If you’re not ready to buy tap dancing shoes, you can wear flat-soled dress shoes instead. Choose shoes that don’t have a ridge on the bottom. [1] X Research source The metal plates on the bottom of tap shoes are called “taps. ” More expensive tap shoes have taps that can create different tones.

Ask if the teacher has a bachelors degree in dance or dance education. This may be important if you want to become a competitive tap dancer. Ask if the teacher performs or enters competitions. This will indicate whether or not the teacher is still an active dancer. Don’t worry if the dance teacher teaches other styles as well as tap. They usually are qualified to teach more styles as it makes it easier to get jobs when you can teach multiple types of dance, as it limits the amount of staff members dance studios have to hire/find.

Find free tap dancing lessons on Youtube. Pay a small fee for a series of taped lessons from a variety of websites. Pay an instructor to teach you one-on-one using webcams.

Repeat this exercise with either foot until you feel comfortable tapping in time with the music. You can tap dance to whatever song you’d like. However, if you use your favorite song, you won’t get tired of hearing it when you repeat the exercise.

Repeat the movement with your left foot. Practice this movement until you can perform a Ball Heel with both feet.

Only the plates on the balls of your feet should touch the ground. Keep your heels in the air. If you step forward or backwards while performing this move, you will do a “Step Ball Change. ”[4] X Research source

Don’t let your heel touch the floor while you swing your feet. Keep your knees slightly bent while shuffling. This will help you move your feet more quickly.

This move is easier if you’re wearing heels instead of flat-footed shoes. You can either move in place or slowly walk forward.

Write down the sequence of basic steps on a notepad or piece of scrap paper. This will help you remember how to do the dance move. Practice transitioning between the smaller steps. If you transition smoothly enough, the basic steps will come together and look like one long complicated dance move.

This method is also important for learning basic dance moves. A good understanding of the basics will give you a solid foundation for the more difficult dance moves.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson in “The Little Colonel” (1935) The Nicholas Brothers in “Stormy Weather” (1943) Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell in “Broadway Melody of 1940” (1940)[8] X Research source

If you live in an apartment complex, make sure to practice during the day. Otherwise, your tap dancing may keep your neighbors awake at night.