Tap Dance

Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by a tapping sound that is created from metal plates that are attached to both the ball and heel of the dancer’s shoe. Special shoes are made for dancing the tap. These metal plates, when tapped against a hard surface, create a percussive sound and as such the dancers are considered to be musicians. Tap dance has roots in African American dancing such as the Juba Dance, English Lancashire Clog dancing, and probably most notably Irish stepdancing. It is believed to have begun in the mid-1800s during the rise of minstrel shows.