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How to Do the Eleanor Powell Cramp Roll in Tap Dancing

Eleanor Powell was an American film actress and dancer in the 1930s and 1940s. She was considered the world's greatest tap dancer because of her footwork, which was likened to a machine gun. Powell started out as a chorus-line dancer; however, she ended up appearing in films with the leading men of the time. The Eleanor Powell Cramp Roll is done to the musical count of "a 1 and a 2," which is an eighth-note triplet count. If the count were "1 2 3 4," one step would be done per count; however, when doing close footwork, such as a cramp roll, in which the rapid succession of heel drops is required, the dancer makes several taps to a beat. Think of a machine-gun sound or a drum roll: "da-da-da-da-da," with the emphasis on the "1" and "2" counts.

Things You'll Need

  • Tap shoes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Brush forward on your left foot to the right on the count of "a." When you brush, you brush the ball (not the heel) of your foot against the floor.

    • 2

      Step on your left foot next to your right foot on the count of "1."

    • 3

      Drop your right toe on the count of "and." As you drop your toe, turn your right foot slightly outward. A toe drop is a toe tap to the back. This means you must lift up your right foot and jab or drop your right toe against the floor and to the back.

    • 4

      Drop your left heel on the count of "a," then drop your right heel on the count of "2." When you drop your heel, your heel tap strikes the floor. It helps tremendously if you are dancing on the balls of your feet, with your heels already lifted.

    • 5

      Put together the steps to the Eleanor Powell Cramp Roll: Brush front, step, toe drop (turn toe outward), heel drop, heel drop. The count: "a 1 and a 2."

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Tap Dance

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