Tap dance

Tap dance uses your feet to make music.

You wear special shoes with metal on them. The metal makes sounds when you hit the floor. These sounds can be a beat for a song.

This dance came from many different lands. It mixed dance styles from Africa and Europe. People used these steps to make new rhythms. It grew to be a popular show.

There are two main ways to tap. One way is for big stage shows. This is called Broadway tap. The other way is for jazz music. This is called rhythm tap.

Rhythm dancers focus on the music. Some dancers are called hoofers. They stay close to the floor. They use their feet to make complex sounds.

Tap dance is a fun art. Many people love to dance and tap together.

Tap dance is a fun way to make music.

Dancers use special shoes to strike the floor. These shoes have metal taps on the heel and toe. The metal makes sounds like a drum. Sometimes dancers use music. Other times, the tap sounds are the only music. This is called a cappella tap.

This dance grew from many cultures. It mixed African rhythms with Irish and European steps. In the 1800s, it became a popular stage show. There are two main styles today. Broadway tap is used in big musical shows. It uses high heels and showy moves. Rhythm tap focuses on jazz music.

Dancers who focus on footwork are called hoofers. They stay close to the floor to make complex sounds. Some hoofers use improvisation. This means they make up the moves as they dance.

Tap dance has many famous stars. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was a world-famous dancer. The Nicholas Brothers were known for acrobatic moves. Today, people still love tap. Some even make tap operas to tell long stories.

Tap dance is a unique American art form. It uses the sounds of shoes hitting the floor as percussion.

This means the dancer is also a musician. Sometimes the dance happens with music playing. Other times, the dancer performs "a cappella." This means the taps are the only music. Tap dance grew alongside jazz music. It is a way to express rhythm through movement. People love it because it combines skill with sound.

To make these sounds, dancers wear special shoes. These shoes have metal taps on the heel and toe.

Some shoes have a full sole. Other shoes have a split sole. A split sole has a gap under the arch. This makes the shoe more flexible for the foot. The heels are often made of wood or stacked leather. Some beginners use heels made of plastic. Dancers use many steps like heel drops and toe taps. They also use complex patterns called time steps.

Tap dance has a long and blended history. It began by mixing different dance traditions. It combined African rhythms with Irish and European steps.

These traditions included the African juba and the Irish jig. In the 1800s, it became a popular stage entertainment. It moved from minstrel shows to the Vaudeville stage. During this time, many performers worked in duets. This happened because of rules that prevented Black dancers from performing solos. One famous duo was named Buck and Bubbles.

Many famous stars helped make tap dance popular. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was a world-famous celebrity. He was a very important dancer in the early 1900s.

The Nicholas Brothers were also famous for their acrobatic style. They once performed a six-minute dance in one go. They even danced on top of pianos! In the 1930s, tap mixed with the Lindy Hop dance. Later, in the 1970s, a documentary helped start a new revival. Today, we even celebrate National Tap Dance Day on May 25.

There are two main ways people dance today. Broadway tap is often seen in musical theater. It uses high heels and showy movements. Rhythm tap focuses more on musicality and jazz.

Dancers who focus on footwork are called "hoofers." They stay close to the floor to make intricate sounds. Some dancers use improvisation to make up moves as they go. There is even a new style called a "tap opera." This tells a whole story through dance. It is similar to a story ballet.

Tap dance is a uniquely American art form that blends dance with percussion. Instead of just moving to a beat, the dancer creates the beat using special shoes. The metal taps on the shoes strike the floor to create rhythmic sounds. This can be done with musical accompaniment or performed "a cappella," which means the taps provide the only music.

Because the dancer produces sound, they are essentially a percussionist. This art form is deeply connected to the history of jazz music and various cultural traditions.

To understand how tap works, one must look at the specialized equipment. Modern tap shoes feature metal taps on both the heel and the toe.

Dancers choose between two main types of soles. A full-sole shoe has a continuous base material under the foot. A split-sole shoe has a gap under the arch, which provides more flexibility for complex movements. The heels are typically made of wood or stacked leather, though beginners might use plastic heels. These tools allow dancers to execute various "one-sound steps," such as heel drops, toe taps, brushes, and scuffs.

Advanced dancers combine these basic movements into complex patterns called time steps. A time step is an umbrella term for any combination of steps that follows a specific rhythm. Dancers can perform single, double, or triple variations of these patterns. They may also add a "pickup," which is an extra brush sound added to a step. Beyond simple steps, dancers perform intricate turns like the Maxi Ford turn or the cramp-roll turn.

They can even perform "toe stands," where they balance on the tips of their toes.

Tap dance emerged from a fusion of diverse cultural traditions. It began blending African rhythms, such as the Central African djouba, with European styles like the Irish jig and Welsh clog. This fusion started as early as the 17th century but gained popularity by the mid-19th century. As minstrel shows declined, tap moved to the Vaudeville stage. During this era, segregation and the "two-color rule" often prevented Black dancers from performing solos. This led to the rise of famous duets, such as the "Class Act" performed by Buck and Bubbles.

History shows many legendary figures who shaped the craft. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was a massive celebrity who broke barriers by performing as a solo Black dancer in 1908. The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, became famous for adding acrobatic feats to their style. In one famous six-minute film performance, they danced on pianos and performed leapfrogs into splits.

In the 1930s, tap even integrated with the Lindy Hop through moves like "flying swing outs." While jazz dance eventually evolved into its own separate form, it shares many moves with tap.

Today, the art is divided into two major styles: Broadway tap and rhythm tap. Broadway tap is often seen in musical theater and emphasizes dance and showmanship. It frequently uses high-heeled shoes and is often the first style taught to beginners. Rhythm tap, also called jazz tap, focuses on musicality and improvisation. Practitioners of rhythm tap often call themselves "hoofers."

Hoofers focus on the feet and stay closer to the floor to emphasize intricate percussive sounds. Some modern innovators have even created the "tap opera," a long-form style that tells a complete story through dance.

Tap dance continues to influence modern culture and media. The 1979 documentary "No Maps on My Taps" helped spark a recent revival of the art. The animated film "Happy Feet" also brought tap to a massive global audience. In the United States, National Tap Dance Day is celebrated every May 25. This date was chosen to honor the birthday of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. From solo hoofers to large theater productions, tap remains a powerful way to communicate through rhythm.