HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY TAP DANCE LEVEL REALLY IS?
This can be a very confusing question too as there are so many "standards" (or lack thereof) that are used. While many tap dance teachers use a three-levels scale (beginner, intermediate, advanced) the national company has long developed its own Professional Tap Dance Level Scale, ranging from 1 to 7. Because being a tap dancer means much more than just doing a few steps or routines, this scale attempts to evaluate the "whole tap dancer," which may be a bit surprising for some people at first. The table below is easy to use and will help you register at the proper level if you plan on attending NTE seminars, workshops, master classes, etc. You can also use this table/scale just for fun, to see what your own level is!
Note!
This scale is proprietary. Tap dance teachers and assistant teachers, schools, organizations or institutions are welcome to use it but may not do so without prior written permission from the National Tap Ensemble (do the smart and ethical thing and DO place a request - permission is readily granted - remember that any of your students has access to this web site!) Click here to go to the convenient request form.
Experience and exposure are what determines a tap dancer's real level. NTE grades levels in four main areas:
A = learning/practice ethics
How well do you learn? Are you a "good listener," do you pay attention in class or do you tend to "run your feet" even when the teacher is talking? How much and how seriously do you practice? By the way, DO YOU practice at all between classes? (wink, wink...)
B = technique/proficiency/knowledge
This has to do with how skilled (e.g. "good" or "talented") you are and how much you know about things like tap history, terminology, etc. (that would be your "general knowledge" of tap). In other words, if you can do a step perfectly but you have no idea where it comes from, what music you can use it with or how to use it in different ways, then you have a long way to go and you are probably not at the level where you think you are (or were told that you are.)
Note that the criteria of "technical ability" is often the only one considered in the world of dance, especially at the studio level. Using this criteria as your starting point when you come to this page for help about picking a class/course/workshop level at one of our events is just fine, but please keep in mind that our level 7 corresponds to REAL pros, i.e. a very high level of skills. Level-7 tap artists you may know would include pros such as LaVaughn Robinson, Cassandra Baker, Diane Walker, Chris Baker, Savion Glover or Sam Weber.
C = musicianship
How good is your "music ear"? When you tap, do you hear steps or do you hear a "phrase" (e.g. a music phrase, like a melody)? Quick question: can you name three music traditions closely associated with the art of tap? Can you keep time? For how long? Have you ever danced to live music?
D = performing experience
We get lots of questions about this one! What we are talking about here is REAL experience on the professional stage. So even if you are very talented, have won many competitions, including "Mister-best-dancer-in-the-whole-universe" you would rank anywhere from 1 to 4 on the NTE scale. Now, if you work regularly and professionally as a tap dance performer (meaning you get paid and it's a job... a fun job but nevertheless a job just like any other profession), then you would normally rank from 5 to 7, depending on how much experience and talent you have.
Of course, at first all these criteria can seem a bit complicated, so we've included two real-life examples here (we've changed the students' names to protect their privacy.) Feel free to print one of these tables to calculate your own level. It's fun!
EXAMPLE 1
Tim is what his teacher would call a very gifted student. He can do some fancy steps - always to recorded music - but the only time he ever performs is in the annual recital. Tim has a fantastic ear and keeps prefect time, but he hates to practice and he talks a lot during class instead of tapping.
A | B | C | D | |
| level 1: total beginner | ||||
| level 2: beginner | 2 | |||
| level 3: low intermediate | 3 | |||
| level 4: intermediate | ||||
| level 5: advanced | 5 | |||
| level 6: semi-professional | 6 | |||
| level 7: professional | ||||
subtotal | 16 | |||
ACTUAL LEVEL (simply divide subtotal by 4) | 4 | |||
As you can see Tim would benefit most from studying at levels 3 to 5, depending on the topic of the course.
EXAMPLE 2
Joan has won lots a trophies, even "national" ones. She is a hard working student and spends a lot of time practicing. Joan is now 17 and has just discovered improvisation, she's great at it (being a prodigy piano player doesn't hurt!) Joan's friends think she is a "tap nut" because tap is all she thinks about and talks about. Her dream is to become a Rockette. She has never performed to live music, but would love to try.
A | B | C | D | |
| level 1: total beginner | ||||
| level 2: beginner | ||||
| level 3: low intermediate | ||||
| level 4: intermediate | 4 | |||
| level 5: advanced | 5 | 5 | ||
| level 6: semi-professional | 6 | 6 | ||
| level 7: professional | ||||
subtotal | 20 | |||
ACTUAL LEVEL (simply divide subtotal by 4) | 5 | |||
So you ask, how come there isn't more difference between Tim and Joan? Well, there IS a big difference. Getting from any level to the next level may take years, especially for those who study once a week and leave their shoes in the closet the rest of the time. In this case, Joan has excellent work ethics and she is just about ready to receive high-level training, so she would have a real chance to engage in a successful career. As for Tim, let's just say that it's a long shot...
EXAMPLE 3
Marie is a college student who has been dancing for many years, has good skills and good class etiquette and she has studied other forms of percussive dance. Her teacher has been giving her some historical knowledge of tap. She has performed with a live band, but not professionally.
A | B | C | D | |
| level 1: total beginner | ||||
| level 2: beginner | ||||
| level 3: low intermediate | ||||
| level 4: intermediate | ||||
| level 5: advanced | ||||
| level 6: semi-professional | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| level 7: professional | ||||
subtotal | 24 | |||
ACTUAL LEVEL (simply divide subtotal by 4) | 6 | |||
Marie is ready to have fun with some NTE or ATDI courses at level 5 (i.e. REAL advanced level) and even tackle some level 6 training.
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