The Souls of Your Feet: A Tap Dance Guidebook for Rhythm Explorers [Paperback]

Acia Gray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

The Souls of Your Feet is a comprensive guide to the art and language of tap dance. Complete with basic technique and creative variations, this guidebook shows the beginning dancer how to build a strong foundation in this wonderful American artform as well as expand the experienced dancer's choreographic and improvisational creativity. Traditional tap dance figures and choruses to include The B.S. Chorus and The Shim Sham Shimmy are some of many basic structures covered in this guidebook. Numerous references are made to the legends of tap dance including Charles "Honi" Coles, Brenda Bufalino, Jimmy Slyde, Sarah Petonio, Savion Glover and many others securing the artform to its historical roots.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Acia Gray has compiled and documented so much of the tap dance nomenclature in THE SOULS OF YOUR FEET that is should now be clear to everyone that this artform is so deep it takes a lifetime to master and yet we're still not finished inventing it. The teacher, the scholar and the dancer in search of identification and clarification of tap terms and basic rhythm structures will find Ms. Gray's vast and inclusive guide a very helpful resource." -- BRENDA BUFALINO, THE AMERICAN TAP DANCE ORCHESTRA, NEW YORK CITY

"Acia Gray's THE SOULS OF YOUR FEET offers valuable information guaranteed to build your skills. Her refreshing point of view will no doubt help you find the thrill of tap from your head down to your toes. A delightful addition to any dancer's library." -- LYNN DALLY, THE JAZZ TAP ENSEMBLE, LOS ANGELES

"Artists constantly seek, and sometimes find. Acia has taken the time to discover. From Tapestry in Austin, TX a tightly woven joyous tap history has emerged. Written with remarkable sensitivity and tenderness, dedication and strength, it's all there - in black, white and brilliant shades of Gray. A loving gift from one hoofer to us all!" -- SARAH PETRONIO, PARIS, International Tap Dance Artist

"Thank you Acia for writing a book that bridges the gap between tap dancers of all styles. This necessary tool will bring us all together. I love it!" -- DIANNE WALKER, INTERNATIONAL TAP ARTIST, BOSTON

. . . makes tap look like pure joy. -- Chicago Sun--Times

her dancing keeps us riveted . . . -- Washington Dance Review

From the Back Cover

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Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Grand Weaver's Publishing; 1 edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966744500
• ISBN-13: 978-0966744507
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Tap
  • #24 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Popular

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful resource!, November 2, 1999

By 

Mark Knowles "author" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Souls of Your Feet: A Tap Dance Guidebook for Rhythm Explorers (Paperback)

"The Souls of Your Feet" is a great reference for anyone interested in tap dance. I researched a lot of tap terminology for my book "The Tap Dance Dictionary" and I thought I had covered most of it, but Ms. Gray has surprised me with many new and unusual steps (along with the more common.) I've thoroughly enjoyed studying her book. Besides all of the information on tap steps and rhythms, her tips on floors, shoes, teachers, videos, and books will be especially helpful to both those starting out, as well as those who have tapped a long time. I highly recommend this wonderful resource of tap information.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A treasure for the open minded, October 25, 2001

By 

Kimberly Willett (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Souls of Your Feet: A Tap Dance Guidebook for Rhythm Explorers (Paperback)

This book is a must for beginners. Ms. Gray's definitions make sense. The concepts if taught from the beginning, carry the dancer easily into the advanced levels. Those who do not like the book are struggling with their own closed minds not any shortcomings on Ms. Gray's part. If we all had learned tap with these unique concepts so many bad habits would not have to be "re-learned." I have taught tap for 19 years and all my students have adapted the curriculum provided in "The Souls of Your Feet." The historical descriptions and resource information have proven invaluable as well.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Confusing, December 1, 2000

By 

"tapnfool" (Franklin, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Souls of Your Feet: A Tap Dance Guidebook for Rhythm Explorers (Paperback)

This book takes the simplest of tap steps and words it so strangely that it takes you 20 minutes to figure out that she's trying to say "flap heel heel brush heel toe heel". The index of terms are listed by number of sounds rather than alphabetically, so as your referring back to the index, which you must do often because her terminology is so different, it can be hard to find what your looking for. I feel certain, if a beginner picked up this book to learn a little more about the art of tap dance, they would most certainly become so frustrated, they'd probably decide to forget about tapping all together. I did, however, require my students to read this book for their college advanced tap class, because I do think that they should be exposed to different teaching styles. After reading it, they were asked to review it. It was definitely the least favorite book of the semester(They were required to read four books). Not one single student gave it a good review.