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Introduction
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Tap dance blurs
the lines
between music and dance as a key element of
tap is to make noise with their movement that’s why it’s commonly
referred to as ‘Musical feet’. Tap dancers wear shoes specifically
designed for this style of dance called tap-shoes which have metal
plates on the toes and heel to create the taping noise that you hear.
Probably the most annoying dance to neighbors with thin walls and
room mates the dance has proved to be very popular with dancers and
audiences alike.
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Classical
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A dance with many names,
classical tap also goes by and can be referred
to as flash tap or swing tap. With classical tap you will see a lot of
influences from other dance styles such as ballet, borrowing heavily
from jazz dance.
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Rhythm
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Rhythm takes the idea of
tap shoes being musical instruments to the
next level. With an increased focus on creating a rhythm with the tap
shoes the dance is often being performed without being accompanied by a
music score.
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Broadway
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Broadway or musical tap
gets its name from how suited it is for musical
theater and show dancing. The reason it is suited to theater is because
it takes traditional tap dancing and gives it an increased focus on the
aesthetics over sound, adding an emphasis on upper body and arm
movement to give the performance more energy and increase its visual
appeal to audiences.
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Funk
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Combines hip-hop, funk and
tap to form an evolved contemporary style of
dance and designed to be incredibly fun. This style of tap is perfect
for beginner due to how fun and interesting the dance is which also
includes various elements from different styles. So not only can you
develop techniques for more serious dances such as Jazz and Classical
tap, you do so while having a great time.
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Freestyle
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Can include every form and
style of tap, because you basically do
whatever movement you want, express yourself in any way you wish.
Freestyle tap gives the dancer the most creative freedom with their
movement and choreography. The only rule to freestyle tap dance is that
it must include tap dancing techniques because though it’s still a
freestyle dance without tap dancing techniques cannot be considered a
freestyle tap dance.
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Hoofing
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Is very similar to rhythm
tap with the focus being the sound they
create with their movement. Hoofing tap dancers utilizes heavy stomps
and the shifting of their body weight to create a range of different
sounds and varying depth.
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Soft shoe
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Not every tap dance is
about creating nose through movement. The name
soft shoe comes from the fact this dance is performed without metal
taps on the dancer’s shoes. The Taps are removed reducing the amount of
noise the dancer makes to increase the audiences focus on the skill of
the dancer and the graceful movement of their feet. The movement
and
techniques of soft shoe dance are the same as other tap dances which is
why this is still considered a style tap dance.
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