Learn tap: The basics!

Sometimes tap dancing can seem complicated with its many rhythms and intricate steps, but every step is composed of a many smaller simple steps.

Unlike ballet, the trick to a good tap sound is keep your knees a little bent and loosening up your ankles and feet. It is also helpful to know where your weight is as it is constantly shifting from one foot to another.

Put these simple steps together and form your own tap dance to your favorite song! You'll be a regular Fred Astaire in no time!

1. Tap- Take your toe and
just tap it on the floor in front
of you with the front tap.
This can also be done to the
side and back.

 2.Dig - Hit the back

edge of the heel tap

 against the floor.

 



 3. Knock/toe-tip 
Hit the back edge of the heel 
tap against the floor. This can 
be done to the back, or 
crossing the leg in front.

  4.Brush - Swing foot forward 

hitting only the ball tap (front toe tap) 

on the floor. You can also swing from 

the front to the back too.

Put these steps together and try out this routine:

Tap with the RIGHT, step together

Tap with the LEFT, step together

Double tap with the RIGHT, step together

Double tap with the LEFT, step together

Dig with the RIGHT, step together

Dig with the LEFT, step together

Double dig with the RIGHT, step together

Double dig with the LEFT, step together

Brush to the FRONT, then BACK, then knock in back with RIGHT foot, step together
Brush to the FRONT, then BACK, then knock in back with LEFT foot, step together
Brush to the FRONT, then BACK, then knock in back with RIGHT foot, step together

Brush to the FRONT, then BACK, then knock in back with LEFT foot, step together

Take a bow!- Step to the RIGHT, knock LEFT foot behind

                                           Step to the LEFT, knock RIGHT foot behind

Happy tap dancing!

 

 

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Returning to dance after tragedy: Adrianne Haslet-Davis

The Boston Marathon bombings shook the world a year ago, but it is hard to imagine the emotional and physical pain that the victims have had to endure.

One such victim is Adrianne Haslet-Davis. She and her husband were just steps away from one of the bombs during the Boston Marathon.

Prior to the event, Haslet-Davis was an award winning ballroom dancer and her husband had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan.

The intensity of the bomb blew off her left foot and rendered her an amputee.

For months, the loss of her foot was agonizing. The initial realization that her foot was gone was heart-breaking. Dance was her life and passion, and it seemed like it was unfairly taken away from her.

Video documentaries of Adrianne and her husband show really emotional and challenging moments after the bombings. Realizing that their lives had been put in danger left emotional scars and terrible anxiety. Even the sound of fireworks would set off a panic.

Apart from the emotional stress, there was also the physical aspect of being an amputee. The introduction to a prosthetic leg was very painful. The physical therapy sessions were long and difficult, but none of it was done in vain.

After lots of hard work and a state-of-the-art prosthetic leg, Adrianne was able to dance again! She  recently performed a rumba routine on stage at TED Talk and even gave Anderson Cooper from CNN a private dance lesson on camera. She is also working out dates to dance on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Adrianne is a survivor with a dream and a passion. No mental or phyiscal roadblock was going to get in her way of continuing on with her dream.

 Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Learn Ballet: How to do a développé!

Développé  is short for the term battement développé.

The movement involves lifting the leg to a retiré position, then fully extending it through an attitude position until the leg is straight. The movement can be done to the front, side, or back.

A retiré position requires the dancers to bend their knee at a sharp angle so that only the tips of the toes are touching the supporting leg. The working leg, the one raised in the retiré position, should be kept out to the side, parallel to the body.

Retiré position

Once you've reached the retiré position, extend the leg so that it is straightened all the way. Keep those toes pointed!

Extending into développé

Tips for a beautiful développé:

- Keep the hip dropped: do not raise your hip. If you were looking into a mirror, you would want there to be a straight line across your hips parallel to the floor.

- Turn your leg out! When the leg is extended, watch where your knee is facing:

         1. Front: knee should be facing out away from body

         2. Side: knee should be facing up to the ceiling

         3. Back: knee should be facing out away from body

- Don't forget about the upper body! Lift your chin and chest.

Keep working on that leg extension and soon you'll be able to perform beautiful, strong développés all day long!

Happy dancing!

 

 

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com