Song & Tap Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A solo dance section in which one performer sings and tap dances in the same routine, listed among the theatrical solos of a charity dance competition in New South Wales, Australia.

Song & Tap is a theatrical solo in which one performer sings and tap dances at the same time. The song is the spine of the routine and the feet are its percussion: the taps answer the lyric, mark the beat of the chorus and fill the gaps between lines. It is closely related to a plain tap solo and to a song and dance solo, but it asks for something neither of them does on its own. A tap dancer can concentrate on the floor, and a song and dance performer can move freely; in Song & Tap the dancer must keep a steady, audible rhythm in the feet while the breath, pitch and words stay under control.

In the edition behind this page the section is one of twelve solo sections that every age division can enter, grouped by technique. Song & Tap sits in the theatrical group, beside Song & Dance, Voiceover, Musical Theatre and Tap. The divisions are Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Open Age (16 and over), with age counted on 1 January of the competition year. A dancer must enter the division that matches their age, may choose an older one, but then cannot return to their own or a younger division in that discipline. Boys and girls compete together, and the committee may combine divisions if entries are low.

A round is one performer on the stage floor. The dancer is announced, takes a starting position and performs a prepared routine to an uploaded music track. Because the performer is singing, the track is normally a backing track and the live voice carries the melody; the handbook behind this page does not print a rule on whether vocals may be pre-recorded, so entrants should check the current rules before choosing a track. The same handbook does not print a time limit for the section, so none is asserted here.

Organisers include Song & Tap because it gives the strongest musical-theatre performers a place to show a skill that is hard to fake. It rewards dancers who have trained in tap, voice and acting together, it is popular with audiences, and it lets a competition offer a theatrical option that is not just another jazz or lyrical routine. Teachers use it to stretch pupils who already do well in Tap and Song & Dance.

Where Song & Tap is run

In eTalenter’s data the exact title Song & Tap is carried by one template: a charity dance competition in New South Wales, Australia, which lists it beside Song & Dance, Voiceover, Musical Theatre, Tap, Classical, Demi Character, Neo Classical, Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop and a Champion Dancer section. Two other dance templates in the data list a Song & Tap Solo section and one lists a Song & Tap Group section, all in Australian dance festivals, but those are separate titles with their own rules and this page does not describe them. Singing and tap dancing in one act is a staple of musical theatre and variety stages worldwide; this page describes the item only as that one edition runs it.

• Australia

Key facts

• Solo only: this edition prints solo sections only, with no duo, trio or group Song & Tap. Boys and girls compete together and no language is set.
• Theatrical technique group: Song & Tap sits with Song & Dance, Voiceover, Musical Theatre and Tap among the twelve solo sections every age division can enter.
• Seven age divisions: Under 6 (the template installs ages 3 to 5), Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Open Age (16 and over), with age counted on 1 January.
• Dancers may enter any of the solo sections, so one dancer can enter Song & Tap alongside Tap or Song & Dance, plus the separate Champion Dancer section in their age group.
• The handbook prints no time limit, no judging criteria, no marks and no placings for the section, so the template carries a score out of 100 that the adjudicator fills in.
• Music is uploaded online before the day and every entry is labelled with the routine and the dancer’s name; a wristband must be worn at all times at the event.

On eTalenter, Song & Tap is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Song & Tap is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Song & Tap

What a Song & Tap panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Tap technique: clear, even sounds, clean weight changes, control of shuffles, flaps and time steps, and taps that land exactly on the beat. Sloppy or muffled taps are the first thing a panel hears in a song-and-tap routine.
• Singing quality: a secure pitch, an audible voice, and words that can be understood while the feet are working hard. Breath control is tested most at the busiest steps, so the voice that stays steady there earns the credit.
• Coordination of voice and feet: the two parts must be locked together. When the taps and the lyric drift apart, the routine feels like two acts in the same costume rather than one.
• Musicality and phrasing: taps that answer the lyric, accents that fall on the meaning of the words, and rests that let the song breathe. A routine that taps through every beat with no variation usually scores lower than one that shapes the music.
• Performance and storytelling: a clear character or mood, a face that matches the song, and a beginning, build and ending. This is a theatrical section, so a flat delivery loses marks even when the technique is sound.
• Staging and finish: confident use of the floor, a costume and shoes that allow movement, and a routine that ends with a held final pose rather than trailing off.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Song & Tap under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Song & Tap

How entrants and their teachers usually get Song & Tap right on the day:

• Choose a song that fits the voice and the feet. A tune in a comfortable key with a clear pulse is easier to tap to than a ballad, and a lyric the performer understands is easier to act. Check the current rules on backing tracks and pre-recorded vocals before cutting the music.
• Learn the song and the steps separately first. Week one: sing the song until the breath plan is automatic. Week two: lay the tap steps over the instrumental. Week three: join the two at half speed. Week four onward: build to full pace and rehearse the whole routine many times.
• Mark the breaths in the lyric and plan the hardest steps for the long notes or the instrumental gaps, not for the middle of a line. If a step steals the breath, simplify the step before shortening the phrase.
• Practise on a hard floor with the exact tap shoes and the same sound system if possible. A routine that sounds clean on carpet or in socks can sound very different on a stage board.
• Rehearse the entrance and the stopping point. The performer should be ready to start on cue, hold the opening pose and finish on a clear last beat.
• Film a run-through and watch it with the sound on. Check three things: are the taps in time with the track, can the words be heard, and does the performer look as though they are enjoying it.
• Ideas, not rules (ways to keep practice fresh): sing the whole song while marching in place before adding steps; tap the lyric rhythm on a table to find where the accents fall; ask a singing teacher and a tap teacher to watch the same run-through and compare notes.

Frequently asked questions

Is Song & 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 Song & Tap and Song & Dance?

In the edition covered here both are theatrical solos in which the performer sings while moving. Song & Dance can use any style of movement, while Song & Tap is built around tap dance, so the feet are part of the rhythm section. Because they are separate sections, a dancer may enter both with different songs.

Is Song & Tap the same as the Tap section?

No. Tap is a dance-only solo judged on the footwork and the music, while Song & Tap adds a vocal that must be sung as the taps are danced. The two are listed as separate sections in the same theatrical group, so a dancer can enter either or both.

How long can a Song & Tap routine be?

The handbook behind this page prints no time limit for the section, and the rules page that would normally list one is not part of the published file. Check the current entry information for the time limit before choosing the music.

Which age divisions can enter Song & Tap?

Every age division in the edition covered here: Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Open Age (16 and over), with age counted on 1 January. A dancer enters the division that matches their age or an older one, but cannot move back down afterwards in that discipline.

Is there a published marking scheme for Song & Tap?

No. The handbook prints no marking scale, judging criteria or points for the section. The template carries a score out of 100 that the adjudicator fills in, and the advice on this page is general guidance on what song-and-tap judges usually weigh.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.