Happy National Tap Dance Day!

Not many people know too much about tap dance, even if they take a dance class! They know the moves and stuff, but where did it come from? Most dancers don't know about the history even thought tap is the reason we have jazz, lyrical, and even hip-hop. And almost all of the didn't even know it was National Tap Dance Day!

THE BEGINNING
Tap dance was derived from African American/Juba dance, English Lancashire Clog dancing, and Irish Step dancing, and was first performed in blackface shows (performance shows where white men dressed up like stereotypical African Americans) in the 1800's. During the mid 1800's blackface shows where usually in minstrel shows, which were a mix of skits, dance, music, and variety shows.



From 1880 to 1930 tap dance was popular in Vaudeville shows in the USA and included musicians, dancers, animals, magicians, acrobats, illustrated songs, jugglers, athletes, and lecturing celebrities.

During the 1930's, tap dance mixed with the Lindy Pop. In the 1950's jazz music and tap dance mixed  to form the dance style of jazz but soon was replaced by rock and roll, and pop music, and a whole new type of jazz dance. When 'No Maps on My Taps' came out in 1979 the revival of tap dance began. The amazing reviews of Happy Feet reinforced the popularity. National Tap Dance Day in the USA, which is on May 25, was made on the birthday of famous tap dance star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.