Tap dancers make frequent use of
syncopation. Choreography typically starts on the eighth or first
beat count. Another aspect of tap dancing is
improvisation. This kind of tap dancing, also called
rhythm tap, was employed by slaves in America.
Steve Condos developed an innovative rhythmic tap style that influenced the work of later tap dancers such as
Gregory Hines and
Savion Glover. The majority of early hoofers, such as
Sammy Davis Jr., Glover, Hines, and
LaVaughn Robinson were African American men.
Tap Steps Basic tap steps are known as "one-sound steps" and are either weight shifting or non-weight-shifting steps. Common basic tap steps include heel drops, toe drops, heel digs, toe taps, a brush, scuff, chug, pull, hop, leap and step. and drawbacks. Time steps is an umbrella term that is widely used in tap for any combination of steps that follows a specific rhythm or pattern. These consist of a rhythm that is changed to make new time steps by adding or removing steps. There are many variations of the basic time step, including the single, double, and triple time steps. Time steps consist of single- and multi-sound step combinations. In tap, various types of turns can be done, including step heel turns, Maxi Ford turns, cramp-roll turns, and drag turns. All tap turns can be practiced in both directions. Other common tap steps include the shuffle, shuffle ball change, double shuffle, leap shuffle, flap, flap ball change, running flaps, flap heel, cramp-roll, buffalo, Maxi Ford, Maxi Ford with a pullback, pullbacks, wings, Cincinnati, the shim sham shimmy (also called the Lindy), Irish, Waltz Clog, the paddle roll, the paradiddle, stomp, brushes, scuffs, spanks, single and double toe punches, hot steps, heel clicks, toe stands, over-the-tops, military time step, back to broadway, toe stand turns, New Yorkers, Tag Annies and Shiggy Bops. ==Tap shoes==