20 Moves in 20 Days: Beginning Tap Dance

Start with ankle circles, toe drop, and heel drop, then toe taps, side taps, and back taps, keep movement inside a compact tap box, bend knees to ease the sounds.

Learn the shuffle hop step across front, side, and back variations in 20 moves, keeping heels off the floor and landing on the toe for a soft, precise rhythm.

Master the double shuffle by pairing two rapid shuffles with a pause and emphasis returning toward you, then practice front, left, and back for crisp, clear sounds.

Master the hop shuffle step with a double shuffle feel. Shift the order of the full movement across front, side, and back positions on day five.

learn lap ball changes by shifting weight between the ball of one foot to the other while on tiptoes, building on flap basics, with forward, backward, and side-to-side travel.

Learn to run flaps by increasing speed with small, close-to-body steps, backwards or forwards, while avoiding forward leaping and scraping sounds; practice gradually to build up speed.

Master flap heels and lap heels in day nine, blending flap steps with deliberate heel sounds, heel drops, and rhythm variations across forward, side, and backward moves.

Master the shim sham, a two-part tap sequence with a break, built from the heel spank step, and a ball change, with options to vary speed and rhythm.

Learn the cramp roll, a toe-first tap sequence in day 11. Focus on landing on the toes, dropping the heels, and mastering right-left patterns at controlled speeds for accuracy.

Day 12 paradiddles teach you to combine the basic components into an alternating heel-toe, toe-heel sequence. Practice faster tempos to have more fun and sweep the patterns up.

Master the three-count riff with toe-heel-step patterns and right-left rhythm, staying in play on one foot. Practice toe dig, heel brush, and scuff variations to sharpen rhythm and clarity.

Master the five-count riff by inserting a fifth sound into the four-count rhythm, practicing toe, heel, heel, toe, while traveling toward you and away with side-by-side variations.

Master the six-count riff walk by adding one more sound to the five-count pattern, building timing and rhythm as you travel with tap steps.

Master the seven-count riff walks by building on the five-count, adding six and seven with opposite and same footwork while traveling across. Learn the eight-count riff, the Shirley Temple, tomorrow.

Master the Shirley Temple eight-count tap routine, a fun in-place sequence featuring flap or slap, heel drops, and alternating steps, with timing and balance cues.

Learn the Buffalo, a tap move that combines step, shuffle, a light hop weight transfer, and a leap changing feet, with practice in place or traveling using double shuffle.

Master the Maxi Ford, the final move in 20 moves in 20 days, a buffalo-like step shuffle with a behind-the-left tap variation, practiced to build rhythm and patterns.