For this inquiry post, I have decided to focus on tap dance. Growing up, tap dance was one of my favourite styles. However, I don’t really know anything about the history of tap dancing. I’m sure that most of us can imagine what tap dancing is, but I’m going to include a video below of what tap dancing looks like before I dive into the history!

Tap Shoes:

Tap dancers wear specific types of shoes to be able to make the sounds they make. A tap shoe has two metal pieces that are screwed on to the bottom of the shoe at the toe of the foot and the heel of the foot. Tap shoes also often have a grip on the ball of the foot to help dancers limit slipping on wood floors (not all tap shoes have grips). Some female tap dancers wear tap shoes that mimic the shape of high heels, I’ve never personally worn these shoes but I’d imagine they are harder to dance in! Tap shoes are often laced up, but tap shoes for younger dancers can come with velcro instead. Higher quality tap shoes are often heavier than lower quality shoes, this is to make the tap sounds deeper and crisper. I have included a photo of a tap shoe below!

Origin of Tap Dancing:

Tap is an American style of dance that emerged in the late 1800s. Tap dance is the result of a combination of various styles of dance including Irish dance, African dance styles, clog dancing, and jigs. There are two different ideas regarding the emergence of tap dancing. The first idea is that enslaved African and Irish people witnessed each others’ dance styles whilst on plantations, which led to the combination of these styles to form tap dance. The other idea is that tap dance emerged in urban communities where ethnic groups lived in close proximity to each other. This close proximity combined with the music being played and performed in this time period may have led to the creation of tap dance. There is no proof that either of these ideas was the sole start to the formation of tap dancing, it could have been both simultaneously. But since then, tap dance has been performed in all kinds of settings and is competed at dance competitions to this day. (“Tap Dance” by Britannica at https://www.britannica.com/art/tap-dance)

Fun Facts:

• National Tap Day is celebrated by tap dancers on May 25th every year!
• Most tap dancing moves are done on the balls of the feet, except for intentional heel sounds.
• In the early to mid 1900s, tap dancers could be seen performing in nightclubs. (“Tap Dance” by Britannica at https://www.britannica.com/art/tap-dance)
• After the rise of films with sound, tap dancers could be seen dancing in all kinds of movies! (“Tap Dance” by Britannica at https://www.britannica.com/art/tap-dance)
• Tap steps will sometimes have really odd names or will be named after certain people or things such as Paradiddle, Shirley Temple, Cramp Roll, or Buffalo.

Sources:

Frank, R. (n.d.). Tap Dance. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/tap-dance