<![CDATA[The Notes with Andrew Nemr: Tap Dance Notes]]>

<![CDATA[The Notes with Andrew Nemr: Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/s/tap-dance-noteshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ea3Y!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48b22dc8-b400-40e8-965a-0ee6adcf1866_506x506.pngThe Notes with Andrew Nemr: Tap Dance Noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/s/tap-dance-notesSubstackMon, 27 Apr 2026 23:21:05 GMT<![CDATA[Ep. 111 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-111-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-111-tap-dance-notesSat, 07 Jun 2025 13:00:46 GMTRUMBLE! I love when rolls and accents some together to make something that couldn’t have been made otherwise. Here is one of the them. The accents make a sweet syncopated groove while right off the top, and then at every repetition, there’s this dramatic flurry of notes. The flurry is cut of every time, creating this kind of dialogue. Flurry, then groove – rinse and repeat.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 110 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-110-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-110-tap-dance-notesSat, 24 May 2025 13:01:06 GMTCRUNCHINESS! This would have been a rather straightforward, regular, triplet roll, if I had just been able to leave it alone. But playing with things is based on not leaving them along. Ha! So here we have it. A single HEEL, dropped at the appropriate time, turns what could have been a a smooth pattern into a crunchy one. The bottom gets filled in by the HEEL, too.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 109 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-109-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-109-tap-dance-notesWed, 02 Apr 2025 13:03:18 GMTSWING! It was about time to bring something like this to the notes. This was such a fun groove to find that it felt weird just ending it…you see me have to shake it off. This is another mashup – a traditional time step (double double, if you’re counting) and another old time step that I’ve never learned the name of (not sure if it even has a name). The variation comes from take the movements and messing with the rhythm. Instead of making a new rhythm I kept the rhythm of the first part and carried it through with the new movements in the second part. I didn’t need to make anything new. The simple idea of combining things you already know can lead to some really fun discoveries!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 108 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-108-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-108-tap-dance-notesWed, 19 Mar 2025 13:03:48 GMTBack with another Steve(ish) pattern. This one comes from two references. One is from Baby Laurence/Lon Chaney, and the other is from Henry LeTang. Both references are traveling PADDLE AND ROLL steps. Here I make a new variation by repeating parts of each reference step and combining the two together. You can see the repetitions happen on each side and I took significant liberties with the PADDLE AND ROLL parts in between. I call this a Steve(ish) pattern because of the process of evolution. The idea of repeating parts of steps to find to variations is definitely a Steve Condos trait. As I recorded the breakdown for this step I even found some fun accents!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 107 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-107-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-107-tap-dance-notesWed, 05 Mar 2025 14:03:25 GMTHi! I’m sorry it’s been a while. I took the first two months of this year focusing on an opportunity to bring the Tap Dance Method book to life. Coming back to the studio after a long hiatus is never the most fun thing for me – chops naturally diminish without focused practice. But this one came out fairly easily…YAY! Since most of my work is steeped in Steve Condos’ appraoch, it seems appropriate that my first video back is full of Steve-isms. The start with a STEP HEEL, that forward thrown FLAP, and all those accents, are all things I found while studying Steve. Hope you enjoy!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 106 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-106-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-106-tap-dance-notesWed, 18 Dec 2024 14:03:34 GMTThis one is a longer exploration. If you’ve been here, you’ll likely know that I love dense steps. These are steps that have a multitude of inputs and inspirations and possible outputs or applications. This step is a super fun ride – in the floor, moving around, and flying. It has a broad dynamic range to play with – a possible fun crescendo over the whole step, PLUS specific accents. It has references to old dancers – namely Steve Condos. All in 8 counts of time – two bars. It’s dense and moving. The pick-up of the rhythm is another thing that gets this step going. Not to mention the PICKUP that finishes the step effectively in the air, landing at the start of the rhythm and continuing the roll. I love these steps because there is so much to dig in to. They keep my attention and there is always something new to learn from them. Not every step is like this, but when they are, they really are.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 105 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-105-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-105-tap-dance-notesWed, 11 Dec 2024 14:02:20 GMTAs I was working out this step I realized that it had the same shape as something I’d seen Sandman Sims do. It’s so distant, but it is there. Now, I never met Sandman, nor did I ever really pursue his work. But he was one of the cats, and by being one of the cats, and me wanting to learn from the cats, I dug into his world for a time. This was a long time ago, though. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see this step come to life. Sometimes the creative process is not so intentional – as if I said, “Let me make a step that looks like something Sandman did.” Rather it is responding to the ideas that come to the surface – more like I’m saying, “Oh, this is interesting. I wonder where this is from?” Go in. Hang out for a while. Later, you’ll come up with ideas that will surprise and you’ll look back and be thankful for the time you spent. That I can guarantee.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 104 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-104-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-104-tap-dance-notesWed, 04 Dec 2024 14:02:27 GMTHat tip to Jason Janas for the five note RIFF inspiration. I spied a post of his and the idea lingered, so the next chance I got, I worked it out. Not everything is from the air, or divinely inspired, without specific reference. In fact, if you’ve been here you’ll know, most things are traceable if we’re willing to dig. Seeds have been planted, we do the tending, and the flowers grow on their own. This particular flower is a short groove, but I like it’s immediacy. The combination of the RIFF which requires a more relaxed ankle and the PADDLE AND ROLL that feels more rigid (the second half of the step with accents) is also really fun to navigate!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 103 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-103-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-103-tap-dance-notesWed, 27 Nov 2024 14:02:21 GMTMusic! If you can hear it, there is a little hat tip to Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay in the middle of this speedy groove. The music is everywhere, and the more references you have the more creative you can be. After a time of immersion, instead of thinking that things are coming from some mysterious unknown land, you’ll start feeling as if your swimming in a see of inspiration. The music will be all around you, comes in and through you, and out of you, too! It becomes something that happens with ease. That’s what other’s get to see. What they bear witness to your experience of the music, how it has shaped you, and the things you most enjoy. Today it was Red Clay for me. Tomorrow may be something different.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 102 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-102-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-102-tap-dance-notesWed, 20 Nov 2024 14:03:28 GMTSometimes I need to sit back and settle into something comfortable. No crazy syncopations, odd meters, or demanding mechanics. This is just straightforward, solid, groove. While the accents are fairly square, the triplet gives it a nice flavor, and there is just enough variety in the tone and pitch to keep everything interesting. Plus, the SHUFFLE and the RIFF make for a movement in the whole thing that stretches beyond the confines of the PADDLE AND ROLL. Variety and a little stretching are some fun ways to keep things moving, even in the most comfortable of steps.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 101 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-101-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-101-tap-dance-notesWed, 13 Nov 2024 14:02:05 GMTRight back at it. This step came up as an exercise in one of my classes. One could say that the content is simple, and they might be right. But the goal with a step like this isn’t complexity, it’s smoothness. If you close your eyes does the rhythm hiccup when I switch from the PADDLE AND ROLL to the turn? Does it hiccup when I switch sides? That’s the check. Smoothness requires familiarity, confidence, and ease. There is less forceful control and more stepping into the flow of the step. Once the path is found increasing the speed is easy.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 100 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-100-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-100-tap-dance-notesWed, 06 Nov 2024 23:58:53 GMT100 Episodes!!! This would have passed me by had I not been keeping track :-) Such is the reality of an immersive practice. These notes started with a need to get myself into the studio – and the desire to share my approach to practice with others. Here we are more than two years later and still going. Just like this groove. Hop on, sit in, and enjoy the ride for as long as you like. Such is the reality of a well composed groove. It’s resonance is significant. It invites continuation. It invites head-bobbing. It invites.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 99 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-99-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-99-tap-dance-notesWed, 30 Oct 2024 16:03:27 GMTI guess I’ve landed in the corner of Tap Dance Land that swings. This week’s step is a groove – something that you can keep playing and playing and playing. Admittedly, it is begging for a break. Folks who watch The Breakdown will see what I mean. For the groove itself, there is the hat-tip to the traditional time step, the cut up pattern, the crossing of the all the legs, and the lazy man version of things. These combine to make the step bouncy and grounded at the same time. It goes up and down and side to side. It is not quite Bill Robinson, but not Baby Laurence either. This might be one of those steps that doesn’t directly reference a particular cat – now that’s a fun place to land.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 98 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-98-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-98-tap-dance-notesWed, 23 Oct 2024 13:00:12 GMTRIFFS! Up and back and around, too. The RIFF is really special movement as it invites a kind of touch with the floor unique to the RIFF. Reverse direction and the sensitivity one requires to get the thing just right increases exponentially. As you can see I’m much more comfortable with the whole idea on the right. My weak side is showing. Note taken: something to work on. That is precisely why these notes switch sides. Back to the RIFF. Jumping in adds even more to deal with – movement and sound. Don’t hold your breath when you jump. Breathe with it. Inhale, then exhale. Let the breathe carry you up and into the rest of the step. Swinging the whole way.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 97 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-97-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-97-tap-dance-notesWed, 16 Oct 2024 13:00:46 GMTLet’s SWING! This step is dense, with references to Chuck Green specifically, and Buster Brown generally. Buster is the cat I think about whenever I think of uptempo swing. He had a way of approaching that corner of Tap Dance Land that made it look like he was just floating through it – even at speed. Thanks to Chuck for the variation on the OVER-THE-TOP that makes up the second half of this step. He was the first cat I ever saw do anything like that. The combination of ideas, the crunchiness, the movement quality…that’s me :-)

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 96 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-96-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-96-tap-dance-notesWed, 09 Oct 2024 13:01:38 GMTA hat tip to Steve Condos returns with this exercise. Some steps work both as a way of training and in performance, while others are really just exercises. For further proof, check out the exchange between Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr., about exercising in the movie TAP (it happens just before the challenge seen). This step is definitely on the exercising side of things, with its focus on specificity, articulation, logic, and the added challenge of the flip (did you catch that?). Maybe with some speed and some accents it could end up in a moment of improvisation or piece of choreography. Definitely something to work towards!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 95 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-95-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-95-tap-dance-notesWed, 02 Oct 2024 13:02:44 GMTSwingin’! Every now and then a solid time step – one that starts on the four, switches sides, and swings – comes up. Embedded in this one are some fun plays with balance, PICKUPS, and the turn. This step also comes with some nice pictures to work out. Tap Dance isn’t just about the sound for me, although the sound is prominent. Pictures, shapes, and movement all place into the character of the step. Both feed off each other and make a step what it is, but sometimes its good to give specific attention to one or the other.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 94 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-94-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-94-tap-dance-notesWed, 25 Sep 2024 13:03:53 GMTThis step started out with me working out a funny variation on the RIFF. It turned into a variation on a old step I first saw performed by the tap dancer Lon Chaney. I reference the original here, too. I think I really like steps like this, that incorporate the original reference, the variation, and put on a short rhythm of accents, just for fun. These kinds of steps are dense, but offer multiple points of enter for listeners and watchers, and are great teaching tools! After all, Henry LeTang used to tell me, “We have to educate the people.”

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 93 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-93-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-93-tap-dance-notesWed, 18 Sep 2024 13:01:57 GMTThe wonder of the triplet and the traditional time step. Here's a step that uses some very common Tap Dance vocabulary – a CRAMP ROLL, FLAPS, and SHUFFLES, for example – and makes a thing out of them. The triplet provides the rhythmic grid for a fun ride, while some accents add some dynamics. The movement makes a shape that is interesting and not necessarily anticipated. And there you have it – a Tap Dance step!

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

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]]><![CDATA[Ep. 92 Tap Dance Notes]]>https://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-92-tap-dance-noteshttps://notes.andrewnemr.com/p/ep-92-tap-dance-notesWed, 11 Sep 2024 13:02:10 GMTAfter second look, this step is actually feels like a distance relative of a step I learned while touring with Savion Glover's TiDii. I love the accents landing every three notes, while the note value (16th notes) are organized in sets of four. You could probably make a fun continuation where the accent pattern crosses the bar line and use it as a fill or break for this groove. The bonus here is the side-to-side movement built into the step. Not everything in Tap Dance Land has to be straight ahead and front-facing. The criss-crossing of the legs adds some shape which could be really cool on a group of dancers.

Breakdown available here (exclusively for paying subscribers).

Is there something you’d like me to try in a Tap Dance Note? I’m game. Let me know by leaving a comment.

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