Kahnotation (U+EDA0–U+EDFF)
| Glyph | Description | Glyph | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| | U+EDA0 kahnStep Step |
| U+EDA1 kahnTap Tap |
| | U+EDA2 kahnHop Hop |
| U+EDA3 kahnLeap Leap |
| | U+EDA4 kahnJumpTogether Jump-together |
| U+EDA5 kahnJumpApart Jump-apart |
| | U+EDA6 kahnBrushForward Brush-forward |
| U+EDA7 kahnBrushBackward Brush-backward |
| | U+EDA8 kahnGraceTap Grace-tap |
| U+EDA9 kahnFlat Flat |
| | U+EDAA kahnHeel Heel |
| U+EDAB kahnToe Toe |
| | U+EDAC kahnKneeOutward Knee-outward |
| U+EDAD kahnKneeInward Knee-inward |
| | U+EDAE kahnScrape Scrape |
| U+EDAF kahnTrench Trench |
| | U+EDB0 kahnFleaHop Flea-hop |
| U+EDB1 kahnFleaTap Flea-tap |
| | U+EDB2 kahnDrawStep Draw-step |
| U+EDB3 kahnDrawTap Draw-tap |
| | U+EDB4 kahnSlideStep Slide-step |
| U+EDB5 kahnSlideTap Slide-tap |
| | U+EDB6 kahnHeelDrop Heel-drop |
| U+EDB7 kahnToeDrop Toe-drop |
| | U+EDB8 kahnClap Clap |
| U+EDB9 kahnSnap Snap |
| | U+EDBA kahnDoubleSnap Double-snap |
| U+EDBB kahnHeelClick Heel-click |
| | U+EDBC kahnToeClick Toe-click |
| U+EDBD kahnLeftCross Left-cross |
| | U+EDBE kahnRightCross Right-cross |
| U+EDBF kahnLeftCatch Left-catch |
| | U+EDC0 kahnRightCatch Right-catch |
| U+EDC1 kahnLeftToeStrike Left-toe-strike |
| | U+EDC2 kahnRightToeStrike Right-toe-strike |
| U+EDC3 kahnStamp Stamp |
| | U+EDC4 kahnHeelStep Heel-step |
| U+EDC5 kahnToeStep Toe-step |
| | U+EDC6 kahnBallChange Ball-change |
| U+EDC7 kahnStepStamp Step-stamp |
| | U+EDC8 kahnStampStamp Stamp-stamp |
| U+EDC9 kahnHeelChange Heel-change |
| | U+EDCA kahnStomp Stomp |
| U+EDCB kahnHeelTap Heel-tap |
| | U+EDCC kahnToeTap Toe-tap |
| U+EDCD kahnBallDig Ball-dig |
| | U+EDCE kahnSlam Slam |
| U+EDCF kahnFlam Flam |
| | U+EDD0 kahnGraceTapHop Grace-tap-hop |
| U+EDD1 kahnGraceTapChange Grace-tap-change |
| | U+EDD2 kahnLeapFlatFoot Leap-flat-foot |
| U+EDD3 kahnGraceTapStamp Grace-tap-stamp |
| | U+EDD4 kahnLeapHeelClick Leap-heel-click |
| U+EDD5 kahnFlap Flap |
| | U+EDD6 kahnRip Rip |
| U+EDD7 kahnFlapStep Flap-step |
| | U+EDD8 kahnBackFlap Back-flap |
| U+EDD9 kahnSlap Slap |
| | U+EDDA kahnBackRip Back-rip |
| U+EDDB kahnStompBrush Stomp-brush |
| | U+EDDC kahnScuff Scuff |
| U+EDDD kahnChug Chug |
| | U+EDDE kahnPush Push |
| U+EDDF kahnZink Zink |
| | U+EDE0 kahnRiff Riff |
| U+EDE1 kahnBackRiff Back-riff |
| | U+EDE2 kahnBackChug Back-chug |
| U+EDE3 kahnPull Pull |
| | U+EDE4 kahnZank Zank |
| U+EDE5 kahnShuffle Shuffle |
| | U+EDE6 kahnScuffle Scuffle |
| U+EDE7 kahnRiffle Riffle |
| | U+EDE8 kahnRipple Ripple |
| U+EDE9 kahnWing Wing |
| | U+EDEA kahnWingChange Wing-change |
| U+EDEB kahnDoubleWing Double-wing |
| | U+EDEC kahnOverTheTop Over-the-top |
| U+EDED kahnOverTheTopTap Over-the-top-tap |
| | U+EDEE kahnLeftFoot Left-foot |
| U+EDEF kahnRightFoot Right-foot |
| | U+EDF0 kahnLeftTurn Left-turn |
| U+EDF1 kahnRightTurn Right-turn |
Implementation notes
Tap dancing is a unique form of dance because its actions are intended to produce a variety of percussive sounds. Tap dancers frequently perform as musicians in an ensemble; sometimes as vocalists or instrumentalists. These percussive sounds are integral to the musical performance, and on occasion the rationale for the song's composition.
Feet and hand movements are precisely timed in a fashion similar to drummers, creating unique percussive sounds through intricate body movements. A dance movement can produce multiple sounds. The method of percussion also creates timbre, variability of impulse, attack, and decay. An example comparison would be a drummer's "rim shot" and the Tap dancers' "Stomp".
Kahnotation was developed in the 1930s by Stanley Kahn and was published in 1951, making it the second oldest dance notation in continual use. Stanley Kahn is considered a legend in the tap community, recognized as such by the International Tap Association for having created Kahnotation and for having taught tap dance for sixty years until his death in 1995. The notation has been used in training and choreography for decades.