Inside Tap: Technique and Improvisation for Today's Tap Dancer

I am a beginner at tap dancing. I have watched quite a few beginner videos online from some highly reputable teachers/performers. This book, on the very beginning pages (XIII to be exact), lists a Stamp as not putting weight on the foot and a Stomp as transferring weight onto the foot. On everything else I have seen, including a tap dictionary book I bought, these are opposite - a stamp transfers weight and a stomp does not. I don't like being confused in the beginning stages and it makes me not completely trust anything in this book without cross-referencing it to other reputable sources. Hmmmm...I will keep the book because it appears to have some good information, but I will thoroughly investigate using other sources before accepting it as truth.

I bought this book last year, to teach my self to tap along with Bonnie Franklin's dvd and it has been great. It is so easy to understand. I am slowly working through the step and drills. I love referring back to this and I think I will forever. It is fantastic. A great teacher reference also.

gift for my niece. She was very pleased. This was on her requested list. She is a music/theater major at Drake.

I was trained in traditional and flash tap dancing, so I knew very little about rhythm tap. This book goes over the basics of tap and many traditional tap steps. What makes it so great, though, are the in-depth explanations of rhythm, dynamics, syncopation, accents, and new forms of tap, including rhythm tap and orchestrated tap. The explanations are clear and easy and the practice exercises are excellent. This is a must-have book for anyone wishing to expand their tap knowledge and artistry.

This book has been a wealth of ideas and information. I use many of the drills and combinations in my classes. They are clearly notated and easy to understand (which is unusual for a "book" on tap dance). I would recommend this book for anyone at an intermediate level or higher. Well worth the money!

Inspired to get my tap shoes out and enjoy myself to my music of the moment. Interesting historical insights as well as ideas for choreography. Challenging in places translating American tap terminology into the terminology I learnt, for me it has added to the fun.

excellent

Ich mag dieses Buch wirklich gerne. Es ist super für alle, die etwas tiefer in Steptanz einsteigen wollen und die selbst improvisieren oder choreographieren wollen. Auch für alle, die unterrichten wollen, und denen manchmal die Worte fehlen: Hier sind alle Schritte ausführlich erklärt. Die Schrittfolgen und Übungen sind so gut erklärt, dass man sie als erfahrener Steptänzer, der aus Tanzbeschreibungen lernen kann, gut üben kann. Es werden auch viele Themen angesprochen, für die im Unterricht oft kein Platz ist wie Dynamik. Das Buch hat auch meine eigene Kreativität sehr angeregt: Es fallen einem tatsächlich noch Wege ein, wie man die Übungen weiter spinnen könnte. Gut gefallen hat mir auch die Sektion über Musiktheorie. Das einzige Minus: Die gut gemeinten Musikempfehlungen im Anhang sind so veraltet, dass es sie nur noch auf Schallplatte oder gar nicht mehr gibt. Das ist sehr schade, tut aber dem Buch keinen Abbruch.