How to Do a Double Standard Time Step Break in Tap Dancing

Time steps existed prior to the Vaudeville days; however their popularity grew during that era. A common belief is that the Vaudeville performers needed to relay a specific tempo to the singers and musicians and did this through a series of rhythmically timed steps. Over the years, several variations of time steps have come about. There are standard and off-beat or buck, which are traditionally the most commonly recognized. There are also cramp roll, pull back and traveling time steps and the list goes on and on. Depending on your choice of steps, they can be executed as a single, double or triple time step. Similarly, to complete time step combinations there are single, double and triple time step breaks. A break is a short combination of steps, performed within 8 counts, that creates a rhythmic finish to your time step routine.

Steps

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    Begin with your feet about shoulder width apart. Your arms should be relaxed by your sides, eyes looking forward, your knees slightly bent and your weight on your left foot.  There is a corresponding  tap sound to every count that is referenced.
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    Count “8 &”.  Do a shuffle with the right foot.
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    Count “1”.  Hop on the left foot.
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    Count “& 2”.  Do a flap with the right foot.
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    Count “& 3 &”.  Do a shuffle (& 3) step (&) with the left foot.
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    Count “4 & 5”.  Do another shuffle (4 &) step (5) with the right foot.
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    Count “& 6”.  Do a shuffle on the left
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    Count “& 7”. Do a ball change, left right.
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    Optionally, repeat another series of time steps and break with your left foot initiating. If you decide to do this, just remember the first step begins on count 8.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    How to get on a team with the best dancers?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    All you have to do is go to the auditions and do your best. You will either be chosen or not.

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 13,059 times.
7 votes - 86%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: January 21, 2021
Views: 13,059
Categories: Dancing