Fitness with Friends: Adaptive Tap Dance

VOICE: For more information and a full transcript of this video check out Fun4theDisabled.com. When joining us for this video, you need to take some precautions as your health and safety are the most important. To avoid any injury or harm, you need to check your health with your doctor before exercising. By performing any fitness exercises without supervision, like with this video, you are performing them at your own risk. See a fitness professional to give you advice on your exercise form. Strategy for Access Foundation NFP and Dancing Wheels Company will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of this video. 

DANCE INSTRUCTOR SARAH: Hello everyone, my name is Sarah. I’m a dancer with the Dancing Wheels Company and also directors of rehearsals and outreach. And today we’re going to be doing a physically integrated dance tap class. Here we will be using the fingertips as the fronts or balls of the feet. The heel of the hand as the heels of the feet. And you can use your hands on a surface such as your lap or a tabletop in front of you. If you don’t have tap shoes, that’s okay too. Try this class in socks or tennis shoes or whatever feels comfortable for you and seated dancers can do it with their hands. I have Catherine here to demonstrate with me, she’ll be doing the seated version with her arms. I’ll be doing a combination of my arms and also my legs. And occasionally I will stand and demonstrate our combinations also. 

So let’s go ahead and get started. We’re going to do a warm up first with our fronts or fingertips and our toes. So what I’d like you to do is concentrate on keeping the hands attached to the surface that you’re using. I sometimes refer to my lap as my tap lap, right? And keeping the heels of the hands attached if that’s comfortable for you, you’re gonna alternate your thumps. So this is my right, this is my left. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Now keep your fingertips attached and you’re going to lift the heel of the hand or foot. We’re going to put the heel down on the right, on the left, on the right, on the left. With your palms, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Awesome, let’s take that number down to just eight in the front alternating and eight in the back. Let’s start with our right and we go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. On the heels, back of the hand, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Great, let’s go on. Four in the front, four in the back. We go 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Two of these, two to the front, two in the back but we’re going to do that twice. Let’s go front 2, back 2. Front 2, back 2. Now we’ve been starting with our right hand or foot, let’s start with the left now. We begin with 16 alternating fronts or toes. five, six, start with your left. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Heels, 2, 3, 4, this is left, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Eight fronts, here we go. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and back, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, four in the front. 1, 2, 3, 4, four back, 2, 3, 4, two front and two back, and then two front and two back. 

Nice job, let’s do our single taps next. So we’re going to identify the front of the knee or reaching forward on the surface that you’re tapping on to do articulations from. Our wrist should bend and flex from the wrist, tapping the fingertips. And ankles bend and flex from the ankle. We’re going to take eight single taps to the front. Let’s try it together, we go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. When we go to the side, seated dancers, we’re going to identify some place on the side of our thigh. And we will do this position for side. Seated dancers who are able to use their legs are going to travel their leg to the side. Standing dancers would take their leg to the side. Good, let’s try that again. So eight to the side, five, six, ready go. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Continuing this, we’re going to identify for seated someplace on a chair where we can tap. We’ll see Catherine’s using the outside and the inside of her push wheels, towards the back, right. I tried to move my right to the back of my space. And I’m using my right arm on my space. Let’s count to 8. Ready, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. We’re gonna travel back to the side, prepare in that space. We’re only going to do seven and we’re going to come back to our neutral arm count eight. So let’s try that, only seven. We go, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, neutral. Great, let’s try that all on the left. Starting with the front, eight beats. Here we go, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Side, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Back, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Side, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, neutral. 

Nice, we’re gonna divide that in half, doing only four beats to the front, four beats to the side, four beats to the back. Only three and neutral on count four. Let’s try this all together from our right side. Four beats, ready, go! 1, 2, 3, 4, side, 2, 3, 4, back, 2, 3, 4, side, 2, 3, neutral. Left, 2, 3, 4, side, 2, 3, 4, back, 2, 3, 4, side, 2, 3, neutral. You guessed it, we’re going to divide in half again and only do two beats. Let’s do that to the front. Let’s go, 1, 2, side, 2, back, 2, just one and neutral. Front, 2, side, 2, back, 2, just 1 and neutral. Now for the ones, we do one front, one side, one back, then we step to neutral or place our hands right here. Then left side, only front, side, back, neutral. We’ll repeat our ones. 1, 1, 1, neutral, 1, 1, 1, neutral. Great, one is all. 

Let’s try our single taps and our, excuse me, our toes and our heels. And then our single taps all the way through from the top. I will demonstrate this standing as well. You’ll see my hands use an indirect movement. You can follow Catherine’s as well and I will be using my feet. Let’s start with our toes or fingertips, alternating 16 front. 5, 6, 7, start right. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Heels, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Front, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, eight back. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Four front, four back, two, again. Starting left, left, right, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 left, right, left, right, left. And our heels, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. To the front. 5, 6, 7, 8, eight back. Four front, four back, two, again. 1, 2, 1, 2, tap front. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, side, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. To the back, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Side, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, neutral. Left, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Side, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, neutral. Back, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Side, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Front, 2, 3, 4. Side, 2, 3, 4, back 2, 3, 4. Side, 2, 3, neutral. Left, 2, 3, 4. Side, 2, 3, 4, back 2, 3, 4. Side, 2, 3, neutral. Two front, two side, Two back, side, neutral. Two front, two side, 2 back, side, neutral. 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1. Again and last one. Okay nice job, all right. 

Keeping with the toes or fronts of the hands and the heels or backs of the hands. We’re gonna combine sounds with our right side, front or toes, heels, like marching in place with two sides. Our left side toes or fronts, and heels with your hands. Ball heel, ball heel, ball heel, ball heel. Twice as fast, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Rest. Start with your left side. Ready? Slow, 1, 2, 3, 4, double time 8. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Wonderful, let’s now start with our heels on our foot or hands and then we slam our toes down. Our left side, heels, toes or fingers. Heel, toes or fingers. Heels, toes or fingers. Good let’s try a double time eight times. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Great, start with your left side. Ready? Go! 1, 2, 3, 4. Eight quick, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Wonderful, let’s try a little detail if you are able to travel in your space you could move these forward by doing a push with your wheelchair first. Catherine can show this movement. She’ll give one push and right, left, right left. Then Catherine will pull back and start with the right fingertips as well. Right, left, right, left. Nice job, let’s try that again. Catherine will travel and then I’ll show the standing version moving forward. Ready? Two pulls. Push, 1, 2, 3, 4, pull and 1, 2, 3, 4. If you want that to match the counts of a particular song, you might have to equate for the push or the pull to be one of those beats. And Catherine might take out one of the ball heels or fingertips and heels of the hands to indirectly translate the timing of the music or the movement. So if I were to travel this movement also I can use the ball of my feet to move forward. 1, 2, 3, 4, and I can travel backwards. 1, 2, 3, 4, good. Why don’t we try it together? Ready? Go. 1, 2, 3, 4, and back. 1, 2, 3, 4. Nice, let’s try one more time and then you won’t stop in between. So Catherine, when you pull back, you’ll start with your left fingertips as I will be on my left and pull back. Five, six, seven, eight. 1, 2, 3, 4, and left, now back, now right, now left, awesome. Travel together, there we go. 

All right, so just as an exercise, if we were to do our heel toe, heel toe, heel toe, heel toe. And you can do that traveling forward as well. Heel to toe first. Catherine pushes and does heel toe, heel toe, heel toe, heel toe. Pull back, good. Three, four, awesome job. Heels going backwards while standing is a little different. So heel toe, heel toe, heel toe, heel toe. It’s still possible. Heel down first, toes, heel down and toes. Right heel, and left heel. Yeah, nice job. All right, staying with the fronts or balls of the feet and the heels. Fronts of the hands or backs of the hands. 

We’re going to go in a different order now. This is called cramp rolls. Begin with the right fingertips or ball of your foot. Onto your tap lap or surface followed by the left front or ball. Your right heel then drops, hand or foot followed by the left heel. So I will say the turns for the ball, ball, heel, heel or front, front, back, back. Let’s do two more, right, left, right, left. One more, right, left, right, left. Nice, you begin now with your left fingertips forward. Ready? Go, left, right, left, right. Again, left, right, left, right. Again, left, right, left, right. Back to front, front, back, back. Wonderful, that same speed. Let’s start on our right side. We’re going to do four then eight quicker and then we’ll stop, alright? Beginning on the right. 5, 6, 7, 8. Ball, ball, heel, heel. Front, front, back, back, two more. Last one. Double time, 1, 2, 3, 4. 

(feet tapping) 

Ball, ball, heel, heel. Come on. Last one. Good, let’s do our left side starting. 5, 6, 7, 8. This is two. Ball, ball, heel, heel. Double time, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Nice. 

On our own, and you can try this too, combine those movements with the fronts and the backs to try to get a little bit faster. Go ahead, try it on your own. 

(feet tapping) 

Also try your left initiating first, go ahead. 

(feet tapping) 

Nice! Alright, great job. Let’s do next our paradiddles. So we’re gonna begin with the heel of the right hand and we do a dig. This does a dig with the heel or the heel of the foot on our surface. The next movement is called a spank. That’s a brush backwards and tap where you go brush. And I use my fingertips to brush backwards on the lap or on the surface that I’m tapping on. My toes pull back in space as well. Then you’ve already done this movement, ball and heel on the right side. Let’s try our left. Start with your heel. Heel, we do a spank backwards, a ball and heel. Right side. Heel, spank, ball, heel. This is heel, dig, spank, ball, heel. Two more, dig, spank, ball, heel. Dig, spank, ball, heel. Let’s try a little bit faster on our right side starting first. Five, six, seven, eight. Dig, spank, ball heel, dig, spank, ball, heel. Dig, spank, ball, heel, dig, spank, we’re halfway. Dig, spank, ball, heel, dig, spank, ball, heel, two more, dig, spank, ball, heel, last one. Dig, spank, ball, heel. 

Wonderful, brushing forward and then back. This is a shuffle. When I translate this movement, I’m using my fingertips to brush forward and then backwards, hands off the floor, off the tap surface, off of our tap lap. We do this with the toes too, forward, back, shuffle. Shu-ffle, shu-ffle. Forward, backward, shu-ffle. Let’s replace our hands and feet. Let’s try the other side, left forward, back. Forward, back, forward, back, forward, back. Nice job let’s replace. We’ll do three shuffles on the right. And one step or pat that sounds like this. 1, 2, 3, step, 1, 2, 3, step. Now you, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, step. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, step. Good, let’s only do one shuffle now. One shuffle on the right. Shuffle, step, left side, shuffle step. Right, left, four more. This is six, this is seven, this is eight. 

Good, now after we set our hand or foot down, we’re going to take both hands up and clap on count four. Then we put our hands right back down softly as if there is no sound. With my feet, this sounds like… 

(feet tapping) 

With a clap. Right, I do a shuffle step, clap. Softly put your hands down when you’re ready for a shuffle on the other side. So it’s a little bit of coordination not to do the pat on purpose, but to lower the hands and be ready with the leg. Left side. 

(feet tapping) 

Good, I want to explain. I’m actually not taking my hands all the way down and then relifting them I just noticed. After my clap, I prepare up in the air already to go from the left. This is definitely a clap so I’m going to step and then the clap. I prepare my next hand in the air. Shuffle, step, clap, shuffle, step, let’s do two more, shuffle, step, clap, shuffle, step, clap. Good, now we’re going to translate our hop. This is a jump from one foot that stays on the same foot in tap. Translated, that will be a hop from one foot, or excuse me, flat hand which will be already on my surface, up and back down. This hand is in the air as if it were my foot up in the air, hop. Let’s try that from a shuffle first. Right side, shuffle. Shuffle, hop and we replace step, left side. Shuffle, this is the right hand for foot, hop, step. Good. Let’s slowly alternate, starting right. Shuffle, hop, step, shuffle, hop, step. Shuffle, hop, step, shuffle, hop, step. Four more. And three. This is two. This is one. 

Great, our next step, we’ll do a translation for ball change. Catherine’s gonna demonstrate with her right arm back when we do the ball change part. So setting the right hand back behind us, extending with a flexed wrist. Then clap your left hand forward. That movement is our translation for ball change. I’ll show that one time standing. She’ll pull back just two inches for us. Awesome, so my right leg would go back on the ball of the foot and towards your right. Call it ball, change. One more time, we go ball, change. Right and in a shuffle, we have this movement. So we have right side, shuffle, ball, change. Let’s shuffle again. Shuffle and step. Let’s try the ball change. It’s identifying that position for the left side of the ball. And then the right foot does a clap, or hand does a clap for the change. Let’s try it with the shuffle, here we go. Shuffle, ball, change, one more shuffle. Step. It has to make contact on the last. Shuffle, step. Okay, let’s try our right side. I’ll sing it first, shuffle, ball, change, shuffle, step. Ready? Five, six, seven, eight. Shuffle, ball, change, shuffle, step. Left side, shuffle, ball, change, shuffle, step. Again, shuffle, ball, change, shuffle, step. And shuffle, ball, change, shuffle, step. 

All right, next I’d like to see your translation of a traditional single time step. So we are going to begin with our right hand doing a stomp. A stomp is a movement out in front of the body that does go down to the floor and come back up. So here’s our movement. Stomp, and we’re gonna go replace our hand or our foot trying to make no noise at first and trade sides. I’m taking one part at a time. Our left side does a stomp. Stomp, replace. Right side. Stomp, replace. Left side. Stomp, replace. Right side. Replace and replace. Awesome, let’s try this. A time step typically starts on count eight rather than the one in dance, which is an interesting concept. We go 5, 6, 7, move 8. 1, 2, 3, move 4, 5, 6, 7, move 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Let’s add the next movement building on. After a stomp, we’re going to do a hop. You notice how our right limb is floating in the air here. That leaves our left side able to do the hop in place. And then we’ll set down, no noise right now until we build the next step. Try your left side stomp first. We go stomp, one hop, replace. Good. Right side, stomp, hop, replace. Left side, stomp, hop, replace. Let’s try on the 8 and the 4. Five, six, seven, eight. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, we’ll stop. 

Alright, I’ve been adding almost the next step already, which is a step. After you stomp the right, that floats, you hop the left, you step for standing dancers or seated using their feet, it’s on the ball of the foot. A step is on the ball of the foot. We do a, oh I’m gonna stomp it. We’re gonna do a stomp, hop, step. Find neutral, left. Stomp, hop right, step on the left. Right side, stomp, hop, step. Stomp, hop, step. Stomp, hop, step. Stomp, hop, step. Okay let’s try with eights and fours. Five, six, seven, eight. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 stop. Yes okay, oh nice. Adding on two movements this time that finishes off our sides for each side of the time step. Remembering that we do our stomp, hop, step. The left foot or hand does a flap. A flap is a brush forward that lands. There are two sounds. Brush, land, flap, and then you’re going to rock back on the right with another step. We’re ready to float the left for a stomp, hop the right. Step the left. The right does a flap. Fl-ap, step left. Good, I’ll say those five movements again. 1 stomp, 2 hop, 3 step, 4 fl-ap, 5 step. Left side, 1 stomp, 2 hop, 3 step, 4 fl-ap, step on 5. There are five movements, but we count this as 8, 1, 2, and 3. And 4, 5, 6, and 7 and…8, 1, 2, and 3 and 4, 5, 6 and 7 and. Nice try, yes. I’ll count us in then I’ll say the words while I’m tapping before I count. So I’ll count us in, 5, 6, 7, stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop. Step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop. Step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop. Step, fl-ap, step. Good, let’s review one more time. The steps, the right stomp, hop, the right step, left flap, the right steps. And left side, stomp, hop, step left, flap right, step left. I’ll go a little faster. 5, 6, 7, stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step. Stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step. Stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step. Stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop, step, fl-ap, step, stomp, hop, step, I will stop. Good, all right good, you were trying. 

Let’s try again with counts though. So I will count us in. 5, 6, 7, 8, and then I will be saying the counts instead of the movement. Well, let’s review our movements, while we go. If you are finding it difficult to do all five steps, find our rhythm. 1, 2, 1, 2, and build it up, 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and 1, 2, 3, and 4, and 1. But don’t forget we have to stomp on the eight and the four, rather than on the one. All right let’s try it together. Five, six, seven, eight. 1, 2, I messed up. Okay, okay. 8, 1, 2, and 3, and 4. Okay, we’ll start over 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, and 3, and 4, 5, 6, and 7, and 8. 1, 2, and 3, and 4, 5, 6, and 7, and 8. 1, 2, and 3, and 4, 5, 6, and 7, and 8. 1, 2, and 3, and 4, 5, 6, and 7, and stop. 

All right, our time’s up. So fun. So I’d like to do a small combination. It’s an eight count. We’re going to begin with a flap which is the movement that we used in the time step. With your right hand or foot, we brush forward and land, flap. Now even though the wrist of the right hand or the heel of the right foot’s up, you’re going to use your left heel of the hand or foot to go down, then the right hand. So let me start over, let’s start with your right. Flap. Fl-ap, left heel, right heel, great. Stamp. The difference between a stamp and a stomp. Stamp is a full flat foot or hand but it sticks. Rather than a stomp, foot’s up. So stamps stick. Right, so we’re going to do a left stamp, a right stamp. Then, seated dancers, we’re going to use one clap and then pat both down. That will get us ready to start on the other side. One more time on the right. Use your flap first, ready? Go! fl-ap, heel, heel, stamp, stamp, clap, pat. Great, let’s try our left side, ready? Go! Fl-ap, right heel, left heel, stamp right, stamp left, clap, down. Right on it, let’s do our right side, then to our left side. 5, 6, 7, 8. Fl-ap, left heel, right heel, stamp left, stamp right, clap, down. Left side, fl-ap, right heel, left heel, stamp right, stamp left, tap, clap down again 1. Seven, eight. 

(feet tapping) 

Seven, eight. Let’s try a little bit faster. So our tempo can be… 

(feet tapping) 

So we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 

(feet tapping) 

Again. 

(feet tapping) 

Right, think you have it down? I would like to do it standing and I’d like to show you one other movement. I’ll go ahead and move the chair out of the way. All right, so standing dancers, when use your flap. Fl-ap, left heel, right heel. Stamp left, stamp right. You’re going to clap twice while seated dancers still clap only once and then pat back down. Right, and that’ll line up. Ready? 5, 6, 7, 8. Fl-ap, heel, heel, stamp, stamp, clap, clap. Fl-ap, heel, heel, stamp, stamp, clap, clap. Fl-ap, heel, heel. 

(feet tapping) 

Rest. Yes, so let’s try that one more time. Seated dancers will go seven, eight. I’ll do that as well. So I’m gonna take out one clap now. I’ll go, fl-ap, heel, heel, stamp, stamp, clap down. Fl-ap, heel, heel, stamp, stamp, clap down. Fl-ap. 

(feet tapping) 

One more time. 5, 6, 7, 8. 

(feet tapping) 

That’s it. Great, so that was a demonstration of the indirect movement translation. At the very end I was able, as a standing dancer, clap twice and my feet were ready to go. And seated dancers do the clap and find neutral so they can find their surface to do that step. 

Awesome, so let’s see. One more fun exercise. We are going to do… 

(feet tapping) 

Three flaps with opposite heels and a step. All right, use your right hand, brush land. The left heel. Again, brush, land, left heel. Brush, land, left heel. We’re gonna place our right heels down, stomp. Left side, fl-ap, left heel. Fl-ap, right heel, fl-ap right heel down. Let’s do the right side again, ready? Go. 

(feet tapping)

Left. 

(feet tapping) 

Last movement we’re going to use a traditional shim sham, translated. So we’ll start with our right hand or foot and do a stomp forward. Lift this, you brush back and then we stop. Left side, stomp, spank, step, right side. Stomp, spank, insert your ball change that you learned before. And right back, left turn, and into a stomp, spank, step. Left side, stomp, spank, step. Right side, stomp, spank, step. Right side, stomp, spank into ball, change, stomp, spank, step. One more time on the right. Here you go, stomp, spank, step. Stomp, spank, step. Stomp, spank, ball change, stomp, spank, step. Good, left side, last time. Might as well. Ready? Go, stomp, spank, step. Stomp, spank, step. Stomp, spank, ball, change, stomp, spank, step, good. I’ll demonstrate up to tempo, our shim sham. 

(feet tapping) 

Third time. Then we do a break, our break is a step forward. A tip of the toes or fingers. Step on the left. Hop, take the right hand back, left hand back. The left back and go down. Wide, wide, and let’s use a clap to close here. That’s right, let me do the break one more time for the last part to do this. Step, tip, step, hop, step, hop. Down, out, out, and clap. So that’ll be one more time from the top. Shim sham right side we go. 

(feet tapping) 

Ball change. Left, stomp, spank step. Stomp, spank, step. Stomp, spank, ball change, stomp, spank, step. Right. 

(feet tapping)

Right. 

(feet tapping) 

Yes all right, thank you everybody, I hope you enjoy the rest of the videos in this series. Feel free to set out the School of Dancing Wheels classes on our website which is dancingwheels.org and enjoy our tap classes. Thank you. 

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