Hello Reader,

Finding time to practise tap dance can be tricky 😕

We’re busy people. And between finding a suitable floor, putting on our shoes, choosing something to practise and convincing ourselves that ten minutes is actually worthwhile, sometimes it feels easier not to begin at all.

But a worthwhile tap practice doesn’t need to be lengthy or complicated.

With one step, a small patch of floor (with or without tap shoes) and even just a few spare minutes, there’s an enormous amount we can work on – almost anywhere.

So, if you only have time to practise ONE tap step, I have a recommendation for you:

The humble Shuffle Ball-Heel 👞

Four sounds. Two simple building blocks. And so much packed into a single step.

It’s made up of two fundamental steps:

First, we have the Shuffle (2 sounds):

A brush forward, followed by a brush back (both using the toe tap – don’t let the heel touch the ground on the way through).

Then, the Ball-Heel (2 sounds):

Step onto the ball of the foot, followed by a heel drop.

Put those two building blocks together and we get:

Shu-ffle. Ball. Heel. (4 sounds)

Simple enough, right?

But within those four sounds, there’s an enormous amount to practise.

The Shuffle asks one leg to remain grounded and supportive while the other moves freely. The Ball-Heel then asks us to transfer our weight, articulate clearly through the foot and prepare the opposite leg to begin.

Practised slowly, this one step can help us develop:

• Balance and weight placement
• Strength and control
• Clear, well-articulated sounds
• Evenness between the feet
• Coordination and flow

Once the basic movement feels comfortable, we can gradually increase the tempo, explore different rhythms, play with accents and dynamics, evolve the step by adding or removing sounds, or simply settle into the repetition and enjoy making some noise.

It’s a step that can grow with you – and a great one to practise when time is short.

A complete beginner can use it to develop the foundations of tap dance. A more experienced dancer can use exactly the same step to work on speed, clarity, evenness and musicality. There's no limit to this one...all tap dancers can improve this step

You don’t need to work through an entire class or remember a complicated routine. Put on a piece of music (or go without!), give yourself five minutes and explore your Shuffle Ball-Heels – from one side to the other.

If you’d like some help with the individual building blocks of this step, I break down both the Shuffle and Ball-Heel in this video – now at more than three million views on YouTube and counting!

​Watch the step breakdown here 👞

But wherever you are in your tap journey, the challenge for this week is simple:

Five minutes. One step. Four sounds.

Good luck. Happy tapping, and let me know how you go!

Bill Simpson
​Co-Founder | CEO | Janitor

P.S. If you’d like a complete refresher on the Shuffle Ball-Heel – along with additional guidance around speed, clarity, evenness, musicality and much more – we explore it all in Just TAP Course 1: How to Tap Dance for Absolute Beginners. Check out Just TAP, Course 1 here! 👞

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