English or American tap – what’s the difference?

The tap taught in most dancing schools in the UK is based upon an English set syllabus which is geared towards passing exams. The syllabus has specific technical requirements against which you will be measured during your exam. You will also be assessed on timing, beat clarity and performance skills. Some people prefer learning a syllabus as they feel comfortable within its restrictions, enjoy repetition and feel more confident learning a ‘set’ style. For many children, the tap syllabus provides a solid grounding in dance alongside traditional ballet and modern classes – many dancing schools and parents measure their children’s success in terms of the exams they pass – whether or not this is a good thing obviously depends on your point of view!…

On the other hand, it could be argued that a set syllabus leaves little room for creativity and rhythmical expression by the teacher or student. In any art form, innovation comes from experimentation. Anyone wanting to dance like Bill ‘Bo Jangles’Robinson, Eleanor Powell or the Nicholas Brothers needs to look further afield across the Atlantic at the rich cultural and artistic heritage from which tap was born.

‘American’ tap (sometimes called rhythm, freestyle or jazz tap) is essentially an African American art form and has always had a close relationship with the development of blues and jazz music, thus the use of challenging rhythms in the form of syncopation, cross phrasing and unusual accents and time signatures. A tapper is a musician as well as a dancer!

The impressively fast beating often seen in American tap is a result of close work – the feet stay near the floor with little elevation and the dancer appears to move effortlessly along whilst producing amazingly fast and accurate beats – although speed isn’t everything! Some of the greatest freestyle tap dancers have continued to dance well into their 70s and 80s – they may be less athletic, but years of refinement result in subtleties of timing and tone similar to those of an experienced jazz musician.

A freestyle tap class should be anything other than dull and repetitive – it should provide an opportunity to explore and play around with rhythm, rather than just copying or learning parrot fashion. Instead of laying down rigid requirements for arm and body positioning, a freestyle tap teacher is more likely to give guidelines which will allow his or her students to develop their own style and move in a way that suits their own body. By tap dancing to all different types of music you can refine your sense of timing and musical appreciation.