Cheryl Johnson, Instructor
Teen and Adult Tap Dancers can keep up their ‘tap dancing chops’ with a variety of exercises and combinations with Jazz Tap Dance Artist Cheryl Johnson.
Dance Attire:
- Flexible clothing, pant hems at shoe line or above
- Hair pulled back
- Tap shoes with screws countersunk, with non-marking soles (such as brown, caramel, tan, or white)
- Tap Shoes should fit like a good pair of walking shoes, fitting snugly on the heel and with room in the toe box for toes to stretch. As prices can vary, we recommend buying shoes that fit your budget.
Monday, July 14
5:30-6:30 PM - Tap Dance Fundamentals - Absolute Beginners
We’ll start with the absolute basics. Tap your feet in time with music; quarter notes then eighth notes. Learn essential tap dance steps; shuffle, flap, ball-change, heel-drops, toe-drops, rolls.
6:30-7:30 PM - Tuning Up Time Steps - Intermediate/Advanced
Time steps are essential tap trademarks. The time step reached its peak in popularity in the 1920s & 1930s, when tap dancers performed with live orchestras and needed a concise way to communicate tempo, feel, and time signature with the musicians. We will explore a number of Standard Time Steps including the Single, Double, Triple, Cramp-roll, Wing, Traveling, Rhythm, etc.
Monday, July 21
5:30-6:30 PM - Tap Dancer’s Anthem: The Shim Sham - Beginning/Intermediate
The Shim Sham Chorus is a 32 Bar dance made up of four – 8 Bar steps. Participating in the Shim Sham connects you to tap dance history. Vaudeville team Reed & Bryant created the Shim Sham with the Whitman Sisters song-and-dance troupe in the 1920s. The dance has stood the test of time and continues to bring together tap dancers of all skill levels.
6:30-7:30 PM – The Bambalina (Choreography by Eddie Rector) – Intermediate/Advanced
Eddie Rector had a style of tap dancing that was unique at the time (1920s-1930s), that incorporated arm movements and moved around the floor, similar to what is referred to today as Broadway style tap dancing. The
Bambalina was “a traveling time step that used the whole body and emphasized clean and precise footwork.” The Bambalina was also a specialty routine created by Eddie Rector for a revue Dixie to Broadway (1924).
Tap Workshops: $41.50 tuition for two classes; 25% discount for students enrolled in individual lessons at Hochstein during summer session.
Learn more about our Tuition Assistance by clicking here.