Tap Dancing: Rhythm in Their Feet
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An informative, highly illustrated guide for students and teachers of dance and anyone interest in the art of “foot percussion.”Tap Dancing: Rhythm in Their Feet explores a fascinating form of dance. Dance teacher Heather Rees first offers insight into the history of tap and the influence of some of the great “foot percussion” artists. She then delineates the principles of rhythm and timing, the tempo of tap music, techniques, style, and choreography. Topics include: the history and development of tap dancing; floors, shoes, and costumes; music, rhythm, and choreography; traditional steps and time steps; planning classes and exercises; sequences and routines; and improvisation and developing personal style. Heather Rees, who trained in classical ballet with Marguerite Thomas and learned American tap with Gertrude Beaton, teaches dance both in Britain and Europe. Library Journal Rees, a British-born dance teacher/choreographer, has produced a teaching manual for tap dancing. In Part 1, she presents a brief history, accoutrements such as floors, shoes, and costumes, and music rhythm concepts. In Part 2, Rees is at her strongest as she breaks down specific steps by type and timing (often showing a photo) and offers a class plan and some dance combination ideas. Tap dancing is challenging to explain on paper, but the photos do help. Unfortunately, the bizarre inclusion of vaudeville terms in the history section (e.g., "The Role of the Pickaninnies") makes this book difficult to recommend. Other tap works that may be more helpful are Mark Knowles's The Tap Dance Dictionary, Beverly Fletcher's Tapworks, and Acia M. Gray's The Souls of Your Feet.-Barbara Kundanis, Batavia P.L., IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Foreword6Introduction7Part 11A Brief History and Background92Renaissance and Now293Floors, Shoes and Costumes414Music and Rhythm, Technique and Choreography47Part 25The Vocabulary of Steps556Traditional Steps and Time-Steps857Class Plan and Exercises1038Sequences, Routines and Friends' Contributions125Bibliography155Useful Addresses and Magazines156Index of Steps158General Index160
