DO NOT FOLLOW WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD! GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO
PATH AND LEAVE A TRAIL!! www.tapatakoz.com.au
ENQUIRIES: [1]info@tapatakoz.com.au
MAY 2012
Links:
1. mailto:info@tapatakoz.com.au
CONNECTING WITH LOCAL TAP COMMUNITIES!!
TAPATAK OZ is once again proud to be sponsoring a number of Dance
Competitions within Australia!
This is another way in which we strive to encourage a PASSION for TAP
in the younger generation, by donating TAP WORKSHOPS with TAPATAK OZ
creator, Christine Denny and by offering CAPEZIO TAP SHOES as awards
through our partnership with CAPEZIO AUSTRALIA!
In 2012 we have sponsored TAP SECTIONS in the following competitions:
DANCELIFE UNITE (Sydney), BPAC ( Brisbane, QLD), ILLAWARRA EISTEDDFOD (
NSW), THE GOLD COAST EISTEDDDFOD (QLD), THE SUNSHINE COAST ( QLD)
Through this sponsorship we aim to share our passion for tap with
others and to encourage the younger generation in the pursuit of
excellence in TAP!!
LOVE TAP!!! SHARE THE PASSION!!
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that CAPEZIO AUSTRALIA is a proud affiliate of TAPATAK OZ?
So, when you purchase the entire TAPATAK OZ SYLLABUS within Australia,
you are entitled to a FREE PAIR OF CAPEZIO TAP SHOES from the
Australian range. It is just another way in which we strive to provide
you with a quality TAP EXPERIENCE from start to finish!
You can’t get any better than CAPEZIO TAPS and we are proud to be able
to offer this amazing deal to our TAPATAK OZ CLIENTS!!
TEACHERS ARE THRILLED WITH THE TAPATAK OZ PROGRAMME!!
“Thank you so much for an amazing demonstration of the Tapatak Oz
Syllabus last Sunday. It blew us away and we are very excited by
everything that we saw.
As I mentioned to you on the day, I am quite interested in using
Tapatak Oz in conjunction with our current syllabus. I am keen to
purchase the Complete Junior System as we have quite a strong, younger
group of tappers emerging and I am very eager to introduce them to your
unique rhythms and combinations that were not only brilliant to learn,
but great fun too.
Even though I already knew about the Tapatak Oz Tap System, meeting you
and being able to have a small ‘taste’ of your favourite combinations
from across the levels was just fantastic and really brought everything
to life. Consider me a new convert and Tapatak Oz fan.”
JODIE SPICER
PRINCIPAL
DANCE MAGIC ACADEMY, ARMBARVALE, SYDNEY, NSW – MARCH 2012
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THE DYING ART SOCIETY are a group of young Aussie tappers continuing
the tradition of quality, innovative tap chore and performance coming
out of Australia. We have many great tappers in this country and a
history of producing unique tapping with a modern twist. Check them out
on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xICSWbEIv20
TAP TIP FOR TODAY – HOW TO GET A GREAT SOUND IN YOUR TAPPING!
Today I thought we would talk about some of the ways you can improve the
sound of your tapping. In other styles of dance we are usually focused on how
the dance looks, but in tap dancing we also have to think about how we sound
and there are some subtle techniques that we can use to make a huge
difference.
So – what can you do to spice up your rhythms and make sure they are
nice and clear with a good level of dynamics? The answer is
simple………ACCENT!!
When you are tapping it is really important that you give all your
rhythms light and shade. That is, in every rhythm there should be the
louder or accented
sounds but also the softer, lighter sounds. This is what creates a nice
natural sound that has a relaxed and easy flow.
If your tapping only has loud sounds then it tends to sound very forced
and listening to it is like being hit over the head with a frying pan.
And if all your beats are very soft then the routine will sound bland,
uninteresting and lack lustre. The key to a good sound is making sure
you have a good mix of both heavier and lighter sounds.
Imagine you are playing a drum kit……or rather your feet are the drum
kit. The heel digs are going to be your kick drum and the ball beats
are your snare drum. It is this mixture of sounds that makes the
tapping both look and sound exciting, as the audience is enthralled by
all these different sounds coming out of one pair of feet. Using well
placed accent is one of the most effective tools a good tap dancer can
have in their kit to assist in creating rhythmic dynamics.
Knowing where the accents fall in a rhythm also helps you make the
rhythmic variation in a routine clear. If you have cross phrasing or
syncopation in the choreography, then it is imperative that you anchor
the rhythms with a clear accent or they run the risk of sounding very
unclear and muddled.
For instance – you have a 3 count step that is repeated 4 times to a
4/4 piece of music as follows:
1&2&3 Spring shuffle ball change ( r )
4&5&6 Spring shuffle ball change ( l )
7&8&1 Spring shuffle ball change ( r )
2&3&4 Spring shuffle ball change ( l )
5 6 7 8 Runs x 4 ( r l r l)
If you place a strong accent on the first spring of each repetition,
the rhythm will be crystal clear and you will have created some very
effective syncopation and cross phrasing in the routine. If however,
the accent is missing, then the chance is pretty high that the rhythm
will be unclear and you will have missed the opportunity to add this
extra dynamic to your routine.
Accent is one of the skills a good tapper uses to anchor all the
rhythms in a routine and to give it nice dynamics and oomph, which
makes it interesting to listen to. It is the hidden element in your tap
performance that gives your sound that extra edge and clarity.
When working in a group it is also the grounding force which can help
to keep all the tappers in perfect time, as it provides a reference
point for the more complex rhythmic patterns. Like punctuation in a
well written piece of literature, accent gives everyone a focal point
where the rhythms are either heading to or leaving from, enabling
perfect unison in a group.
So – now we have created great dynamics in our footwork, through the
use of accent, we also need to mirror that visually. That is, we need
to have light and shade or dynamics in how we look as well. We need to
have some moments when our arm lines are really sharp and strong and
then other moments when our arms relax. Again – if all our arm lines
are sharp we will tend to look forced, tense and stiff. And if all our
arm lines are relaxed we will look untidy and wishy washy. The key to
good dynamics both rhythmically and visually is having a good balance
or strong and relaxed, light and shade, loud and soft!
Regardless of the style all tapping requires this use of dynamics
within the given genre. Traditional, broadway, funk, street, blues,
ragtime – no matter what the style of the choreography or the style of
music to which you are dancing these dynamics need to be applied.
You will also find that changing the accents in your footwork can
totally change the sound and feel of a step. You can try this out
yourself with a few different steps you are currently learning and you
will see that by applying the accent in a different part of the step
the rhythm develops a different character and personality. For example:
1&2& Heel dig R, brush up R, step and heel drop R
Try the accent on the first heel dig on the count of 1 = 1&2&
Now try it on the final heel on the count of & after the count of 2 =
1&2&
Now try the accent on the step, on the count of 2 = 1&2&
That is a simple example and you can try many more at home.
You can also give a basic step to your students in class and then
challenge them to come up with different uses of accent, to make the
same combination of steps sound totally different each time! They LOVE
DOING THIS EXERCISE and it really sparks their own creativity!
ENJOY!!!
Christine Denny
Director
TAPATAK OZ
CHECK OUT THE TAPATAK OZ PROMO DVD HERE!
ALL DVDS SHOW EVERYTHING FROM THE FRONT AND BACK BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT
THE MUSIC!
IT’S JUST LIKE HAVING TAP MASTERCLASESS ON HAND – 24/7!!
MAKE THE CHANGE AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO TAP!
[5]www.tapatakoz.com.au
Copyright © 2012, TAPATAK OZ All rights reserved.
Links:
5. http://www.tapatakoz.com.au
LIVE! LAUGH! TAP!
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