TAP DANCING

Tap dancing has the distinction of being a unique art form, and it's performance is considered cultural.

Tap dancing originated as Juba, a kind of dance practiced by African slaves. In America, the slave trade resulted in a collision of cultures as many Africans from many different areas and tribes were brought together. When slave owners realized that Africans could communicate with each other through the use of drums, and they could communicate in this manner over long distances and in code, the slave masters banned the use of drums and native instruments in any African celebrations or ceremonies. The slave masters were in constant fear of revolt, and so they were focused on eliminating as much communication between slaves across distances. However, the African slaves held on to their traditional rhythms by using their feet to beat out the rhythms on the ground instead of their hands on the drums. The tapping out of rhythmic passages was developed, and eventually this became quite complex. A new, subtle, intricate, and very important method of expression and communication was born and developed.

By the mid-nineteenth century, African-Americans had combined their footwork with Irish and British clogging steps to create a style called "buck and wing." which became Modern Tap Dance. More information on Tap Dancing can be found at the website of the National Tap Dance Company at http://www.usatap.org/