This document provides information about tap dance, including: - A comparison of Gene Kelly's tap performance in "Singin' in the Rain" from the 1940s. - Basic rules and equipment for tap dancing, including the proper shoes and attire. - A brief history of tap dance's origins and rise in popularity during the 1900s. - Terminology used for various tap dance moves from the 1940s to today. - Videos and analyses of the author performing tap dance skills and comparing their performance to a "perfect model."

1. TAP DANCE This PowerPoint is about Tap Dance By Clare O’Keefe

2. GENE KELLY COMPARISON http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmc_gwpNQ6c This link to Gene Kelly’s-"I'm Singing in the rain", shows what tap was like in the late 1940’s. It was very theatrical with him singing as well as dancing. It was performed to quite a slow melodic song and showed a man in love.

3. RULES There are not many rules applying to tap dance; but you have to have the right equipment: The first is the correct tap shoe. It depends on your age, the type of tap dance, how they look and how they fit. The next is if you are dressed suitably, for instance, a dance uniform, leggings and a top or jogging bottoms not un-movable materials such as jeans. I personally prefer to dance in Capezio tap shoes, which have taps on the heel and ball of the shoe. I wear a leotard and tights/leggings to dance because I find them easy to move in and don’t get in my way.

4. HISTORY OF TAP Tap Dance: a step dance tapped out audibly by means of shoes with hard soles or soles and heels to which taps have been added. In 1919, Ned Wayburn formed the first tap dance school in New York City. Tap dance has a number of ancestors. It is a mixture of the English clog dance, Irish step dancing and African drum rhythms and dance movements. Tap became more and more popular during the 1900's. Dancers such as Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Shirley Temple made the tap dance an essential piece of the American dream. Aluminium heel and toe taps did not appear until after 1910.

5. TERMINOLOGY 1940’s-Teaching and terminology were mostly a “hand-me-down” affair, one dancer passing his or her knowledge to another. Although vaudeville produced many “steps” and “combinations” that were recognized and used as technique, it wasn’t until the late 1930’s that a codified set of terms was put down on paper. The time step (shuffle-step, shuffle-step, shuffle ball-change, shuffle-step) is a Shim Sham tap routine still taught in most tap dance classes today. Double: An old term for a Shuffle. The term was derived from the fact that a Shuffle constitutes two sounds. Double Ball Change: An old term for Shuffle - Ball Change which is done in two different rhythm patterns. Double Heel Click: This is a very old term which basically means a “shuffle” and a “bell” done together. Eccentric: An old form of comedic character dance. Jingle: A tap dance accessory which is basically a metal disc containing a loose washer in it. It is worn at the instep next to the heel and produces extra sounds when dancing tap movements. This device isn’t common today but was worn by amateurs in the good old days. Jim Crow: Originally a form of Blackface. Soft Shoe: A dance performed in a slow 4/4 time that was originally danced with sand on the floor…but was later replaced with metal taps. Three: An old term sometimes referred to as a “triple”. It is most commonly known though as a “shuffle” and then a “step” which makes three sounds total in the move. 2010- some of the basic terminology that I use often Pullback: With the weight on one foot, extend the other foot in the air, usually to the rear, executing a back brush with the supporting foot, landing on the same foot. Toe tap :The front of the ball area strikes the ground, generally behind you. Shuffle: A front brush followed by a back brush executed to the front, side or back. Buffalo: A side travelling movement. It can also be executed in place. Brush: A full brush of the foot against the ground. Cramproll: This is a use of the cramp movement in a series of steps. Ball Change: Alternately weight on the balls of the feet from each foot The Time Step: the foundation of which tap dancing is built and the means by which the rhythm is based. Shuffle (straight) :A quick forwards and backwards movement just in front of you, generally done in the same time of one beat. Pick-up: In a pick-up, the foot leaves the floor, the ball of the foot strikes the floor, and then the next step is carried out. It is normally taken from a flat foot, and it is always backwards.

6. BREAKING SKILLS DOWN TIME STEPS: The Time Step: the foundation of which tap dancing is built and the means by which the rhythm is based. This is an example of a perfect model performing a single time step. http://www.ukjtd.force9.co.uk/Timestepsite/timestep/ts1b.wmv The way that I learned time steps were to break down what the feet movements were; These are single time steps:shuffle hop spring tap step stepshuffle hop spring tap step stepshuffle hop spring tap step step (The rhythm of theses words entwine with the rhythm of the time steps and this helps me to keep in time) These are double time steps: shuffle hop tap step tap step step shuffle hop tap step tap step step shuffle hop tap step tap step step -doubles only add another tap step in the middle. These are triple time steps:Shuffle hop shuffle step tap step step Shuffle hop shuffle step tap step step Shuffle hop shuffle step tap step step - triple time steps add a shuffle on to the single time steps.

7. BREAKING MY SKILLS DOWN This is a video of me performing a single time step with comments: This is a video of me performing a break. A break is a two measure movement that follows a six measure movement to complete an eight measure phrase. For example a time step has got 6 measures (sounds) and a break finished off the move and then you can continue on the other foot.

8. BREAKING MY SKILLS DOWN This is a video of me performing a double time step: This is a video of me performing a double time step with me breaking down the steps:

9. BREAKING MY SKILLS DOWN This is a video of me performing a triple time step: This is a video of me performing a triple time step with me breaking down the steps:

10. QUANTITATIVE DATA I am going to analyse me performing a time step. I am going to perform a group of time steps and then analyse my steps compared to what the steps should be. The time steps are going to be singular and the first group of time steps that I perform are going to be put on here. I will do this because it will be my first attempt and if I practise it, it will get better and I want to do it as if it is in an examination where the first thing that you do will be recorded and marked.

11. QUANTITATIVE DATA The Perfect Time steps: Shuffle the right foot and hop in place on your left. Step down on your right and flap (brush step) to the front on your left. Step on your right. Shuffle left and hop in place on your right. Flap to the front on your left and ball change (right left). The ball change is simply a step step. Memorize the pattern. The single time step break consists of: Shuffle hop step flap step, shuffle hop flap ball change. The count is 8 and 1 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7. My time steps: I think that I performed these ok, but I made a mistake. My weakness was that I missed a shuffle out. I usually do that in time steps which is a mistake that annoys me and it is also very noticeable because in time steps, every sound is distinctly heard. To make this better I would need to concentrate on not making this mistake because I think that was the problem with this one, I was concentrating too much on getting through the step and not paying attention to the quality. My strength was that I kept in time with the time that I was keeping that that I did not convert to making them accented instead of even.

12. QUALITATIVE EVALUATION My dancing school’s own version of ‘I’m Singing in the rain’ Gene Kelly-I'm Singing in the rain ( tap starts about 2 mins into performance)

13. EVALUATION Gene Kelly’s performance was quite different to my performance that I am in. His tells much more of a story I think because of the fact that he is singing and is performing it solo. My performance is also different to his because we are a group of teenage girls- ages of which range to 11-17 and some of our tap syllabus is not quite as advanced. Ours further differs from Gene Kelly’s performance with the fact that we changed song. We went from the original Gene Kelly ‘Singin’ in the rain’ to a new remix version which I think made quite a positive change because, in my opinion, the original can sometimes get a bit boring and in general entertainment purposes now a days a new look at things and modernising things is needed.

14. EVALUATION OF MY PERFORMANCE AGAINST A PERFECT MODEL In my own opinion, Gene Kelly is the better performance, but that is due to a few certain things. Gene Kelly was a dance instructor, director, choreographer, dancer and an actor in his time and when he performed ‘Singing in the rain’ he was 40 years old, so he was pretty much at the peak of his career and knew much more advanced things/ different things to my grade.

15. THE PERFECT MODEL Date of Birth- 23 August 1912, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Date of Death-2 February 1996, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (complications from two strokes) Birth Name-Eugene Curran Kelly Height-5' 7" (1.70 m) Profession/s-dance instructor, director, gas station attendant, ditch digger, choreographer, dancer, actor

16. QUANTATIVE ANALYSIS OF GENE KELLY Gene Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in America. His mother first sent him and his younger brother to dancing classes, but then they gave it up because the other boys called them ‘sissies’. However, when Gene was 15 he went back to dance classes because he thought that it was a good way to get girls. During the 1950's, the style dance changed and tap lost is popularity, although tap dancers continued to dance for their own pleasure. In the 60's, several public tap dance events ignited the great restoration of tap dance. Suddenly, tap was considered an art form rather than just entertainment. During the 1970's, tap returned to Broadway, film, and the concert stage throughout the USA, Europe, and Japan. Now-a-days tap is widely performed/ learnt all over the world. There are many organisations, clubs and schools for tap and many variations of tap are also danced. There is even a National Tap Dance Day on May 25th!

17. INTERPRETATION OF INFORMATION AGAINST PERFECT MODEL Name: Eugene Curran Kelly Age: 40 years old Height:5' 7" (1.70 m) Body Build: ectomorph History: Gene has won many, many awards, some of which are; 1982 – Lifetime Achievement Award in the fifth annual Kennedy CenterHonors. 1994 – National Medal of Arts awarded by United States President Bill Clinton. 1996 – Honorary César Award The César is the main national film award in France. 1952 – Honorary Academy Award (an oscar!) Name (me): Clare Eleanor O’Keefe Age: 14 years old Height:5' 3" (1.60 m) Body Build: ectomorph History: I have been taking part in dance since I was three and have enjoyed it ever since. I am part of the Air Cadets and have been for two years. My sisters take part in dance as well so I was influenced to play a part in dance by them. (This analysis (for Gene Kelly) are taken from the time of 1952)

18. MY DANCE TRAINING This is my training programme for a normal week.

19. MY TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR A SHOW A couple of weeks before a show we only do ballet exercises at the start of the lessons to warm up because we are rehearsing our dances for the show. We train on different days and we rehearse when we can which gives us time to correct anything and lookout for anything that will go wrong. 1 week before show The week before show

20. HOW TO IMPROVE- STRATIGIES To improve techniques I will need to have a look at my own techniques and see how I can improve them. For instance, my wings need work, I need to get the right timings and make sure that all of the taps are heard singularly. Also, in relation to my time steps; my weaknesses are sometimes missing out the steps, so I will need to improve upon that. I will add a day into my training programme so that whilst I am working on the techniques I will not miss out any of my normal work.

21. HOW TO IMPROVE- TACTICS My tactics in dance will be, for instance in a ballet dance: a big movement at the beginning of the dance will keep the audience interested and another big movement at the end of a dance will stay in the audiences minds. Another tactic for a dance will be, for instance: in a tap dance if I use a hard step which I can rarely do/ cannot perform accurately will make myself and the dance look a bit silly. But in comparison, a simpler step of which I can do perfectly will make the dance look flawless which will make me look like a better performer.

22. HOW TO IMPROVE- PRACTISING In my dancing school we have certain days for certain grades and also for certain things you want to do. The days I go are Wednesdays for Pointe work which I am training to go onto Pointe and Fridays where I do ballet, tap and modern. At the start of each lesson we start with the exercises, which are very important to warm up and especially important for ballet because classical ballet (the type of ballet I do) is the foundation of dance itself, so if your ballet gets better, then the rest will follow. Every week we practice our amalgamations and dances, also the exercises that we will be doing in our exams. Since we do that every week we progress and get better each time because our teachers will correct us and show us how to improve and also give us tips on what/ how we can do things better.

23. PEP. AND PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING Rest and Recovery- ( REST: the period of time allocated to recovery. RECOVERY:the time required for the repair of damage to the body caused by training or competition) This one relates most to my show PEP. I train quite hard during the week, but coming up to the date of the show, I will not train hard at all and after I have done the show on Saturday I will rest the Sunday morning so that I can recover for the Sunday show and for the rest of the week I will rest/ train very lightly The principles of training and why I am going to be using them: Specificity-(matching training to the required activity) I will need lots of cardiovascular training. Reversibility-( Any adaptation that takes place as a consequence of training will be reversed when you stop training) This affected me a couple of weeks ago when I hurt my ankle and couldn’t dance for a week, I missed out on learning the dances/ I forgot what we had learnt the other week because I hadn’t gone over it. Progressive Overload- (gradually increasing the amount of overload to gain fitness without risk of injury) I will not do too much at once when I am training for a show because I will be too overstretched/tired for the show and will not be able to perform at my best but I will keep increasing what I do to get better at it. The FITT Principle: Frequency- usually twice a week Intensity- around about 75-95% Time- each class 45mins-1hr long Type- cardiovascular These Principles of training relate to the normal PEP. And the Show PEP. Individual needs- (matching training to the requirements of an individual) I will go to dancing to get better at dancing and my co-ordination, also get/ keep fit.

24. PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING The main principles of training that affect me the most are most probably The FITT Principle and Progressive Overload. I picked Progressive Overload because if I kept all of my tap movements at the same level, never trying out different things and never pushing myself/working hard then I would never get any better and would not progress. This is important to me because I like to achieve things and overcome things that I couldn’t do before. I picked The FITT Principle because it linked into Progressive Overload. The FITT Principle determines how much I train, for how long, the intensity for that and what type of training I do. If I, for example I am training to get into a dancing school and need to perfect a certain move or dance then I am going to have to train more, to a higher intensity, for a longer time . Also I will need to train for the right things- the move or dance because if I’m practising street dance to get into a tap school then it will not help me.

25. METHODS OF TRAINING The Methods Of Training: Continuous- (involves working for a sustained period of time without rest. It improves cardio-vascular fitness) Cross- using more than one training method Weight- A form of physical exercise using weights to increase the strength and size of muscles by using exercises specific for each muscle group Circuit- A set of 6-10 exercises performed at stations in an organised pattern. Each exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions or for a prescribed time before moving on to the next exercise. Fartlek- this type of training allows an athlete to run at varying speeds, over unmeasured distances, on different terrain. (Fartlek is Swedish for ‘speed play’) Interval- exercise session where the intensity and duration of exercise are consciously alternated between harder and easier work The most relevant methods of training that I use weekly are : Interval training-(involves alternating between periods of hard exercise and rest. It improves speed and muscular endurance) I use interval training because when I am performing a fast dance and I haven’t finished it then we perform it up to what I know and then we learn the rest of it, by going through it slowly and then when we have learnt it we go through it fast and then stop and go over it slowly again and then fast. Continuous training-(involves working for a sustained period of time without rest. It improves cardio-vascular fitness) I use continuous training because when we need to learn a dance and fast we need to keep on going over and over and over it and that means that we will be continuously moving and dancing and practising so that we get it/ know it perfectly.

26. MY 12 MINUTE COOPER TEST DATA Each time that we done the Coopers Test I ran more laps. I think that this shows in my results because although in week three and four I got my heart rate down I couldn’t get it down when I ran those extra few laps. If we had ran, for example two weeks more, I could have probably got my heart rate down and still have ran those extra laps. The amount of laps that I ran progressed positively each week and I got fitter and also built my stamina up.

27. 6 WEEK TRAINING PROGRAMME

28. SHEET 1- DANCE LESSONS WEDNESDAY- POINTE WORK My point work lessons on Wednesday are 45 minutes long. For the first 10 minutes We warm up gradually at the bars with certain arm and leg exercises. We work really hard. We work on our exercises, they are harder than the warm up exercises because we want to improve upon our leg muscles, upper and core strength, which improves our performance, also because I am training to go on to Pointe we need to make our feet stronger. For the next 20 minutes For the next 10 minutes We practice/ learn our dance. Since we are currently working towards a show we need to learn more of the choreography and go over what we have already learnt. We warm down so that we don’t ache in the morning and to get our heart rate down. For the last 5 minutes

29. SHEET 2- DANCE LESSONS FRIDAY- BALLET, TAP & MODERN My Friday lessons are added up to 2hrs and 25mins. Which split up into three 45 minute lessons. BALLET: TAP: MODERN: 20 mins- bar warm up (whole body) 5 mins- warm up ankles 10 mins- various stretches to improve flexibility 10 mins- hard exercise 25 mins- hard exercise 20 mins- hard exercise 15 mins- practice/ learn show dance 15 mins- Practice/ learn show dance 15 mins- Practice/ learn show dance We do quite a long warm up at the bar in ballet first because it is important that we warm up our entire body because it is going to be the main warm up for the dance classes because they all progress one after the other .

30. SHEET 3- CARDIOVASCULAR My cardiovascular fitness need to improve. I will do this by going for runs in the forest. Week 1: 15 minutes running the easiest/ flattest route (Increasing stamina) Week 2: 20 minutes running the easiest/ flattest route (Increasing stamina and that I can run for a longer amount of time) Week 3: 25 minutes running the easiest/ flattest route (Increasing stamina and that I can run for a longer amount of time)

31. Week 4: 30 minutes running a different/ harder route with hills. (Increasing stamina so that I can run for a longer amount of time and a different route will make me work harder) Week 5: 35 minutes running a different/ harder route with hills. (Increasing stamina so that I can run for a longer amount of time and a different route will make me work harder) Week 6: 40 minutes running another different/ harder route with more hills. (Increasing stamina so that I can run for a longer amount of time and a different route will make me work even harder)

32. SHEET 4- FLEXIBILITY To start off I do a quick 10 minute run so that I am properly warmed up sufficiently. When I am stretching it is always important to remember not to push too hard and also not to bounce because that results in muscle shortening and also injury. 1. I need to be sitting on the floor. I then place the soles of my feet together and bring them about two feet away from my body. One of the main ones I do is the inner thigh where I personally think I am lacking in flexibility. 2. I place my hands on my knees and gently push downwards toward the floor. I then slowly bend forward, trying to touch my nose to my feet. 1. 2. This exercise helps me a lot and each week I progress and get further.

33. SHEET 5- CO-ORDINATION FEET COORDINATION DRILLS Ladder Agility Drills In-Out Drill Start with your feet together at the start of the ladder Step into the first square with your left foot first, immediately followed by your right foot With your left foot step outside to the left the second square, then immediately step outside the second square with your right foot Step back into the third square with your left foot first, followed by your right foot. Repeat this pattern for the length of the ladder trying to go as fast and as smoothly as possible. Ladder skills help me improve my coordination, speed and agility. When I perform these drills, I perform them at the start of my coordination sessions to warm me up.

34. Another example of a coordination drill: I start off with two bits of masking tape on the floor in a cross shape. 2. I then place my feet at the edge of a side together. 2 3. I then number the gaps 1-4 (every week I change the positions of the numbers around so that it gets harder) 1 3 4. I then get someone to call out random sequences of these numbers and then I place my feet in them, then back to the start as quick as I can before I move to the next number. As the weeks progress they get faster so that my feet coordination skills improve. 4