3 mistakes you might be making in your tap practice

Published on March 25th 2021 by Hillary-Marie

Let’s talk about personal practice. 

I’ve always been super passionate about helping tap dancers develop a positive personal practice.

One that’s full of curiosity, growth and satisfaction. 

Today, I’m going to share 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. 

MISTAKE #1: NOT MAKING THE TIME

Most Tap Dancers don’t have a  personal practice. They don’t set aside the time in their calendar to pull their board out, put their tap shoes on, and shuffle. 

SOLUTION: MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Pick a day and a time. Add that to your calendar, and make sure it sticks! Schedule all your other events around that practice time, not the other way around. iTapOnline™ Members strive to put their tap shoes on two times per week, and I always encourage them to write me back and let me know when they’ll be practicing. This way I know that they’ve dedicated that time into their calendar. 

MISTAKE #2: NOT HAVING A FOCUS

Many Tap Dancers who do set aside the time to practice, don’t step onto the floor with a game plan. They put their shoes on and ask themselves… what should I work on?

SOLUTION: SET SOME GOALS

Set some goals for yourself. Is there a certain step you want to clean up? A combination you learned recently that you want to clean up? Maybe you’re working on improving your improvisation skills and you want to be able to improvise a whole song all the way through. Whatever it is, set a goal for yourself, and use your dedicated practice time to work towards achieving that goal. 

MISTAKE #3: NOT TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS

Many Tap Dancers get discouraged because they don’t feel like they’re moving forward or succeeding in their practice time. 

SOLUTION: GET A TAP JOURNAL

Track your progress in your Tap Journal. Sometimes it can feel like you’re not growing as much as you truly are, because you’re not tracking your practice sessions and progress. It’s tough to remember where you started! Check out this episode to learn more about how a Tap Journal can help to support you in your personal practice. 

NEW! IN THE ITAPONLINE™ MEMBER CENTER

I've recently launched something brand new for iTapOnline™ Members to help support them in their personal practice along their tap dance journey. From practicing twice a week, to getting faster and cleaner footwork, to gaining comfort with improvisation, it’s just been amazing to see the positive results they’re achieving. 

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