Welcome to the home of Fabulous Taps, the National Tap Ensemble's official Tap Dance Contests.
Our contests benefit from a different approach and are quite unique in the
profession, with features, standards and opportunities that are not available
anywhere else. They aim to provide an experience that is fun, fair, positive and
completely professional while reflecting the true spirit of tap dance and
restoring ethics that are badly needed in the profession. Fabulous Taps are the
only tap dance contests that are produced by a major tap
dance company.
Please take a few minutes to read the information
below before deciding if Fabulous Taps is in line with your own tap dance philosophy and
expectations.
Open to all
Any edition of Fabulous Taps is open to ALL tap dancers age 8 and above, regardless
of experience, status (amateur, professional, student,
teacher, independent tapper, studio, company, senior groups, etc.)
gender or country of residence. Both "independent" performers and
those connected to studios, organizations or performing groups are welcome to
participate. Fabulous Taps is truly an open, international contest. Scholarship
prizes exceed $5,000 each season.
For tappers only!
While a strong background in other dance
styles may of course strengthen a tap dancer's skills, Fabulous Taps contestants are not asked
to demonstrate what they can do in jazz, ballet, or anything else... All you are expected
to do is tap! Although singing or lip-syncing are not allowed, you can
perform ANY tap dance style or styles, a capella, with accompaniment (live
accompaniment is permitted and welcome) or a combination of both. Because
encouraging creativity is very important to us, we allow up to 4 minutes for
solo/duo/trio pieces,
instead of the 2-3 minutes often allowed, and group pieces can be up to 6
minutes long.
Respecting
and honoring the very spirit of tap dance
Fabulous Taps is NOT a "competition" and Fabulous Taps is NOT a
"championship." But, you may ask...
Why not a "competition"? Don't performers compete?
Yes, they do
compete, and we have no problem with that word or with the concept of
competing. Competing CAN be a thrill and a great experience. However, we have
decided not to use terms such as "competition" or
"nationals" as they have been rendered all but meaningless (in this
case semantics are very important...) Too many competitions have turned dance, and especially tap, as a
shadow of itself and have made a mockery of the true spirit of dance
(competitions have little fiscal oversight and can be huge cash cows for their
organizers, which explains why they have been sprouting like mushrooms for
the past decade.) We prefer the term "contest" which is closer to what
this should be all about. Like the term "challenge," contest was used
extensively in the early days of tap, which makes it even more
appropriate.
Why not a "championship"?
Because the use of this term is TOTALLY
inappropriate for tap dance. Championships and champions refer to sports. Tap
dance is not a sport, but a CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC TRADITION that started as
music played by African slaves in the Southern United States and evolved into a
complex, sophisticated artistic medium that now stands at the crossroads of dance and music.
While tap does involves some degree of athleticism (like most dance-related
traditions) it is anything BUT a sport. Have you ever heard of a "violin
world champion" or a "ballet world champion"? We didn't think
so... (at least not without having a good laugh.) But we do think that associating tap dance with sports, however remotely,
amounts to more than showing ignorance of the very nature of tap, it is nothing short of an insult to the memory of those
African pioneers who found the
strength and courage to survive something as unspeakable as slavery while
inventing something as inspiring and uplifting as tap dancing and jazz music...
Fabulous Taps respects the very spirit of tap and honors its legacy while providing a
path for personal accomplishments and new levels of creativity for tap dancers,
studios and companies.
Adjudication of the highest caliber
Our judges/adjudicators are not ballet, modern, jazz or other dancers/teachers
whose are "qualified" because they learned a few tap steps when they were kids, as is so often the case these
days. Instead, they range from, at the very
minimum, professional tap dance teachers who have been certified by the American Tap Dance
Institute to professional artists who are at the very top of the field and are widely
known for their accomplishments, such as members of the National Tap Ensemble
cast or NTE guest artists. If and when we hire celebrities, we make sure that they
have a strong background in tap and are therefore qualified. In addition, we do
not put judges through insanely long days that inevitably result in uneven and
unfair adjudicating (judging sessions rarely exceed 2
hours.)
"Absolute" scoring
Performances are adjudicated on an "absolute scale" of 0 to 1000
where 1000 represents a "perfect" score. While based on criteria that are widely accepted in
the PROFESSIONAL circles of tap and related arts, our proprietary scoring scale features
many sub-criteria that break down a performance's many aspects in a way that is
both very detailed and specific to the art of tap dance. We have
developed this scale as a TRUE, HONEST, RELIABLE BENCHMARK of a tap dancer's
accomplishments (a great "snapshot" of where a tapper is as a
performer at a given time.) For example, an "average" performance
will result in a combined score of 450-500, which is truly average. You
will not find such things as bogus scores that are automatically inflated to
"boost the dancer's self-confidence" (i.e. scores that start at 75 or
80 out of 100 for an average
performance ...) in our contests. Here are the general
categories of combined scores and their subjective meaning:
850 -1000 Outstanding
700 - 849 Very good
550 - 699 Good
400 - 549 Average
250 - 399 Fair
0 - 249 Poor
One of the many benefits of using this scale and system is that a Fabulous Taps
contestant actually competes more against herself or himself than against other
contestants. For a teacher or choreographer it is a great "barometer"
for progress and improvement.
"Total tap education"
Most of our contests are held during, and in conjunction with, major seminars,
workshops or conferences that offer contest participants first-rate
opportunities to further their tap dance education (even professional
tap dancers will tell you that one is never finished learning!) We require that
contestants register for a minimum number of classes and courses, not for
the entirety of a seminar or workshop as many organizations do. All awards given
are designed to give winners new opportunities to further refine their skills. The maximum
size of our classes and courses is usually anywhere from 15 to 30 students, a
far cry from the outrageously large classes found in many dance
competitions. Entry fees for Fabulous Taps are also quite affordable, especially
when one considers the caliber and standards of the contest.
A healthy environment
We take concrete steps to offer maximum fairness and to help alleviate the
type of unhealthy relationships and nasty situations that so often develop between dancers/families/teachers when they
vie for the same prize. For example:
We do not allow anyone but the performer(s) and the
adjudicators in the studio or theater (one extra person is allowed to start the
music, when needed.)
Participating and giving one's best effort is what really
matters. Any contestant who performs a number in its entirety receives a
Certificate of Completion along with her/his score sheet.
With very few exceptions, the results
of a contest are not announced until a few weeks after a contest and its
associated events have ended. This greatly helps to promote good camaraderie
between dancers while they attend the actual events.
We remove any participant, relative or teacher whose attitude
is detrimental to the contest and/or to the associated event in progress.
Most importantly, we provide a healthy, nurturing and positive environment throughout any event we produce.
We actually encourage contestants to be supportive of each other. Those who have worked
with the National Tap Ensemble cast in the past know that they teach by
example and truly "walk the talk."
Appropriate floors and facilities
Because tap dance was born as a music tradition, the quality and the range of
sounds produced by the tap dancer are extremely important. Yet, most
competitions ignore this very basic fact and judges often have to evaluate a tap
dancer without hearing the taps because the stage flooring is inappropriate,
because the music completely covers the sound of the taps, or both (members of
our cast jokingly refer to this as "mime tap.") Translate this into
ballet, where the visual aspects of the dance are the primary ones, and that
would be exactly like asking a ballet judge to evaluate a ballet piece without
ever seeing the dancers or choreography!
Like the vast majority of the programs offered by the national company, the
Fabulous Taps contests are held on sprung, hardwood floors that allow a tap
dancer to display a full range of sounds, choreography and personal creativity.
We do NOT use carpet, masonite, plywood or vinyl-based flooring (Marley,
Harlequin, "Time Step" and the like), all surfaces on which tap dance
should never be practiced, taught, and even less performed. Unlike most
other organizations we use sound systems (CD only) and sound levels that
allow the dancers to hear the music AND the judges to hear the sounds coming
from the taps.
No politics, no lies, no ridiculous claims
We do not mislead people or make false promises, and we take strong measures to
ensure that all contestants are treated equally. That is our pledge to you and
to the tap dance profession at large. For example, our judges are not allowed to
adjudicate performers they have trained (even though we have good reasons to
believe that the kind of
judges we hire would actually be tougher on their own dancers.) Likewise,
contestants receive in the mail a copy of their final score sheet with each
aspect of their performance that is quantified and translated into a number (see
"absolute scale" above) instead of run-of-the-mill or falsely "encouraging"
comments. This allows a tap dancer to have a concrete reference point and to set
goals to improve her/his weak areas from contest to contest.
We do not need to make inflated, childish, unverifiable claims about our contests,
to use "marketing techniques" with superlatives every other word or to give ridiculous titles to winners
(none of which we think are appropriate in the world of dance.) Why? Because we don't
have to! The national tap dance company has consistently upheld the highest standards
and ethics in the profession
since 1988 (NTE has been actually setting standards in several areas of
the tap dance field) and our contests benefit from the same reputation. Fabulous Taps may
quite possibly be the most challenging tap contests to be
found anywhere on the planet (a dancer ending up with a "very good"
overall score is truly very good, remember that we use an absolute
scale...) but we do not believe that it would ethical for us to promote them as
such. It is our belief that only contestants, and time, can and should tell.
Professionalism, convenience, fairness, high ethics
We produce our events in facilities that are
designed for dance and
the performing arts, such as dance studios, rehearsal halls or theaters. We ONLY
use properly sprung hardwood floors.
We provide true online, 24/7 registration on a secure server for both contests and associated events.
No separate registrations/entry forms, no mind-boggling sets of rules,
categories or divisions, no complicated procedures. We do NOT sell personal
information gathered from entry forms to the highest bidder (ever wondered why
you are receiving more and more dance-related junk mail or spam email? More than
likely your children went to a competition and you didn't notice that fine
print...) We consider this kind of practice unethical.
Each contest allows for a limited amount
of entries. This amount is not exceeded regardless of the circumstances (i.e. we
do not "squeeze in" as many routines as possible.) Entries are simply
processed on a first come, first served basis until all slots are filled.
Additional time slots may be scheduled on an ad-hoc basis.
Our contests run on schedule and on time.
We work closely with dancers, teachers, studios, families and local
communities to ensure the most pleasant experience for all participants.
There are only 4 categories (solo under 18, solo 18 & above, duo/trio,
group) and the very same criteria apply to all performers.
We videotape performances strictly for
archival purposes.
We recognize the fact that dance teachers and dance studio owners have a
zillion things to do already (they are some of the most hard-working people to
be found anywhere.) While we encourage them to coordinate registrations
for their dancers, ultimately each dancer is responsible for their own
registration.
For their safety and to ensure fairness
to all, participants are required to adhere strictly to our Tap
Shoe Policy. Judges may disqualify contestants who have loose taps,
protruding screw heads, jingle taps or anyone who looses a screw on the dance
floor.
Contest sessions rarely exceed two hours. Judges love it because their
concentration can remain very high (and so in turn can their fairness,) and
contestants love it because they do not have to sit around all day long.
Contestants may enter as many categories
as they wish, but the same contestant or team cannot compete in different
numbers in the same category and in the same contest. For example, you cannot
enter more than one solo in the same contest (hey, just pick your best!) but you
could enter more than one duo or trio with different partners, or participate in
several group numbers as long as each number does not feature exactly the same
performers.
Studios and performing companies enjoy generous group discounts (up to 25% off
workshops/seminars/conferences tuition.) Savings can quickly add up to hundreds
of dollars.
Dates
There are usually several editions of Fabulous Taps each season*. Please see the
schedule below.
* A season starts on September 1 and ends on August 31 of the
following year. For example, the 2002-2003 season starts on September 1,
2002 and ends on August 31, 2003.
Contests Awards
After each contest we present the following awards:
Solo, age under 18
1st place:
$100 2nd
place: $75 3rd place:
$50
Solo, age 18 and above
1st place:
$100 2nd
place: $75 3rd place:
$50
Duo/Trio
1st place: $60/dancer 2nd
place: $40/dancer 3rd place:
$20/dancer
Group
1st place: $40/dancer (maximum $400) 2nd
place: $25/dancer (maximum $250) 3rd place:
$15/dancer (maximum $150)
All prize
amounts indicated above are for scholarships.
Scholarships may be used by the winners for any NTE-produced
seminar, workshop or conference of their choice that is held in the following
season. They apply to tuition fees only.
Winners may enter Fabulous Taps contests the following season but are
not eligible for scholarship or other prizes two years in a row.
Each and every award/scholarship is
mailed directly and personally to the tap dancer. Detailed score sheets are also
sent by mail, no later than eight weeks after each contest.
We reserve the right to withhold Awards
when the number of entries in a category is insufficient and/or when the highest
combined score does not reach at least 700 points. In this or any other
unexpected situation we also reserve the right to give Special Awards on an
ad-hoc basis.
Studios, organizations or performing groups
performers are associated with are
given prominent recognition. The studio, school or company that earns first
place in the Groups category receives a special, framable letter.
The winners of any fabulous Taps contest may be invited to perform in shows
or other programs produced by the national tap dance company and/or its
partner organizations.
Annual Awards ("Grand Prize")
At the end of each season we present the following awards:
The dancer age 18 or above who has scored the highest during a season is named National Tap Ensemble's Tap Dancer of the Year* and receives a $350 scholarship.
The dancer under age 18 who has scored the highest during a season is named NTE's Most Promising Tap Dancer of the Year and receives a $350 scholarship.
The duo or trio that has scored the highest during a season is named NTE's Tap Dance Duo/Trio of the Year and each dancer receives a $200 scholarship.
The group that has scored the highest during a season is named NTE's Tap Dance Group of the Year and each dancer receives a $100 scholarship (up to a maximum of $1,000)
* "Year" refers to the year a season ends with.
To be considered for these awards, a performer must have entered a minimum of
two Fabulous Taps Contests during a given season and have a combined total
average that is in the "Outstanding" category (there is no
"nationals" or final contest.)
Tappers may enter as many contest as
they wish. We reserve the right not to give awards when it is estimated that no
tap dancer or group has reached a sufficient number of points and/or emerged as
a clear winner.
Scholarships may be used by the winners for any NTE-produced
seminar, workshop or conference of their choice that is held in the following
season.
Annual Award
Scholarships and their cash value replace any and all other scholarships
previously obtained in the same season.
Winners may enter Fabulous Taps contests the following season but are
not eligible for scholarship or other prizes two years in a row.
Further opportunities may be offered to winners of
the Annual Awards in addition to being invited to perform in shows
or other programs produced by the national tap dance company and/or its
partner organizations.
Additionally, we reserve the right to
give Special Awards, based upon the recommendations of the judges..
Grand prize winners are introduced to both professional publications and the public
on this web site and in professional publications. Annual Awards are usually announced
in late September.
Click here to see the overall results of the Fabulous Taps Contest for the 2001-2002 season
We reserve the right to clarify or update the rules above at any time. This will always be done with fairness in mind and in the best interest of the Contest and of the Participants.
Dates of upcoming confirmed events:
Please note that FTP is on hold this season due to the dire lack of funding
to help cover the scholarships. We hope to be able to resume this program
shortly. Can you help? Yes, you can!
Additional events may be added to this schedule. Please refer to each event's
web page for specific dates, rates, entry forms and all details. We keep past events
online for people to peruse (make sure you join the Tap
Network to be automatically informed when new info on an event is
published.) Printed registration/entry forms are available for all events. If you still have any questions after carefully
reading this page and related pages, please contact our
staff by email or call 301-790-1180 (or toll-free
888-683-8277 from
anywhere in the USA) and they will be happy to help you.
FAQ
- May I enter several numbers in one contest? What about doing solos, trios and a group number?
Yes, you may enter as many as you'd like. Just make sure you have enough stamina and feed yourself right!
- Is it OK to enter several contests in one season?
Yes. The more contests you enter, the better your chances to win the "big prize." But more importantly, it's not unusual for a performer to just have a bad day, so participating in more than one is an excellent idea. Note that you must enter at least two contests in order to qualify for the Grand Prizes anyway.
- Why can't I use cassette tapes for my numbers, as I usually do in competitions?
This is actually to your advantage. Cassettes break, hiss, are easily miscued, and can have recording levels that vary so much that they sometimes become unmanageable. A performer or group has up to 4 minutes for each piece and this time is not extendable, so if your tape is miscued or breaks your score would be severely affected. On the other hand, CDs are super-reliable and any track is easy to find. Transferring music to a CD has actually become very easy and inexpensive. If you don't know how to "burn" a CD, your local computer shop can do it for you for a modest fee (you can get a backup copy of your CD - always a good idea - for under a dollar.)
- If we win the Tap Dance Group of the Year, can we enter your contest again the following year?
Yes, you may. You will not be eligible for any prizes or awards, but your performances will be judged on the exact same scale so you will have another opportunity to find out if you have improved.
- Why are there no age limits for duos, trios and groups like for solos?
Doing that would undoubtedly be far more lucrative, but making a profit is not what our Contests are about. We intend to keep things as uncomplicated as possible (we conducted extensive surveys before starting FT and we found out that one of the major problems people have with competitions is the mind-boggling number of categories they offer.) Also, we believe that having a zillion categories would reduce the impact and prestige of our Annual "Tapper Of The Year" Awards. Lastly, remember that in Fabulous Taps you pretty much compete against yourself, and everyone is adjudicated based on the exact same criteria, making age limits irrelevant.
- Do winners receive trophies?
Walk in the lobby of many dance studios and you will see dozens, sometimes hundreds of trophies. Why? Because the standards in dance have become so low that many competitions give out (cheap) trophies to zillions of sub-categories of performers pretty much regardless of the quality of what was performed. Fabulous Taps Winners do not receive trophies, but they do receive a special Certificate that can be framed and looks beautiful (not to mention easier to display, trophies need shelving and keeping them clean is a real pain!) This is in addition to their scholarship, of course.
- It says somewhere that solo numbers can be up to four minutes. Is is the same for duos and trios?
Yes, it is. If you perform in the Groups category your routine can be up to six minutes long.
- Why no cash prizes?
Look at the small print and you will see that often such "prizes" have so many strings attached that in the end they may not amount to much "cash." Scholarships are far more valuable than cash money, especially when they can be applied to a variety of high-quality events that have a long track record as is the case with NTE. More importantly, the amount of "cash" coming from professional opportunities that Fabulous Taps Winners may be offered is far greater than any prize could be.
This doesn't mean that we would not consider cash prizes in the future. All of our programs have an excellent feedback system "built-in." We systematically review participants' evaluations and make any change that is deemed appropriate or is frequently requested, so be sure to turn in your written feedback the next time you perform!
- I couldn't find any information about Nationals on the fabulous Taps web page.
Over the past 10 years the term "nationals" has been trivialized to the point that it has become meaningless. We could have organized "Nationals" for Fabulous Taps but we are mindful of the additional financial and time burden that would be imposed upon parents and guardians of young dancers. That is why we simply require that a tapper or group enters at least two FT contests in a season to be eligible for the overall title. Her or his points are averaged out, saving families the expense of another trip. In addition, Fabulous Taps is a "universal contest" that is open to tappers of any country is therefore more international than national.
- I think I'm gonna enter the Fabulous Taps contest in June. Where can I get more info about that one?
Once contestants have registered for a contest and for the minimum number of classes or courses that are required, a full package of information is automatically provided, complete with detailed information (technical details complete with studio/stage dimensions and lighting, judging criteria, when to arrive, etc.)
- How long after as contest does it take for National Tap Ensemble to announce the awards?
Anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. The exception is when winners are invited to perform their works at the end of the associated event, like at the National Tap Seminar's Student Show. In that case, winners are announced within a couple of days. Certificates, official announcements, awards, etc. are mailed no more than 8 weeks later (much less whenever possible.)
- My 9 year-old daughter just came back from a competition where girls her age or younger were using moves in their tap and jazz numbers that I consider vulgar even for an adult. Part of the audience was cheering and part was booing, and some teachers and parents got into a loud argument right in there. I will never take her back to that competition. Is this allowed in your contests?
While we do not wish to impose limits on creativity and style, vulgarity is something that often detracts from the choreography, instead of enriching it (this is true for all ages.) There's nothing wrong with choreography and rhythms that are created in a way that reflects the sensuality or mood of a piece of music, but vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity would most likely be penalized by the FTC judges in several scoring areas. Not a smart idea!
As to teachers and parent getting into the kind of argument you describe, we are all too aware of this most unfortunate, but very common behavior. It's one of the main reasons why we do not allow audiences of any kind at Fabulous Taps. This allows both performers and judges to do what they came to do without interference, distractions or added pressure.
- Can I use acrobatic or gymnastic tricks in my tap routine?
If they are an integral part of the choreography/composography and make sense musically as well as visually, they should not be a problem (an excellent example would be the Nicholas Brothers.) But use common sense and remember that is this is a TAP contest (see question above) and not gymnastics...
- My son is seven years old and outdances many older kids at their studio. Can you make an exception for him?
While motor skills may seem quite developed in the average 7 years old child, studies have shown over and over that skeletal development and other critical areas of a child's growth are far from being "solid" at that age. Given the great excitement and motivation that are often brought by participating in a contest, which in turns means a large number of extra rehearsal hours, we are very concerned to see more and more 5 to 7 year old kids (sometimes even younger) being allowed to enter competitions. For safety's sake, we think that 8 should be an absolute minimum. Your son can only be better a year from now!
- Can I buy a copy of a contest's video?
Sorry, nothing personal, but you cannot. We do not sell such footage under any circumstances. In our professional opinion, charging performers, teachers and choreographers to enter a competition and then making a profit by selling the product of their own hard work is at the very minimum a gross violation of the most basic artistic ethics.
- We live across the pond and I have at least 30 students interested in entering your contest but going to America is too expensive for them. Is there any chance you would bring your Fabulous Taps contest to the U.K.?
Provided that we can find a local partner organization or host that as the standards that we require, we'd be happy to consider it. Anyone seriously interested should first contact the company's Public Relations Director at pr1@usatap.org.
- My company sells beautiful dancewear and costumes. Can I place some advertisements at your tap contests?
We offer several very effective ways of advertising and promoting your products: online, in the monthly Tap Dance Bulletin and "in the field" (i.e. directly at major events that we produce.) Please contact the same staff person as mentioned in the question above.
- My friends and I would like to see the tap contests. How do we go about registering for that?
Sorry, that is not possible. For the many reasons explained above, only judges and contestants can be present during the contest. However, in some cases you will be able to attend a show featuring the winners in action. Please refer to each event's page for specifics (tickets for such shows can almost always be purchased online.) Also, by joining the Tap Network you will be automatically notified of any such upcoming events in your region.
- What kind of standards are applied to your tap contests? How do they compare to others?
Our pledge to each performer and to the worldwide dance community is simple. The USA's national tap dance company will apply to the Fabulous Taps contests the same level of standards that it has consistently applied to both stage works and educational programs since 1988. Feel free to browse though this web site, which should give you a good idea of what NTE is about. We are well aware of all the competing opportunities that are offered to the passionate tap dancer and we can unequivocally state that our contest are of the absolute highest level, both in terms of their substance and of their standards. Nothing comes close.
If you have more questions, please drop us a line.
