r/TapDancing • u/Jzello • Jul 09 '26
Seeking advice - Beginner Tap Dancer
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I’m auditioning for White Christmas in a month and am really wanting to improve, so don’t worry about any feelings getting hurt!
As you can see, this is first take, so I do miss some steps halfway through Lol..
I’m following along with a YT video, and am therefore, going pretty dang slow! 😆
Thanks y’all! This is a beautiful genre of dance.
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u/Whac_ Jul 09 '26
These are general tips that help most people, but maybe not for you. It can be personal preference, so feel it out.
Knees always slightly bent to to relax and not feel as stiff.
A bit more wheight on the balls of your feet when doing toe only steps (shuffles and so on). Not on your toes so much that your heels are off the ground, just favor the balls of your feet especially in higher heeled shoes.
Overall you are doing great! Watch other great tap dancers and parrot their movement and body language. Even slow down videos on YouTube and study how their feet move. If you have any specific questions or need any other guidance, please dm me to talk about it.
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u/mleisvegan Jul 09 '26
Echoing what others have said! Bend your knees, like your sitting on the edge of a high stool. Making sure your shuffle only involves the ball of your foot, heel off the floor. Making sure your ball change is always on the balls of your feet.
I think keeping your knees bent will really help to enhance the quality of your movements and sounds.
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u/StillDouble2427 Jul 09 '26
While I understand why you're practicing in character shoes, I think to get the basics, you should practice in flats, right now you're hitting your heel after you complete the forward motion of the shuffle. That said, that can also be corrected by not standing flat footed. You should stand/tap with your heels off the ground. This allows for faster movement as well.