A tap dance section performed to a steady, even pulse where clean, level sounds and exact timing matter more than speed, entered as a solo or a duo/trio.
Straight tap is the tap section built on an even, unfussy pulse. Where speed tap tests how quickly the feet can move and slow tap tests control over space, straight tap tests whether a dancer can keep every sound level: the same weight on each tap, the same distance between beats, and accents that land exactly where the music places them. Because the rhythm is plain, any unevenness in the sound is easy to hear.
A round is one performance on the stage floor. The dancer, duo or trio is announced, the music begins at its steady tempo, and the adjudicator listens as closely as they watch. Good routines use the plain pulse as a canvas: a clear opening phrase, a middle section that varies the steps and the dynamics without losing the pulse, and a closing phrase that finishes on a definite last sound. Posture, spacing and a calm face matter because a tap routine without visible tension looks as controlled as it sounds.
On the Australian solo-and-troupe eisteddfod template this page is written from, Straight Tap is carried for 24 groups: single-year solo ages from 4 to 21, a solo Open Age group, four Star groups (Junior, Intermediate, Teen and Open) and a Duo/Trio group. Boys and girls compete together, no language is needed, the limit is three minutes, and every entry is marked out of 100 under the label Marks. The syllabus prints no criteria for the section, so none are installed and the adjudicator's own sheet decides.
Organisers keep straight tap as its own section because it rewards precision rather than flash, and it gives a dancer who is still building speed a fair place to compete. For a coordinator using eTalenter it is entered like any other item: register the dancer in the right age group, record the adjudicator's mark out of 100, and the placing follows within that group.
Where Straight Tap is run
In eTalenter's data Straight Tap appears on three Australian dance templates: an October solo and troupe eisteddfod, a studio dance competition that runs first-year, specially restricted, restricted and open levels, and a city eisteddfod dance-solos programme. Tap sections divided by tempo or style are a regular feature of Australian studio and eisteddfod syllabuses, and tap classes of various kinds run at dance festivals in the United Kingdom, North America and other countries with a studio dance tradition.
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
Key facts
- Individual (solo) entry in the age and Star groups, and a team entry in the Duo/Trio group; boys and girls compete together.
- 24 groups on the Australian October eisteddfod template: solo ages 4 to 21, Solo Open Age, Star Junior, Star Intermediate, Star Teen, Star Open and Duo/Trio.
- Time limit in that template: 3 minutes; the city eisteddfod template also uses 3 minutes, while the studio-competition template sets no time limit.
- Marks out of 100 under the label Marks; the syllabus prints no criteria, so the adjudicator's sheet decides.
- A sibling of Speed Tap, Slow Tap and Waltz Tap in the same tap family, each judged as its own section.
- Idea starters, not rules: a classic 4/4 swing standard danced with deliberately even taps, a routine that builds from a single sound to a full rhythm pattern and back, or a number that trades eight-bar phrases with a held accent each time.
On eTalenter, Straight Tap is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 3 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Straight Tap is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Straight Tap
What a Straight Tap panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Evenness of sound: each tap should carry the same weight and spacing unless the choreography deliberately accents it; uneven, scrappy or over-loud taps lose the most marks.
- Timing against the pulse: steps and accents must land on the beat and phrases must finish with the music, because a steady tempo leaves nowhere to hide a late or rushed step.
- Clarity of technique: clean heels, toes, shuffles and flaps, controlled weight changes and a quiet upper body show a dancer who owns the step.
- Musicality and dynamics: using volume, pauses and accents to shape a routine reads better than constant, flat-out tapping.
- Presentation: posture, focus, spacing on the stage and suitable costume and shoes show command of the routine from the first sound to the last.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Straight Tap under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Straight Tap
How entrants and their teachers usually get Straight Tap right on the day:
- Practise with a metronome or a plain backing track until each tap sounds the same; record yourself and listen with the picture turned away.
- Drill the basic sounds on their own (heel drops, shuffles, flaps, ball changes) before chaining them, and fix the weakest one first.
- Choose a routine you can dance cleanly every time; a simple routine executed precisely beats a busy one with uneven taps.
- Plan the dynamics: mark where the routine is quiet, where it builds and where it lands its biggest accent, and rehearse those moments deliberately.
- Run the full three-minute routine twice in a row, then once in costume and shoes, so stamina and nerves do not change the sound on the day.
- Check your shoes before you go on: loose screws or a different floor change the sound, so allow time to warm up and test a few steps if the organiser permits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Straight Tap judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between straight tap and speed tap?
Straight tap is danced to a steady, even pulse and is judged on level sounds and exact timing. Speed tap is built around a fast tempo and judged on clean footwork at pace. They are separate sections on the template, so a dancer can enter both.
Is straight tap the same as slow tap?
Not on this template. Slow Tap is its own section at an unhurried tempo, while Straight Tap is defined by its steady, even pulse. Some other syllabuses combine them as Slow/Straight Tap, which eTalenter holds as a separate item.
How long can a straight tap routine be?
The October eisteddfod template and the city eisteddfod template set a three-minute limit. The studio-competition template that also carries the item sets no time limit.
Is straight tap judged individually or as a team?
Both are possible. The solo age groups and Star groups are individual entries marked out of 100, and the Duo/Trio group is a team entry. The adjudicator's own sheet decides the marks because the syllabus prints no criteria.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Straight Tap in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Straight Tap, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
