NAEP Tap Dance 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a 'wing' in tap dance?
- A turn performed with arms outstretched
- A jump where the feet brush outward and land producing multiple sounds (Correct answer)
- A slow slide across the stage floor
- A handstand variation used in advanced routines
Correct answer: A jump where the feet brush outward and land producing multiple sounds
A wing is an advanced aerial move where the dancer jumps, brushes both feet outward, and lands while the taps produce a series of sounds.
Question 2: Irish step dancing contributed which specific element to the development of American tap dance?
- The use of metal taps on shoes
- Intricate footwork patterns and jig rhythms
- The arms-at-sides performance posture and rigid upper body (Correct answer)
- Wooden clog shoes worn during performances
Correct answer: The arms-at-sides performance posture and rigid upper body
Irish step dance contributed the rigid upper body with arms held at the sides, which blended with African percussive footwork to help form early tap dance.
Question 3: When evaluating a tap dance performance, which element relates to how clearly individual sounds can be distinguished?
- Dynamics
- Clarity or articulation (Correct answer)
- Spatial awareness
- Costumes and staging
Correct answer: Clarity or articulation
Clarity or articulation refers to how precisely and distinctly each tap sound is produced, reflecting technical skill and rhythmic precision.
Question 4: What is the term for a tap sequence where the dancer performs fast, complex rhythms using very small, controlled foot movements close to the floor?
- Buck and wing
- Close-to-the-floor or 'low down' style (Correct answer)
- Aerial tap
- Legomania
Correct answer: Close-to-the-floor or 'low down' style
Low-down or close-to-the-floor style emphasizes fast, subtle footwork kept near the floor, maximizing rhythmic complexity without large jumps.
Question 5: Which term describes two sounds produced by a single foot brushing forward (spank) and then stepping down (step)?
- Shuffle
- Flap (Correct answer)
- Riff
- Slap
Correct answer: Flap
A flap consists of a forward brush (spank) followed immediately by a weight-bearing step, producing two connected sounds with one foot.
Question 6: In the context of arts education, what does NAEP measure when assessing students' understanding of tap dance as part of its arts framework?
- Students' ability to perform tap routines physically
- Students' creating, performing, and responding abilities in relation to dance (Correct answer)
- The number of tap styles students can name from memory
- Students' preference for tap over other dance forms
Correct answer: Students' creating, performing, and responding abilities in relation to dance
NAEP's arts framework assesses three artistic processes: creating, performing/presenting, and responding, applied to disciplines including dance.
Question 7: What is 'Legomania,' associated with tap dancer Onstage Taps (and historically with Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates)?
- A style of tap performed while building prop structures
- A specialty act featuring unusually flexible or novelty leg movements to comedic effect (Correct answer)
- A tap style originating in Lego, Denmark
- A competition format where dancers perform in pairs
Correct answer: A specialty act featuring unusually flexible or novelty leg movements to comedic effect
Legomania refers to a specialty novelty act that features exaggerated, rubbery, or eccentric leg and foot movements for comedic and theatrical effect.
NAEP Tap Dance 5
What is the purpose of a 'wing' in tap dance?