Military-Tap Routines & Techniques

Tap Dance Research N° 11 - Military Tap - all there is to know about this style. Techniques, combinations, routines & full documentation
a Victor Cuno tap research book

last update: June 5, 2017     

contents
    
Military-Tap - a style on it’s own    p. 10
The Military B.S-Chorus    p. 11
Military-Tap in Black Showbusiness    p. 14
The Black Military B.S-Chorus    p. 14

About Rolls in Tap Dancing     p. 17
    a) Repertoire of Roll-Techniques    p. 17
    b) Repertoire of Roll-Patterns    p. 19
Starting and Finishing Rolls in Combinations
    Starting Rolls    p. 21
    Bill Robinson and his Triple-Roll    p. 26
    Starting with a Cramproll    p. 36
    Finishing Rolls    p. 38
Presentation of the Combinations:
1 / Roll-Intro 1    
    a & b) various set-ups    p. 45
    c) 4-bar combinations (variations)    p. 49
1a / The Syncopated Roll-Intro    
    various individual contributions    p. 49
1b / The Black Roll-Intro    
    various individual contributions    p. 52
2 / Roll-Intro 2    
    a to d) various set-ups    p. 53
3 / The 4-count Pattern
    Repertoire of 4-count Patterns:        
    a) as used in Roll-Intro 2    p. 56
    b) as used in Buck-Dancing: with Intro-Roll Change / Shuffle-Roll    p. 56
        Double-Wing / Stair-Dance Roll (Bill Robinson) / Snatch-Roll
        Furniture-Rolls: forward - sideways - back    
    c) 4-count Pattern & Syncopation    p. 58
4 / The various set-ups of Roll-Combinations    
    a / 4-bar Combinations:    p. 61
    a1 / SHORT-SHORT / LONG
    a2 / SHORT-SHORT / Break: variation
    a3 / SHORT-SHORT / Break: Roll + 6 sounds on the beat
    a4 / SLOW TEMPO (6/8-time): SHORT-SHORT / Break: variation
    b / 8-bar Combinations:        p. 65
    b1 / SHORT-SHORT / LONG / SHORT-SHORT / Break
    b2 / LONG / LONG / SHORT-SHORT / Break - or 2-2-4 Pattern
    c / 4 bars: 2-2-4 Pattern & Break (Eleanor Powell)
5 / Just Rolls (Roll-Through)
    Shuffle-Rolls / Double-Wings (Robinson)    p. 67
6 / Close-To-The-Floor Cramproll
    Eleanor Powell / Ann Miller: Roll-Through / 2-3-3 Combinations    p. 69
7 / The Military Time-Step
    a) technique    p. 73
    b) listing of the Patterns    p. 74
    c) listing of the 2-bar Combinations    p. 75
    d) presentation of all existing set-ups    p. 76
    e) Military Time-Step set-up: full presentation     p. 81
    f / Playin’ Around > un-square Patterns    p. 88
    g / like a Military Time-Step > Alternative Technique    p. 93
8 / The Syncopated Military Time-Step    
    Introduction    p. 96
    4-count Pattern and Full-Break / 4-bar Set-Ups    p. 97
    Arthur Duncan    p. 100
9 / 2-count Intro-Rolls    p. 107
10 / The Machine-Gun
    a) general information    p. 110
    b) listing of the Patterns & Rolls    p. 112
    c) presentation of the 2-bar Combinations    p. 115
    d) presentation of the 4-bar Combinations    p. 117
    e) favorite 8-bar set-ups    p. 120
    f) special rhythms    p. 124
    g) Buck-Dance variation    p. 127
    h) Time-Step Combination    p. 128
    i) Time-Step Combination with Shuffle-Roll-5    p. 130
    j) Up-Tempo Offbeat version    p. 132
11 / Soldier    p. 135
12 / The Bandy-Twist    p. 136

B / The Routines
part 1 / The Military B.S.-Chorus
unidentified male solo "Military & Buck Routine » a cappella    p. 137
from «Howdy Broadway» (Ryart Pictures Corporation, October 16, 1929)
James Cagney & Ruby Keeler "Shanghai Lil"    p. 142
from "Footlight Parade" (Warner Bros.,  September 30, 1933)
Ruby Keeler solo "Military & Buck Routine"    p. 144
Cosmopolitan Productions (Warner Brothers, Oct. 12, 1935)
George Taps & Virginia Mc Naughton "At The Baby Parade"    p. 151
from "Little Jack Little" (Vitaphone, release 1617, September 1933)
The Fanchonettes “Anchors Aweigh”    p. 160
from "Pirate Party on Catalina Isle" (MGM,  November 21, 1935)
Sybil Jason & Girl Chorus “Changing Of The Guards”    p. 163
(Vitaphone, June 6, 1936)
Girl Chorus "Girls On Rooftop"    p. 170
helvetica normal / from "Oh ! Les Girls" (A. Halimi, french TV -  VCA DVD)
italics / “Broadway - The American Musical”, episode 1: Give My regards to Broadway
Danny Lipton's Nautical (Military Buck-Routine)    p. 173
from “Stepping Out” (Pathetone, October 5, 1939)
Ridgeway Step Clog «The Marley Military Drum Roll»
YouTubeClip «Clogfest 2008 Ridgeway Step Clog - Marley Military Drum Roll»    p. 178
Ann Schley Duggan «Military»    p. 179
from her book "Tap Dances" (A.S. Barnes, New York, 1932)

part 2 / Chorus-Routines
"Hollywood Revue of 1929"    p. 183
(MGM, June 20,1929) dance director: Sammy Lee
    Marion Davies & chorus "Tommy Atkins On Parade”
    1) in front of the guard / 2) Tap on top of huge drum
    Girl- Chorus  "Strike Up The Band"
The Radio City Rockettes (as the Russell Markert Girls)
 "Happy Feet"        p. 192
choreographer: Russel Markert
from "The King Of Jazz" (Universal, April 20, 1930)
The Tiller Sunshine Girls "Whistling The Blues Away"    p. 196
 from "Half Shot At Sunrise" (RKO, October 4, 1930) DVD
Girl Chorus “Strike Up The Band”    p. 199
“... the buck dance” from a rehearsal of the Gershwin show (1930)
from "Oh ! Les Girls" (A. Halimi, french TV -  VCA DVD)
Girl Chorus «British Production Number 1930»    p. 201
(film not yet identified)
Nora Jackson Girls «When The Guards Go By»    p. 207
«Now meet the famous Norah Jackson Dancers - from 'Femmes de Paris' Revue,
in a fast-stepping number»
British Pathé, February 22, 1932
Male Chorus «Military Tap»    p. 214
«Bye-Gones» (Vitaphone, January 14, 1933)
Girl Chorus «New Deal Rhythm»    p. 218
(Paramount, 1933)
Chorus (Children)  «The Leader Of The Band»    p. 221
«She Shall Have Music» Julius Hagen Prod., UK, 1935)
Girl Chorus "Broadway Highlights N°6"    p. 223
(Paramount, April 3, 1936)
Sherman Fisher Girls “Let's All Go Up in the Sky”    p. 226
from “Cavalcade of Variety “ (UK, 1941) DVD
probably token from “Variety Parade” (UK, 1936)
12 Boys in line "Doin’ Their Bit"    p. 228
Our Gang (MGM, July 18, 1942) dances staged by Bud Murray

part 3 / individual routines
Pat Rich "Tiny Steps By Pat Rich”    p. 231
Pathetone Weekly (Newsreel, British Pathe, August 31, 1931)
Dorothy Lee "Plane Crazy"    p. 238
(Vitaphone, December 23, 1933)
Johnny Downs & Betty Burgess “Smooth Sailing”    p. 242
from «Pirate Party on Catalina Isle» (MGM,  November 21, 1935)
Eleanor Powell «Swingin'The Jinx Away»    p. 244
from «Born To Dance» (MGM, Nov. 23, 1936)
Ann Miller «Chirp A Little Ditty»    p. 247
from «The Life Of The Party» (RKO , September 3, 1937)
Eddie Rochester Anderson «Drums In The Night»    p. 249
from «Buck Benny Rides Again» (Paramount, May 3, 1940)
Danny Lipton's Militaires    p. 254
Pathetone (Newsreel, British Pathe, July 3, 1941)
Ann Miller «Spangles On My Tights»    p. 257
from «True To The Army» (Paramount, March 21, 1942)    
The Four Step Brothers «Military Tap»    p. 266
from «When Johnny Comes Marching Home» (Universal, December 24, 1942)
Jean Aloise «Anchors Aweigh»    p. 274
from "I’ll Tell The World" (Universal, June 8, 1945)
Gene Nelson & Boys “Toy Trumpet”    p. 278
from "The West Point Story" (Warner Bros., November 25,1950)
Ray Bolger «Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers»    p. 283
from the Ray Bolger Show "Where's Raymond" (1950s)
Gene Kelly & Boys  "Kelly Of The USA"    p. 285
from the TV Show “Pontiac Star Parade” (1959)
Bobby Riha "Jack And The Beanstalk"    p. 293
(Hanna-Barbera, 26 February 1967
Duncan / Imel / Burgess «Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers»    p. 295
from a Lawrence Welk Show (1967)    
Gene Kelly & Kids «Anchors Aweigh»    p. 298
from «An American In Pasadena» TV Special 1978

part 4 / military bits and pieces
Eleanor Powell «Sunshowers»    p. 304
from the finale of «Broadway Melody of 1938» (MGM, August 20, 1937)
Eleanor Powell «Lady Be Good»    p. 305
from «Lady Be Good» (MGM, September 1, 1941)
Gene Kelly with Boy & Girl "Yankee Doodle Dandy"    p. 306
from "Living In A Big Way"  (MGM, June 10, 1947)
Fred Astaire «Drum Crazy»    p. 307
from «Easter Parade» (MGM, June 30, 1948)
Gene Kelly & Kids "I Got Rhythm"    p. 308
from «An American In Paris» (MGM, Sept. 5, 1951)
Peg Leg Bates    p. 310
from a not yet identified Ed Sullivan Show (1950s)

part 5 / “Military Man” & the Oral Tradition
Shirley Temple, Alice Faye & Jack Haley "Military Man"    p. 312
from “Poor Little Rich Girl” (20th Century Fox,  July 24, 1936) DVD
choreography: Ralph Cooper
2 not identified male black dancers  "Pot O' Gold"    p. 329
(James Roosevelt Productions, April 3,1941)
Charles “Cookie” Cook “Military Steps”    p. 330
as learned by the author through Heather Cornell
Leon Collins “Military Routine”    p. 332
as learned by the author through C.B. Hetherington
The Maceo Tradition «The Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers»    p. 336
«This was a Stage-Routine of the Four Step Brothers»
as learned by the author through Ivery Wheeler (Paris, July 2012)

part 6 / Routines from early Tap-Books
Edith Ballwebber «Drum Taps»    p. 343
from her book "Tap Dancing" (Clayton F. Summy Co., Chicago, 1930), p. 64    
Dexter Wright "Military Tap Dance"    p. 346
from his book “Tap Dancing: A Method for Teaching and Recording”
(1931, copyright by the author)
Marguerite Judd «Military»    p. 349
from her book «TAP DANCING - with a musical note for every tap"
The Woman's Press, New York, N.Y, 1935
Ernest Carlos "March Of The Siamese"    p. 351
from his album "Tips On Taps"
(Edward B.Marks Music Corporation, New York, 1937)
Hermione Sauthoff «Military Tap»    p. 354
from her book "Tap Dance For Fun" (A.S. Barnes, New York, 1941)

C / The Technical Doc
1 / Roll Combinations
    a / Furniture Rolls     p. 357
    b / 4-Rolls     p. 362
2 / Starting & Finishing Rolls
    a / Starting Rolls   p. 365
    b / Finishing Rolls   p. 372
    c / Mixed Combination with Rolls    p. 377
3 / Roll-Intro 1
    a / listing of the documents        p. 379
    b / documents                            p. 381
4 / Roll-Intro 2
    a / listing of the documents        p. 392
    b / documents                            p. 393
5 / Black Roll-Intro
    a / listing & documents               p. 398
6 / Roll-Combinations
    listing of the documents              p. 401
    a / 4-count Pattern                      p. 405
    b / 4-bar set-up                           p. 407
    c / 8-bar set-up                           p. 413
    d / 4-count Pattern - 6/8-time     p. 417
    e / Other Rolls                            p. 419
7 / Just Rolls (Roll-Through)
    listing of the documents             p. 420
    a / 2-bars + Time-Step Break / variations    p. 402
    b / 6-bars + Time-Step Break / variations    p. 425
8 / Close-To-The-Floor Cramproll
    Eleanor Powell / Ann Miller: Roll-Through / 2-3-3 Combinations        p. 434
9 / The Military Time-Step
    a / listing of the documents > SINGLE Military Time-Step        p. 445
    documents      p. 449
    b / listing of the documents > DOUBLE Military Time-Step        p. 468
    documents      p. 475
    b1 / listing of the documents > Alternative Technique            p. 511
    documents      p. 512

10 / The Syncopated Military Time-Step
    a / listing of the documents > Syncopated Military Time-Step        p. 521
    documents        p. 525
    Syncopated Military Combination     p. 548
11 / The Machine-Gun
    a / listing of the documents     p. 550
    b / documents > 2-count / 4-count Roll > all combinations        p. 554
12 / The Machine-Gun: 4-count Roll & Time-Step
    a / listing of the documents     p. 581
    b / documents > 2-count / 4-count Roll > all combinations        p. 582
13 / The Machine-Gun: Roll-Through
    a / listing of the documents      p. 552
    b / documents      p. 593
14 / Machine-Gun Change (Buck-Dance Variation)
    a / listing of the documents        p. 590
    b / documents                            p. 593
15 / Machine-Gun (Offbeat Up-Tempo)
    a / listing of the documents        p. 611
    b / documents                            p. 612
16 / Soldier
    a / listing of the documents        p. 622
    b / documents                            p. 623
17 / The Bandy-Twist                
    a / listing of the documents        p. 629
    b / documents                            p. 630