This paper presents the development of the TED (Tap Encoding Decoding) program with results and reflections on its usage. TED is a program to be used in partnership with a tap dancer for decoding tap dancing audio. To perform with TED, a tap dancer must execute their dance with steps that encode Morse code. This paper will elaborate on the processes by which TED was developed, including methodologies such as audio signal peak detection for tap dancing and audio decoding analysis. We also explore the relationship developed between the dancer and TED during experimentation and live performance. We draw upon notions of extended and embodied cognition to explain observations regarding the dancer's feedback driven adaptations to TED's outputs during their performance. The programmatic constraints introduced during partnership with TED result in novel choreographic challenges and impose atypical structure in improvisation, leading to unusual performance characteristics.
