"Copasetic" is a Jewish word made famous by tap dance legend and movie star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who used to frequently say "everything is Copasetic." It means that everything is OK, fine, alright or "cool." By extension, being COPASETIC means being ETHICAL, it means RESPECTING OTHERS AND RESPECTING THEIR RIGHTS.
We at NTE recognize that tappers haven't always had the best reputation when it comes to professional conduct and that as a direct result our field has suffered from an unfortunate lack of legitimacy. As a part of its mission, the national company has not only been educating tap dancers, tap dance teachers, presenters and audiences about good ethics but it has also been practicing these ethics since 1988, consistently setting the highest artistic and human standards. While it would be fair to say that this ongoing effort has helped change the way tap dance is perceived, the "ethics of tap" (or lack thereof, as our critics like to point out) is a subject that still comes up far too often.
Obviously, a lot more needs to be done before tap dance can be embraced as the marvelous, unique and so important dance/music tradition that it is. We think that it should all start "at home," and we would like to encourage all tap dancers, tap teachers and tap lovers to participate in this effort (sometimes what we or what we do not do has a far greater impact on the way we are perceived by "non-tappers" than we think!) The bottom line is: if we don't respect and support each other, who will? If we don't behave responsibly, how can we be respected by others and by the many institutions that have shown a blatant disregard for our field and traditions for decades? That's why we are dedicating this page to "acceptable" ethics. Here you will find our policies on privacy, web link exchange, fair use of our free Professional Level Scale, in a word, all the "Copasetic stuff."
Tappers, let's do the right thing! Let's honor the invaluable legacy of Bojangles
and of all the other great pioneers who paved the way for us.
Let's earn respect from others by first respecting
ourselves as well as anyone in our field.
Let's just be... Copasetic!
OUR PRIVACY POLICY
Your privacy is very important to you and it's very important to us. The National Tap Ensemble respects your concerns about maintaining strict privacy. Any information that you divulge to us is strictly kept in confidence. We do not collect personally identifiable information on our web server, web site or otherwise (via the infamous "cookies," for example) unless you choose to provide it to us via an electronic mail message, a web form, a phone call, or by postal mail. Even when you choose to give us information, we keep it absolutely confidential. We do not sell or rent mailing lists or any other personally identifiable information to third parties. Please visit our FAQ page for answers to specific questions about our Privacy and Security policies.
What you will NOT find on this web site
- Obnoxious pop-up banners.
- "Web bugs."
- Privacy-invading, internet-tracking "cookies."
- Hidden HTML tracking or covert server links.
- Stolen or "borrowed" content, such as writings on the history of tap or other subjects that were simply copied (with or without permission) from other web sites, from articles or from books (the vast majority of which do NOT present history in an accurate and sometimes grossly incorrect way in the first place... This type of activity does a great disservice to our profession and to all of us as it only serves to reinforce old clichés and misconceptions about tap dance.)
- Illegally obtained or copyright-violating audio, video or movie clips of tap dancers or tap dance performances such as the ones found on several other tap dance sites.
We at the USA's national tap dance company DO "walk the talk" and we would like to encourage ALL tap dancers, studio owners and organizations to also adhere to forward-thinking, ethical behavior and policies.
COPYRIGHT, ETC.
As indicated at the bottom of each page, the National Tap Ensemble web site is copyrighted and protected in its entirety by international copyright and trademark laws. Consequently, YOU MAY NOT COPY, MODIFY, COPY, REPRODUCE, REPUBLISH, UPLOAD, POST, TRANSMIT, OR DISTRIBUTE, IN ANY MANNER, ANY MATERIAL ON THIS SITE, INCLUDING TEXT AND GRAPHICS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED TO DO SO by the National Tap Ensemble (such as for example using our web logo for inserting a link to our site on your own web site, see below for details)
However, scholars, students of any age (pre-school to university,) tap dancers working on a research project, non-commercial newspapers and magazines, etc. can be granted permission to print, quote or otherwise use some of the content of this web site, provided that:
1. The document (s) or part (s) thereof will be used for private study, coursework, research, informational, non-commercial purposes only.
2. Written permission has been requested and granted. Write our staff and indicate which part (s) of the web site you would like to use: text, pictures, graphics, audio or video files, etc. as well as what you intend to use them for.
3. You provide the name(s) and complete contact info (street address with zipcode, email address, web site, etc.) of your teacher, professor, or of the person who assigned or is supervising your research project.
4. This copyright notice is included:.
Copyright: National Tap Ensemble
Reprinted with permission of the National Tap Ensemble, USA: www.usatap.org
We work hard at providing valuable, free information on this web site. Once you have received permission to use or quote this information, we appreciate receiving a courtesy copy (or URL) of any work or project that contains it, as is customary.
COURTESY LINK EXCHANGE
The Internet has been called "the single greatest information and communication tool in human history." Without a doubt, the ability for anyone with an Internet connection to travel in cyberspace ("surf") from web site to web site has been a key to the 'Net's phenomenal growth. We are happy to exchange links with any responsible individual, school or organization whose web site follows standard, minimal guidelines. Sorry, we cannot list web sites that:
- violate copyright laws, including but not limited to
web sites that publish video or music files to which they do not hold the rights, including those from "old" movies or clips
web sites that use or quote text, excerpts of text or photographs without properly crediting their author(s)
- are strictly commercial or profit-oriented
- promote violence or hatred in any way, shape or form
- use obscene language or pictures
- contain annoying "pop up banners" or large numbers of "cookies" that generate frustration and complaints from visitors
- request a link to their site but do not have the courtesy of providing a page for links to others on their own web site in the first place
Please note that we reserve the right to revise this policy at any time.
If you notice that a web site listed on our Cool Links page is not in compliance with one or more of the simple guidelines listed above, we would be grateful if you would notify Public Relations immediately. You may do so anonymously if preferred.
EXCHANGING LINKS: WHAT TO LIST AND HOW TO LIST IT
 | If you would like simple URL (Universal Resource Locator) listings, we suggest the following quick links (the Tap Dance Bulletin and the Tapper's page can be accessed from the NTE home page but providing direct links is appreciated by many people!) http://www.usatap.org/ America's national tap dance company, home page http://www.usatap.org/bulletin.htm Tap Dance Bulletin http://www.usatap.org/tapperpage.htm The "Tap Dancer's Page" with answers to frequently asked questions and a lot of useful advice provided by cast members of the USA's national tap dance company. http://www.usatap.org/ITDN.htm Home of the International Tap Dance Network, which connects more than one thousand tappers from over forty countries. Basic membership is free. http://www.usatap.org/tdls.htm Professional Tap Dance Level Scale, published for use free of charge by tap dancers and teachers worldwide. http://ww.usatap.org/atdi.htm American Tap Dance Institute. Offers comprehensive higher-education for professional tap dance teachers, including the world's foremost Teacher Training and Certification Program, the annual "Spirit Of Tap" Conference for tap teachers, students, performers and scholars, and a "think tank" or research institute that examines and addresses issues common to most tap dancers. |
| If you'd like to use a graphic instead of a simple text URL, here is our official logo for your convenience. All you have to do is cut and paste this graphic to your own web site. [Technical note: if you do not see a URL when you test the page and run your mouse over the logo, right-click on the picture and look for something like "create hyperlink," or "link this graphic with this hyperlink," then copy and paste this URL: http://www.usatap.org/ America's national tap dance company, home page |
| Please email a complete, accurate, working URL to our staff, as follows: - Subject line: Link exchange request: - [URL of your web site here] for example: Link exchange request - http://www.taptaptap.com - Body of message: Your request for link exchange with the complete, accurate, working URL(s) for the pages where you have listed or will be listing our site [for example: http://www.taptaptap.com/links.html ] You are welcome to include a short description of your site if you'd like (see links above for examples.) Please keep it simple and factual (i.e., avoid overinflated, egomaniacal self-descriptions. Remember that its is up to your site's visitors to determine if your site is the "best" or the "greatest.") Once accepted, we will notify you that your link has been recommended to our webmaster for publication. Note that this web site is updated once to twice a month, so there there may be a delay of 2 to 4 weeks before your link is published. Thank you for your patience! |
| Don't forget to inform our staff, with a short email message as soon as you have published our link on your own web site. Likewise, the courtesy of a message is appreciated if your links page is changed or removed! |
TAP DANCE LEVEL SCALE
Attention tap dance teachers and assistant teachers, tap program directors, dance studio owners, dance department directors! Please use the form below if you would like to use our 7-level, professional NTE Tap Dance Level Scale at your dance school/studio, dance program or dance department.
[Please note: you may not use this form if you are a tap dance student but you are welcome to suggest the use of our scale to your school or studio. Of course, you are welcome to use the scale on the Tapper's page, since we published it there for you in the first place!]
