United States, 19th century
TAP DANCE
Feet that talk
Tap Dance was born in the United States in the 19th century, on plantations and then in popular theaters (minstrel shows, vaudeville). It fuses the percussive dances of enslaved Africans (jigs, patting juba) with Irish and English dances brought by immigrants. The feet become percussion instruments, thanks to metal-plated soles that clack against the floor.
Its golden age was that of Broadway and Hollywood in the 1930s-50s, with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and the Nicholas Brothers. After a period of decline, it saw a revival in the 1980s-90s with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover, who anchored it in contemporary jazz and hip-hop.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Tap Dance is danced to jazz or modern music, at any tempo. The dancer produces sounds with metal-plated shoes (at the heel and toe). These sounds combine into complex rhythms that converse with the music — the tapper is as much a musician as a dancer.
Styles and fundamentals
Two main schools coexist. Broadway Tap (Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly) is upright, light, focused on the upper body and line. Rhythm Tap (Bill Robinson, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover) is low, percussive, focused on sound and pure rhythm, very close to improvised jazz.
Main figures
- 01
Shuffle
A rapid toe-heel strike, with no weight transfer. The foundation of the entire vocabulary.
- 02
Flap
A shuffle followed by a weight transfer onto the striking foot. The basis of movement in Tap.
- 03
Ball change
A quick weight change from one foot to the other, often used between two figures.
- 04
Time step
A classic eight-beat rhythmic sequence, a foundational building block of Broadway Tap.
- 05
Wing
A rapid lateral sweep of the foot, with the toes lifted. A figure typical of Rhythm Tap.
- 06
Paddle
A rapid sequence of alternating heel and toe strikes, like a drum roll.
Reading the music
Jazz standards (Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker), big band swing, hip-hop for modern Rhythm Tap (Savion Glover). Silence is also a partner.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Same family
Scène & Rythme
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Tap Dance.