Product Details

• Actors: Miriam Nelson, Glenn Turnbull, Rusty Frank Leonard Reed
• Directors: Robert Scheerer
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: On Tap!
• DVD Release Date: January 1, 1995
• Run Time: 45 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002PUDN2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,811 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In 1927, two song and dance men, Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant, took four popular steps of the 1920's, strung them together with a break and created the now legendary "Shim Sham Shimmy."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Tap Videos Available!!!, November 17, 2003

By 

Peter Flahiff (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leonard Reed's Shim Sham Shimmy - VHS (VHS Tape)

I'm a dance teacher at the University of Southern California (USC) specializing in American Vernacular Dances and a tap dancer as well. Having taught at dance festivals and tap seminars all over the world, I know the difference between good and bad teaching. This video is absolutely one of the best- produced and entertaining instructional videos I have ever seen. The fact that the video includes commentary from Leonard Reed himself is worth the price of the tape -- this man is a true living legend. But the instruction is top-notch, too. Rusty Frank is an acclaimed tap instructor and producer who really knows how to break steps down. I was very grateful to see her explaining and demonstrating the steps in such a personable fashion, and so clearly! She then repeats the steps from the reverse so the student can join in, and she does so (thank HEAVENS!) without calling out the steps over the taps. I have seen other videos where the teacher calls out the steps the whole time, making it difficult to hear the taps clearly, and Ms. Frank obviously knows how trying this can be. The music, which was apparently composed specifically for this video, is perfect too...just the right feel for this classic dance. Overall, I believe this to be one of the perfect beginners tap tapes. I have seen students who have never tapped before, master the Shim Sham with just this tape. Well done, Rusty Frank!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily to follow even if you're not a tap dancer!, November 18, 2002

By 

Ana J. Mínguez (SAN SEBASTIAN (Basque Country) Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leonard Reed's Shim Sham Shimmy - VHS (VHS Tape)

When I bought this tape I was not a tap dancer and yet I made it through quite easily. Afterwards, when I started attending tap dance classes, I decided to show my teacher what I had learned with the tape, in order to check and see if I had learned it well and if it looked "real" or not. She was awestruck at how I had managed to do it with just a videotape and without knowing how to tap dance. The secret is a good teacher using a good method. I highly recommend it. You're gonna have a great time, for sure!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for all level tappers!, January 3, 2002

By 

"guyonia" (Saxtons River, VT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leonard Reed's Shim Sham Shimmy - VHS (VHS Tape)

I'm an advanced tapper, and tap instructor - years ago I was in a tap troupe in San Francisco, and was in a performance or two with Rusty Franks, the producer of, and instructor in this video. I found this tape to be a solid, yet enjoyable documentation of Leonard Reed's shim sham shimmy. There are many forms of it in this video, and all are presented in such a way that, for the beginning tapper it might require a bit of rewinding at first, but because she gives two slower first run-throughs that are shot from behind her feet, the viewer gets a good look at what her feet are doing, and shouldn't be difficult to learn the steps. Everything takes a little bit of work, and diligence, after all. For the intermediate to advanced tapper it's terrific! I found myself fast-forwarding through the slower repetitions of the combinations, to what she so nicely refers to as "The Brighter" version, meaning faster. It's eventually done to music, so there is a good progression from basics to performance level. She's a wonderful tapper, and this video is a lovely homage to one of the greats. I'm glad to see she's still tapping!