginners who've covered the basics, and are looking for the next step.
I've packed it with value
and many simple secrets to help you achieve an entirely new level of
tap dance confidence and happiness.
Basically, it's the course I wish I had when I was starting out.
Be sure to check it out at justtapdance.com
I hope you keep working on the Time Step, even if it feels hard to begin with.
You're training both your brain and your body,
and I promise you, with practice, it will make sense over time.
I mentioned, this Time Step pattern isn't the only Time Step that exists in the world of tap dance.
You'll likely encounter some of the Time Step's many variations,
and may find that many tap dancers indeed have their own Time Step,
which may be completely different to the one we've just learned.
But don't let that worry you - it's actually quite exciting,
and with the traditional Time Step pattern in your tap toolbox,
you'll find it much easier to adapt to variations, should you encounter them.
It's been great having you with me for this video.
Please, feel free share this video with anyone you'd like to.
Tap dance is a form of magic like no other
and wherever your tap journey takes you from here, I strongly support your decision to learn tap dance,
and I truly hope you stick with it.
My name's Bill Simpson, and this is 'Just TAP'.
For more infomation >> Yaourts et risque de diabète de type 2 : les promesses et bientôt les preuves ? - c0ns3ils - Duration: 4:30. 
For more infomation >> BBI - Moments drôles 2017 - Duration: 6:16. 
For more infomation >> U&D: Paolo Crivellin sceglie Angela Caloisi? | M.C.G.S - Duration: 3:59. 
For more infomation >> OCG - Reaching The Island with Doomfist on Chateau Guillard - Duration: 2:44. 
For more infomation >> Syndrome des jambes sans repos : 7 stratégies efficaces qui vont vous aider - Santé 365 - Duration: 4:42. 
For more infomation >> Des aliments qui améliorent la mémoire et des conseils pour stimuler l'activité cognitive - Duration: 7:11. 
For more infomation >> Maëva Coucke (Miss France) en couple : "On va essayer de braver la malédiction" - Duration: 2:17. 
For more infomation >> Featuring Musician Megan Ni...
No comments:
Post a Comment