(Hardshoe Training) Learn how to pound out your rallys, do confident toe walks, and more!

Increasing your sound

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1. You have to be agressive

No whimping out when it comes to hardshoe! Bring your feet down forcefully, into the floor, not across it. (*****HINT*****Pretending you are angry at the floor - no matter how stupid that may sound *lol* - helps)

2. The beats must be clear

Make sure that only the tips of your hardshoes are involved in the rallys...no shuffly beats or heels brushing the ground (*****HINT*****the region of the tips which should be used to hit the floor is the half closest to your big toe - the inside, front part)

3. Stay up on your toes

4. When you do Stamps/bangs (see picture below) bring both the tip and the heel of the shoe down equally as hard....make it loud!

shoes

Click those Clicks!

If you are having trouble hitting your clicks consistantly....make sure:

1. You are turning out your feet (especially the back one)

2. You are pointing your toes very very hard

3. You cannot be afraid of hitting your feet together instead of your heels (OUCH)....it's going to happen sometimes, but worrying about it will only affect your dancing and practice is the only way to stop it from happening.

(****HINT#1****To improve height on clicks, stretch and practice the front-back splits...)
(****HINT#2****Land your clicks with both feet tucked close together)
(****HINT#3****Watch your posture)

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Toe Stands

1. In order to be able to do toe stands confidently, you need to have stong ankles. Practice some rises and other stretches to strengthen your muscles.

2. Start off doing toe stands by holding onto a barre or other surface.

3. Point your toe to the ground and slowly put weight onto it...(****HINT****If you cannot get the shoe to bend far enough over, try some of the Breaking in your shoes techniques)

4. Transfer your wieght from one foot to the other, keeping your ankles firm

5. Keep your feet close together for support while doing toestands.

6. Work up your confidence by first doing short runs then working your way up to longer runs on your toes without holding onto the barre.

Drums/Rolls

1. When doing drums, make sure every single beat is clear, and seperate...

2. Start off by doing them without twisting:

Right foot: Hit the ground with the tip, then the heel - then put wieght on the heel and...

Left foot: ...bring the left foot off the ground then place it back down again.....REPEAT

(ie. tip, heel, down; tip, heel, down; tip, heel, down....)

Now, to get them twisting...

1. The tip should be done with the front foot turned way out

2. When the heel is initally put down, the foot should be turned in, then swivled outwards as the back foot comes up and down...

(sorry if it sounds confusing...it's hard to explain)

3. Practice them over and over