Tap Dance at Extreme Dance 2009
Last week was the finals week for Extreme Dance Convention, run by Melissa Williams. I was lucky enough to be the tap dance teacher for the week with some super students. They danced their hearts out!
Here’s some footage of the tap choreography we did:
Extreme Dance Convention Tap Dance
Congratulations to all tap dancers who participated at this event, you worked it out! To continue tap dancing in Toronto, get your fix here.
Keep working on your skills everyone!
- Shawn B
Add comment July 13, 2009
NEW Tap Dance Class Toronto!
ATTENTION Tap Dancers:
There’s a change in schedule, with a shiny new class on Tuesdays. Go to this page with all info, schedule, location and directions:
http://ShawnByfield.com/tapdance.htm
If you haven’t signed up to tap with us, what are you waiting for? You’ll never improve if you keep thinking about it. The worst thing that could happen is you actually LEARN something.
Right? Never be afraid of learning! You can get access to killer tap classes directly on that page.
Thank you for keeping tap dance alive in our city.
- Shawn B
Add comment July 3, 2009
New And Improved: Toronto Tap Dance Class Website
- Toronto tap dance and hip hop classes
Toronto tap dance lovers,
Shawn here. Introducing: My new and improved tap dance class website! It’s definitely much easier for you to use, go take a look:
http://www.ShawnByfield.com
You’ll notice right away that the look and feel are still the same as before. I’ve simplified the navigation, and made the website quicker to load. Which makes it faster for you to learn about tap dance classes in Toronto.
Take a look today. Check the tap dance class page, and get yo’ dance on!
- Shawn Byfield
Add comment June 18, 2009
National Tap Dance Day Toronto 09
Happy National Tap Dance Day to all the hoofers, tap dance supporters, teachers, photographers, videographers, researchers and everyone who continues to share the love of tap dance.
We honour the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (May 25th, 1878) who opened the doors for tapdancers around the world to perform on film.
Bojangles was famous for his work teaching and performing with Shirley Temple (in photograph). He was a left-footed tapdancer, light on his toes, with a charming stage presence.
His personal life not as charming, and Bojangles used alcohol as a councellor. Despite his private life’s worries, Bill Robinson left a historic impression and memory for all tap dancers worldwide.
Toronto has an annual celebration at Nathan Phillips Square, 12 pm. Cities around the world continue the celebration with shows, screenings, lectures and tap dance classes from pioneers of the art to the next generation of tap instructors and choreographers.
Here’s footage of myself performing at City Hall in honour of “Mr Bojangles”
Dance is universal. I encourage you to keep the dance alive and support the art form however you can, where ever you are!
- Shawn Byfield
3 comments May 29, 2009
Tap dance footage from Samba Squad Show
Just some footage of me tap dancing with aka Subliminal and Samba Squad. Which turned out to be the most energetic, extremely musical, nearly 4 hour show!
- Shawn Byfield
Add comment May 24, 2009
Tap Dance Meets Samba Rhythms
The percussive energy of latin drumming and tap dance rhythms collide!
I’ll be joining SAMBA SQUAD this Friday May 22 at Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, to celebrate the squad’s 10 year anniversary. Led by master percussionist Rick Lazar, this group is a non-stop powerhouse of energizing samba, salsa, funk, cuban and more rhythms.
My tap shoes will play with the latin percussion, and I’m excited to share the stage with aka Subliminal, Canada’s finest and only Soul-hop emcee, beat boxer and more.
We’ll be celebrating with Samba Squad though a blend of scatting, tap dancing, beat boxing and all round musical fun. Support! Bring a friend! Show starts at 10 pm, and there’s a whole roster of other talented artists performing in the show.
Visit the Samba Squad website for info, and make sure to bring yo’ dancin’ shoes!
- Shawn B
Add comment May 21, 2009
Tap Dance Lesson on TV
Want to learn how to tap dance? Here’s a tap dance lesson from a television show I was on. The hosts had no tap dance training or experience, just a desire to learn!
I taught the hosts a very basic tap dance routine, and man, they were a blast. I literally taught this tap dance routine live on air, no pre-rehearsal. Fun times! Feel free to use the tap steps, and leave your comments on the video.
- Shawn Byfield
PS: Looking for tap dance lessons in person? Go here:
Add comment April 28, 2009
Tap Dance Tips: Amazingly Simple Technique To Cleaner Pickups
“The Amazingly Simple Technique To Cleaner Pickups… And Why You Should ERASE What Your Tap Dance Teacher Taught You”
Gettin' ready to tap dance!
For most of us, a Pickup (also known as pull backs) is a light, hopping step that has two sounds, done on the ball of the foot. For standard pickups, both feet take off with a brush back. Then you land on the balls of your feet at the same time. With practice, a pickup can also be done standing on one foot.
There are variations of the step of course, just like any step in tap dance. Four count (I’ve also heard them called delayed pickups) happen when one foot makes a brush, followed by the other. You then land on the first foot, and the other quickly lands after it.
However, you’ll discover the above technique has two major flaws.
The first problem? That brush back adds a “scrapey” sound. If you’ve been tap dancing for a while, you know the difference between a clear brush and a scrape. Listen to your shuffles; Your taps should resonate with a crisp sound.
The second problem?
Psychologically speaking, once you brush back, your body wants to put the foot down BEHIND you, instead of landing on your start position. This makes you travel backward (ever learned pickups traveling across the floor?) and makes it much more difficult to stay on the spot.
So how to avoid traveling, and make cleaner pickups? Follow these three steps:
- FIRST: Take lift off. JUMP. Don’t even think about the brush back. Spring off the balls of your feet, and only jump straight up in the air.
- SECOND: Once you’re in mid air, quickly tap on the way DOWN. You need to time that split second before gravity pulls you back down. Tap in the space before you land.
- LASTLY: Land on balls of your feet, making sure to bend your knees. NO HEELS! Always keep your weight on your toes.
This most likely involves reprogramming the physics that you’ve learned from previous teachers. Because tapping on the way DOWN requires a bit more stomach, thigh and shin muscle strength, as well as perfect timing. But it can be done.
Try this today, and make it a habit from now on.
The best way to perfect this is to sit in a chair, lift your feet off the floor by pushing off the balls of your feet, then tap, then land. Repeat. Once you get it, you’ll immediately hear and feel the difference in your technique.
Congratulations!
© 2008 Shawn Byfield
About The Author:
Shawn Byfield (www.ShawnByfield.com) is an award winning choreographer, show director and a leading expert in dance lessons and industry advice. His extremely fun approach to learning is a must for anyone looking to achieve their highest potential through dance.
Add comment March 17, 2009
