Lost In The Shuffle Tap Dance Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hillary-Marie
Tap Teachers deserve quick and easy access to new knowledge and fresh inspiration, so they can be the best teacher they can be for their students. Join Hillary-Marie from iTapOnline.com in the Lost in the Shuffle Tap Dance Podcast as she shares her top tips and tricks for Tap Teachers, in hopes of growing the tap dance community one passionate tap dancer at a time by supporting the tap teachers who educate them. Each episode is packed with quick answers to questions from tap teachers all around the world, giving you everything you need for an awesome class this week.
Enjoy this FREE 30 minute excerpt from Hillary-Marie's Improve Your Improv Workshop (August 2021).
Join Hillary-Marie as she answers all of your tap dance improv questions (literally). After receiving over 300 questions from tap dancers and tap teachers all around the world, Hillary-Marie shares with you the most common questions about improvisation, including questions about technique, musicality, tap jam etiquette, teaching, working with live music, overcoming the fear of improvisation and more.
There is a HUGE difference between teaching kids and teaching adults. Join Hillary-Marie as she breaks down many of these key differences for you so that you can cater your classes to the needs of your students. Because knowing, recognizing, and appreciating the differences between these groups of dancers, will help you thrive as a teacher, and therefore, help your students thrive as well.
Hillary-Marie shares a crazy story about the time that she met Oprah with her mentor, Harold Cromer.
How do you know you're ready to start teaching? How do you know you're ready to start learning how to teach? How do you know you’ve had enough training to start teaching? How do you know your students are ready to learn how to teach? Join Hillary-Marie for answers to these questions!
Weekly Tap classes vs. Workshops. They’re both important in your tap dance journey… But how do you know which one your should be putting your energy and finances towards? Join Hillary-Marie as she discusses the differences between weekly classes and workshops like tap festivals, convention weekends, intensive weeks, and masterclasses... and what they have to offer YOU in your tap dance journey.
You need to sit in the pocket. You need to finish your phrase. You need to loosen up. Sound familiar? Hillary-Marie discusses three common tap dance-specific corrections, and what they REALLY mean.
This one's for all the Tap Teachers out there. Take a moment and ask yourself... what does an awesome tap class look like? How do you know that the class you taught was great? For years now, Hillary-Marie has noticed a trend of dance teachers measuring a successful dance class by the choreography their students are picking up at the end of class. This can include how much choreo they pick up and how quickly they pick it up. Is this truly the measurement of a successful tap class? Tune in for Hillary-Marie's thoughts as she speaks directly to Tap Teachers.
Pullbacks. Wings. Toe stands. Over the tops. All the tricks! What order should they be taught in? What age/level should they be introduced? Hillary-Marie shares two things that are super important to keep in mind when teaching trick steps to yourself (and two things that you should avoid at all costs).
Tap dance levels are tricky business. Why? Because there is no standard level that is acknowledged by the Tap Dance Community at large. This means that what is considered Advanced in one place can often be considered Advanced Beginner in another. How do you label the levels of classes at a dance studio? What about at a Tap Festival? How do you know which level to sign yourself up for? How do you know which level to place a student in? Hillary-Marie answers each of these questions for you.
Hillary-Marie shares 5 Tips for Creating Choreo on Portable Tap Floors that will help you turn the portable floor into a tool of inspiration, rather than a damper on your creativity. Whether you're choreographing for yourself, or for your students to perform outdoors, or indoors at a convention that only has Marley available, or in a theater on a concert dance stage where they won't allow you to dance on their floor… these tips are guaranteed to help.
Hillary-Marie celebrates her 100th episode by talking about Tap Dance Dreams, including the the dreams of Tap Dancers all around the world, including her own, and how they've changed over time.
Wish you could pick up choreography faster? Need help remembering it? Hillary-Marie shares 3 tips and tricks on how to do exactly that!
Hillary-Marie discusses the two types of jumps that every Tap Dancer needs, and why these jumps are the key reason for tap dancers getting stuck in their pullbacks, wings, over the tops, etc.
So you've got a gorgeous sprung wood tap dance floor, and now it's time to refinish it... Here's a step-by-step process on how to do it.
If you’ve ever heard someone say... “Keep your heels off the floor” “Get those heels up” “Make sure you’re on the balls of the feet” “Don’t let those heels touch the ground” “Get on the balls of your feet!” Then this episode is for YOU.
Tap Dance History is one of the most heavily debated topics in the Tap Dance Community. Understandably so, because the Tap Dance Community is passionate about the culture and history of the art form bring honored and recognized. Join Hillary-Marie in this episode as she shares her heaviest hitting takeaways from one of a recent deep dive into Tap Dance History research for the iTap Teacher Certificate Program. From The Stono Rebellion of 1739, to The Negro Act of 1740, to Master Juba, often referred to as the “father” or “grandfather” of Tap Dance, this episode is filled with lessons learned, major takeaways, and more.
If you are a longtime listener of the Lost in the shuffle tap dance podcast, then you know that while Hillary-Marie's not one for New Year's resolutions, she sure does LOVE a Past Year review. Listen in as Hillary-Marie shares 3 things she loved about the 2021 year, 3 things she's leaving behind, and 3 lessons learned.
This question comes up all the time during iTap Chats. How long should a tap class be? In this episode, Hillary-Marie dives deep into the structure of her program at Grooves Unlimited and iTapOnline, and the best class lengths for specific ages and levels.
Not sure when or how to introduce music theory into your tap classes? No worries! In this episode, Hillary-Marie gives you her top tips and tricks on incorporating music theory as a regular part of your weekly tap classes.
Hillary-Marie shares with you 3 mistakes you might be making in your tap dance practice time, and how to solve them quickly and easily so you can become the tap dancer you truly want to be.
As more and more Tap Teachers learn about tap dance history, they’re appreciating the connection of tap dance to jazz music. And this often leads to the question... how do I incorporate Jazz music into my Tap classes?
In today's episode, Hillary-Marie is going to give you easy tips and tricks on how to introduce jazz music into your weekly tap classes in a way that will excite and energize your students.
Do you ever find yourself wondering... How can I dance faster without missing my sounds? How do you teach speed and clarity? In this episode, Hillary-Marie gives you the answers you need by sharing with you the three most common mistakes that tap dancers make when approaching fast footwork and how to fix them.
Not sure when or how to use a metronome in your personal practice or tap classes? No worries! In this episode, Hillary-Marie gives you all the info you need on how, when and why to use a metronome.
Hillary-Marie shares 3 tips to capturing the wandering attention of your tiny tap dancers.
Hillary-Marie and the iTapOnline Community answer the question... what's the biggest lesson that your tap teacher taught you?
Hillary-Marie shares 5 quick and easy tips on how you can energize your teen tap classes this week.
The iTapOnline Community answers the question... what's the ONE thing that you wish your tap teacher taught you?
Do you ever feel like you've exhausted all your options for across the floor steps? Hillary-Marie shares with you an exercise that will make sure you never run out of across the floor exercises.
Hillary-Marie answers tap teacher questions from the iTapOnline Community, including best tap shoes for student, how to help dancers dance lighter on their feet, and what tap shoes looked like back in the day.
Hillary-Marie shares her top tips and tricks for teaching your students crispy clean and perfect pullbacks.
Are your students using tap journals? In this episode, Hillary-Marie shares how tap journals have transformed her students' dedication to tap dance and how you can start using them in your classes this week.
Hillary-Marie shares her favorite journaling exercise for shuffling into the New Year, with a Love It, Leave It and Learned It list.
Is your flap coming from the front or the back? Hillary-Marie discusses proper Flap technique.
How did we end up with so many names for tap steps? Hillary-Marie discusses the inconsistency of tap dance vocabulary and how it relates to tap dance culture.
Hillary-Marie answers an iTap Teacher's question on how to help students who are behind on their technique.
Hillary-Marie discusses one of the secrets to why and how her students learn SO quickly.
Hillary-Marie discusses why she didn't take her tap classes outside right away, and instead chose to wait it out to reopen indoors (and why her patience paid off).
Hillary-Marie answers Tap Teachers' questions, including how to socially distance your tap classes, the best mask to teach in, everything you need for an awesome Hybrid Tap class, camera angles, tech equipment and more.
Hillary-Marie answers Tap Teacher's questions, including how to build rapport with students who are Zooming into class that you've never met before, how to not get exhausted teaching over Zoom, Google Meet vs. Zoom, and tips for finding teaching jobs.
I’ve just finished my first week of teaching Hybrid style classes at my studio, Grooves Unlimited (Livingston, NJ), and it was AWESOME. If you’re a Tap Teacher who’s set up for Hybrid this season, I want to share with you guys some tips and tricks on how to make this awesome class for both you and your students.
Click here to learn more about the Ultimate Hybrid Dance Class Course.
I was pretty quiet in the beginning because I was focusing on saving the studio, and I was lucky because I already had an online platform built.
As everyone was transitioning into online learning, I had already been operating in that space for 4 years now. I had an extensive video library.
Butttttttttttttttttttt…
I was super inspired to make some awesome changes.
Previously, I had one type of Membership. iTapOnline Family Members had access to the iTapOnline Video Library with over 100 breakdown videos, including technique exercises, historical choreography, improvisation exercises, games, you name it. And I would do monthly zoom chats where we’d come together and talk all things tap dance.
But now I’ve changed it up, significantly! And it’s been AWESOME.
Today I’m sharing with you the story of how my studio made it through COVID-19.
No rent forgiveness.
No rent deferral.
No refunds from venues.
No lay-offs of Team members.
But we did it!
Here’s an update on everything that’s gone on since stay-at-home orders hit New Jersey back in March 2020.
Dance Studios all around the world are currently closing their doors. I've got Tap Teachers and Studio Owners worldwide who are reaching out because they are scared. They don't know what to do or where to start.
Hillary-Marie answers Tap Teachers' questions, including how to choreograph traveling footwork for formation changes, when to teach tap class etiquette and how to introduce students to live music.
Tap Teachers share which steps their tap students are struggling with most and Hillary-Marie shares her tips and tricks on how to approach their technique in class.
Hillary-Marie answers Tap Teachers' questions, including what to do with a student who is struggling to keep up in class, what's the best way to assess the level of a new class and how to teach your students to use their arms naturally.
Hillary-Marie shares her favorite journaling exercise for shuffling into the New Year, with a Love It, Leave It and Learned It list.
Jersey Tap Fest applications are LIVE! HIgh level teens and adult tap dancers are invited to join us for this 11th annual celebration. Applications are due December 5th
Looking for some inspiration for your tap classes this week? Hillary-Marie shares what everyone in the iTapOnline Community is up to in their tap classes this week.
What makes the best Tap Teachers out there so special? Join Hillary-Marie as she celebrates some of the best Tap Teachers out there and the 10 traits that they have in common.vWhat can we do as a community to help bring these Tap Teachers forward?
Hillary-Marie is joined by special guest, Heather Cornell. Join them as they celebrate 29 years of Heather's Tap Labs in Nyack, NY and discuss the fear of improvisation, how frustration can fuel you to push forward, the effort to bring tap dance back to the main stage and the affects of tap dance festivals on the art form.
Hillary-Marie talks about the effects of in-studio viewing windows and cameras that live-stream classes to the studio waiting room.
Did you know that there are different learning types in tap dance? Hillary-Marie helps shares how you can help your students identify their learning type as a tap dancer.
Hillary-Marie shares the Five Fundamentals of a well-rounded and thriving tap dance program. Are you incorporating all five into your weekly classes?
Is your Tap Dance program SURVIVING or Thriving? Hillary-Marie talks about the big differences between surviving Tap dance programs and thriving Tap dance programs.
Hillary-Marie answers an iTapOnline Community question: how do you explain to your students the importance of a good count in?
Hillary-Marie answers an iTapOnline Community question: What are your top 3 technology recommendations for tap teachers?
Hillary-Marie shares a quick teaching tip on how to keep your beginner level Tap Dancers engaged and excited.
Hillary-Marie shares her thoughts and feelings on the recent Good Morning America controversy.
How do you deal with the perfectionist students who are really hard on themselves and seem frustrated in class even though they’re doing just fine? Hillary-Marie answers and iTapOnline Community question from personal experience.
Is being broke and living in a studio apartment the reality of a starving artist? Mark Orsborn and Hillary-Marie answer this question at Jersey Tap Fest's Tap Talk in August 2018
Hillary-Marie discusses the inappropriate actions of poaching dancers from another teacher/studio and the increase of toxic ownership of students within the dance community.
Hillary-Marie celebrates 10 years of Jersey Tap Fest by sharing her biggest mistakes, lessons learned, failures, changed made and more.
Why does marley flooring get such a bad name in the tap dance community? Hillary-Marie discusses why marley flooring is such a challenge for percussive dancers.
Caleb discusses what it is to produce, choreograph, direct and perform in a body of work all at the same time
Hillary-Marie breaks down the three most important instruments of a tap dancer and shares with you one part of the instruments that is SO important and often overlooked.
Ettiquette is a HUGE part of dance culture and Hillary-Marie shares her tips and tricks that will have you and your students ready for an awesome Tap Master Class experience
Hillary-Marie shares her past performance philosophy and what her goal is when taking the stage (then vs. now)
Hillary-Marie shares the story of an Uber driver who claimed dance competitions caused his divorce
Catch Hillary-Marie in Aspen, Colorado this weekend at Snowmass Jazz Aspen with Wycliffe Gordon
Join Hillary-Marie as she discusses how to handle criticism, including when to take it to heart (never), how to take it in context (always) and how criticism can be the secret key to unlocking your artistic potential.
Join Hillary-Marie and Caleb Teicher of CT&Co, as they discuss the ins and outs of running a professional dance company, including artistic inspirations, hiring new dancers, finding gigs, managing the administrative tasks and more.
Hillary-Marie responds to a teacher who struggled with her inner critic (response to Episode 021: How to Turn Off Your Teacher Brain)
Why is continuing education so important for tap teachers? Join Hillary-Marie as she shares her passion for supporting tap teachers in the continuation of their education (and why all teachers deserve it)