A tap dance section in which the entrant or group chooses the tap style, music and choreography for a routine of up to three minutes (solos) or five minutes (troupes), marked out of 100.
Tap Any Style is the open tap section of a dance programme. Instead of prescribing a sub-style such as rhythm tap, musical-theatre tap or a technical exercise, the organiser lets the dancer or group decide how to use the shoes: a crisp rhythm routine, a character piece in the Broadway manner, a percussive floor-sound piece with minimal melody, or a blend. It exists so that tap dancers are not forced into a narrow definition and so that small fields do not have to be divided into several tap sections with one or two entries each.
A round is one routine, announced, danced to the entrant's own music on a sprung or tap-suitable floor and judged as it happens. Because the style is open, the adjudicator first identifies what the dancer set out to do and then asks how well it was done: whether the taps are clear and in time with the music, whether weight is placed accurately, whether the choreography fits the ability of the dancers, and whether the routine finishes inside the time limit. The sound of the feet is part of the performance, so a clean, audible rhythm counts for as much as what the dancer looks like.
On the larger template that carries it, the section runs as solos in seven age divisions (6 and under up to 16 and under, plus Open Age) at up to three minutes each, and as small and large troupes in the same seven divisions at up to five minutes. Boys and girls compete together, no spoken language is needed, and every entry is marked out of 100. An entry is typically a single piece with a clear opening, a build and a deliberate finish, not a string of unrelated steps.
Organisers run an open tap section because it welcomes studios with different teaching traditions on the same day, and because the results remain comparable: whatever the style, the panel is marking the same things, namely technique, sound, musicality and performance.
Where Tap Any Style is run
The section appears on four dance templates in the library, all dance festivals of the eisteddfod type in Australia, where an Any Style tap class sits beside named sections such as Jazz, Lyrical and Classical Ballet. Troupe lengths and score limits differ slightly between them: the larger template allows three minutes for solos and five for troupes, while another sets four minutes for its team entries. Tap itself is taught and competed worldwide, but this page describes the open-style class as the templates in the library define it.
- Australia
Key facts
- An open-style tap section: the entrant chooses the tap style, music and choreography.
- Format on the larger template: solos in seven divisions (6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and Open Age), plus small and large troupes in the same seven divisions. Solos and troupes are judged separately.
- Time limits on that template: 3 minutes for solos, 5 minutes for troupes, marked out of 100 under the label Marks. Other templates use 3, 4 or 5 minutes depending on the entry type.
- Boys and girls compete together and no spoken language is required.
- The templates print no judging criteria for this item, so none are installed; the adjudicator's own sheet decides.
- Idea starters, not rules: a solo that begins in silence and adds the music gradually, a troupe piece built on a call-and-response between two lines, or a routine that changes tempo once and returns to the opening phrase.
On eTalenter, Tap Any Style is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 4 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Tap Any Style is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 3–5 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Tap Any Style
What a Tap Any Style panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Technique: clean, even taps, accurate weight changes and controlled shuffles and flaps; muddy or dragged sounds lose marks quickly.
- Rhythm and timing: steps land on the beat or deliberately against it, and troupe sounds are together, not scattered.
- Musicality: the choreography uses the phrasing and accents of the chosen music instead of simply running over it.
- Performance and presence: focus, facial expression and spacing, with troupes keeping formations and lines tidy.
- Suitability and difficulty: the routine challenges the dancers without exceeding what they can do cleanly, and stays within the time limit.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Tap Any Style under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Tap Any Style
How entrants and their teachers usually get Tap Any Style right on the day:
- Choose music with a clear pulse so the audience can hear the taps; a loud, busy track can bury the sound of the feet.
- Build the routine around two or three strong phrases and repeat them with variation instead of filling the time with unconnected steps.
- Rehearse on the same kind of floor you will compete on, because tap sound changes noticeably between surfaces.
- Time the routine with the music from the first step to the last pose; over-running can cost marks.
- For troupes, clean the unison first: record a rehearsal and listen with the picture off to find where sounds drift apart.
- Check your shoes, tap screws and any music file before the day, and have the track on a second device in case the first fails.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tap Any Style judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What does 'any style' mean in a tap section?
The entrant chooses the approach, for example rhythm tap, musical-theatre tap or a mix. The adjudicator judges how well the chosen idea is carried out, not whether it matches one prescribed style.
How long can a Tap Any Style routine be?
On the larger template, up to three minutes for solos and five minutes for troupes. Other templates that carry the item use their own limits, so check your programme.
Are solos and troupes judged together?
No. They are separate entries in separate age divisions, each marked out of 100.
Can I use my own music?
Own music is the normal arrangement for an open section, but always follow your organiser's rules on how music is submitted.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Tap Any Style in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Tap Any Style, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
