The Pancake Flip

This summer I am teaching a few private tap classes! I love it! Yesterday was our first meeting since the semester ended and we reviewed all the steps we had been learning in class. One step I find really fun and challenging for 8 year olds, and especially boys is barrel turns. They always ask to practice them. Are you wondering what a pancake has to do with barrel turns? Me too, but the imagery just came to me! Let me explain....

Rap your toe behind you, I call this "toast it"

"Flip the pancake" to the back, keeping the same foot in the air (now your facing the back)

Step the same foot down as you turn back to the front "plate it"

Step your other foot down to face the front "syrup it"

So here's the step- "Toast it, Flip it, Plate it, Syrup it!"

It really does work, we were getting dizzy doing so many barrel turns yesterday! If you teach tap you should try it!

Do you have special imagery that you use while teaching a challenging tap step? I would love to hear!