Anthony LoCascio’s Blog

Dance Shoes

I get tons a questions about dance shoes. I have addressed TAP shoes before in my blog and it really comes down to 4 syllables - Miller & Ben -or- for students Bloch. After the “which shoes do I tap in?” questions It stops there for the most part. However, there is more to unveil.

I see all students going from their “dolly dinkle” patten leathers to flat taps. I think this creates a problem with lifting heels when Tapping. Ideally I would like to see students n a small heel until they are about 12 years of age. I do not like to see Tap Dancers in a flat tap shoe until they have a greater understanding of technique. It isn’t until about 13 years of age that i move them to a flat tap shoe. This means the shoe choice actually aids in the learning curve of the dancer/student. I keep them in Blochs until their foot stops it’s quick growth spurts and then move them into a Miller & Ben shoe - Where they Tap happily ever after.

On a different dance shoe note. Remember the shoe is part of the leg line when you dance any style. Don’t forget about your Character shoes when performing a Theatre piece, a stylized jazz dance, or any other dance mood where a heel is more fitting for the performance than a flat shoe. Much to often I see the wrong choice of footwear on dancer’s feet when performing/competing.

Hope this helps - and as always

Tw/uS, A.

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Lyrical Report for Lyrical Dances

Let talk about lyrical at competition…As a performer you need to express the lyrics of the artist you are dancing to with you face, body and movement. Your job is to connect the audience to the emotion of the song. Be aware of musical changes and DO A LYRICAL REPORT.

A lyrical report is a book report for a song….You should listen to the words and the way the artist’s voice changes during the song. What emotions are expressed? How do I express them properly? What are the right moments to express them? and so on….This will help you perform on stage rather than just “spit dance steps back” at your audience…..It is hard to put yourself out on the line emotionally in front of a wide variety of people BUT that is what we should do when performing a lyrical dance.

Age - I know lyrical is very enticing to all ages BUT remember a few things. For younger students I tend to introduce them to expression on stage with Theatre and Character dances. This teaches students that it is O.K. to dance with different expression and emotions on stage and to perform as a character and NOT dance like themselves….Plus it is hard to judge a lyrical dance when the student is 10 and she is smiling through a whole dance about being a battered wife…I see things like this every weekend when I judge and it happens ALL DAY, NOT JUST ONCE OR TWICE!

If you have younger students who really want to become great lyrical dancers, start with the theatre dance and easier character stuff when they are younger so they can get used to expressing themselves in front of an audience - This will make it easier to transition into heavier, deeper, and more mature emotions when they get older and tackle lyrical pieces.

O.K. - That is all for this topic at the moment…Hope this is helpful…..It seems like teachers really fine my lyrical report system useful and I hope you do to…

Tap w/u Soon,

Anthony

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