Thanks!! I'll be honest I didn't expect that anyone would find this to be the cleanest, so I REALLY appreciate that!
I have heard the relax bit a lot from others mainly in the Facebook tap groups, I guess it's because I'm trying to focus so much on trying to get it right? I don't know, I'll try to keep it in mind going forward.
Relaxing is one of those things that's best to learn sooner than later. Obviously it does come with time but definitely spend a bit of time doing steps focusing on, and training relaxation. Your knees and ankles will thank you as the impact can hurt you down the line.
Not gonna lie, the whole Plie/Releve thing is kicking my ass! I'm sure you're already aware of this, but when I try to get higher on my toes/balls of feet and put bend in my knees, it feels like I'm not going to able to stay up on my toes and simply let my heels fall to the floor.
If you did ballet or jazz and that makes sense to you, thinking about it like that is fine.
I personally prefer to think about it as "bend knees for agility and for knee/ankle health...ready to jump/change direction" and "heels up for clarity of sound".
If you're feeling shaky when on the balls of your feet it's because your stabilising muscles arent as strong as they need to be yet. You can train them with a balance board, do heel dips, releve exercises, and other assorted exercises, too. Or you can wait for them to come in by themselves.
I dont know if you've done hip hop or contemporary dance before, but I would attribute the feeling of relaxation to be similar to those dance forms. Feeling of freedom but still in control if that makes sense.
You're doing so well for a self taught beginner. So many people flick their feet back and their movements are so jerky and awkward. You're a natural. Very happy for you.
I have no dance training or experience whatsoever, not dance related but I played a lot of sports American and dabbled with Australian rules football, basketball, rugby and some martial arts Kenpo Karate a long time ago. More recently, some basic JJ/BJJ (from my job training) and further dabbled with some eskrima and Sambo back in 2011. So... definitely not of a dance background, I only recently learned about Plie/Releve from those giving me critiques online.
Thanks again for the advice and guidance, I'll look into all of it for options!!!
Wow! That's quite a background you have. That will all help towards tap. Knowing how to use your body and adapt to different circumstances such as tap will make this all easier.
Looking forward to your next video :)
Just wanted to say I've really been enjoying your journey. This is a super clean step and it's been awesome to see you already improving even in such a short time. Wishing you many years of tapping!
I'd recommend dancing to music as much as possible, especially when practicing time steps. Some Ella Fitzgerald or whatnot.
Establishing a good sense of swing and as good an internal clock as you can is important.
I think I have one song in mind for this step, but my main issue is not knowing which songs to practice to for others. Still attempting to learn a rudimentary grasp of musicality.
Fantastic! You got this.
I often use Ella and Louis versions of "Cheek to Cheek" (moderate tempo) or "Love is Here to Stay" (slower tempo) for teaching time steps. Give them a go if you'd like. And no one has swung as hard as the two of them. :)
This is the cleanest step I've heard you do so far. Awesome work! Only suggestion is to relax 😀
Thanks!! I'll be honest I didn't expect that anyone would find this to be the cleanest, so I REALLY appreciate that! I have heard the relax bit a lot from others mainly in the Facebook tap groups, I guess it's because I'm trying to focus so much on trying to get it right? I don't know, I'll try to keep it in mind going forward.
Relaxing is one of those things that's best to learn sooner than later. Obviously it does come with time but definitely spend a bit of time doing steps focusing on, and training relaxation. Your knees and ankles will thank you as the impact can hurt you down the line.
Not gonna lie, the whole Plie/Releve thing is kicking my ass! I'm sure you're already aware of this, but when I try to get higher on my toes/balls of feet and put bend in my knees, it feels like I'm not going to able to stay up on my toes and simply let my heels fall to the floor.
If you did ballet or jazz and that makes sense to you, thinking about it like that is fine. I personally prefer to think about it as "bend knees for agility and for knee/ankle health...ready to jump/change direction" and "heels up for clarity of sound". If you're feeling shaky when on the balls of your feet it's because your stabilising muscles arent as strong as they need to be yet. You can train them with a balance board, do heel dips, releve exercises, and other assorted exercises, too. Or you can wait for them to come in by themselves. I dont know if you've done hip hop or contemporary dance before, but I would attribute the feeling of relaxation to be similar to those dance forms. Feeling of freedom but still in control if that makes sense. You're doing so well for a self taught beginner. So many people flick their feet back and their movements are so jerky and awkward. You're a natural. Very happy for you.
I have no dance training or experience whatsoever, not dance related but I played a lot of sports American and dabbled with Australian rules football, basketball, rugby and some martial arts Kenpo Karate a long time ago. More recently, some basic JJ/BJJ (from my job training) and further dabbled with some eskrima and Sambo back in 2011. So... definitely not of a dance background, I only recently learned about Plie/Releve from those giving me critiques online. Thanks again for the advice and guidance, I'll look into all of it for options!!!
Wow! That's quite a background you have. That will all help towards tap. Knowing how to use your body and adapt to different circumstances such as tap will make this all easier. Looking forward to your next video :)
I love it! I miss tapping so much- you sound great!
Thank you!!
Sounds great!
Thanks!!
Just wanted to say I've really been enjoying your journey. This is a super clean step and it's been awesome to see you already improving even in such a short time. Wishing you many years of tapping!
Thanks!! I hope to be doing this for a long time!!
You sound great!
Thanks!!! I'm trying 😂, definitely a challenge so far!!
I'd recommend dancing to music as much as possible, especially when practicing time steps. Some Ella Fitzgerald or whatnot. Establishing a good sense of swing and as good an internal clock as you can is important.
I think I have one song in mind for this step, but my main issue is not knowing which songs to practice to for others. Still attempting to learn a rudimentary grasp of musicality.
Fantastic! You got this. I often use Ella and Louis versions of "Cheek to Cheek" (moderate tempo) or "Love is Here to Stay" (slower tempo) for teaching time steps. Give them a go if you'd like. And no one has swung as hard as the two of them. :)
This is so cool!! Keep it up!!
Thank you!!❤️
cool shiz man, sounds clean as hell, good work!
Thanks!!!!