​​Young Rhythm Makers: For our youngest dancers ages 5-7, this is a creative introduction to tap dance using creative dance, games and exercises incorporating basic tap vocabulary. Students explore tap history through books and video on a variety of dancers who have fascinating and important life histories, such as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Peg Leg Bates, Fred Astaire and more. 

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Tap FUNdamentals:  Beginner level dancers find the "fun" in fundamental basics!  Dancers concentrate on learning the basic foundational vocabulary of tap dance, explore music concepts and beginning improvisation. Students learn how to warm up, travel across the floor, and combine different basic steps to make combinations. Students explore the a variety of tap artists through video and discussion, both from the rich historical legacy of tap dance and present day tap community.

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Shim Sham Crew:  Students with 3 years or more of experience build upon their skills and begin to learn historical repertory of the Copasetics such as the famous "Shim Sham".  Students are introduced to more complex ideas and technique including time steps, paddle and roll combinations, and more challenging choreography.  Students explore the history of the Shim Sham and its creator, Leonard Reed, among others.

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Copasetic Club: (4-5 years of tap experience)  Students at this level have developed intermediate skills and are ready to learn tap repertory. Students progress forward in tap technique, improvisational skills and classic repertory that passed down from a rich tap legacy of the Copasetics, such as the Coles Stroll, the Copasetic Soft Shoe, and parts of "Doin' the New Low Down". Students explore more complex rhythm time steps, paddle and roll combinations, and begin working on steps such as pullbacks and wings. Students explore the history of the Copasetics and dancers most associated with this historic group, such as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (for which the group was formed in his honor) and Charles "Honi" Coles, the choreographer of the Coles Stroll.  

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Time Steps & Traditions: (Intermediate Level Tap for Youth)

Syncopation and Swing are the inspiration here, and the focus is on further development of technique, learning more complicated and challenging time steps from the masters including Leon Collins, Cookie Cook, Eddie Brown and more. Students are encouraged to create time steps of their own. The classic dance "the B.S. Chorus" is explored, and exciting moves such as pullbacks, wings and over the tops and flash steps are added to our skills list.  Students take a deeper look into fascinating historical pioneers of classic flash tap, the Nicholas Brothers and continue to explore modern day revolutionaries and their contributions to tap dance, such as Brenda Bufalino, Michelle Dorrance, Gregory Hines and more. 

 

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Hoofers and Hitters:  For intermediate/advanced teens.  Focus is on a continuation of cultivating technique, improvisational skills, and learning & creating choreography. Exploration on contemporary and historical styles, use of a range of jazz and contemporary music.  

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TDC Ensemble: The Tap Dance Central Ensemble is the resident youth performing ensemble of TDC.  These dynamic and talented dancers focus on learning classic and contemporary choreography with professional choreographers and work with master teachers in the field today. The ensemble performs in a range of NYC area venues including formal concerts, educational school & library shows and more.  The ensembles are under the direction of Susan Hebach, and weekly faculty rehearsal leaders are Rachel Binney and Emma Butensky. 

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Read more on the TDC Ensemble Page!

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