Tap Dance History

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.(Ellis, Ch.2) There are many styles of dancing, the basics being ballet, tap, and jazz. They are defined, unique styles, but they are all considered a form of art. It’s all very dynamic and visual like art. All styles are defined by their steps, technique, and training, but they’re all the same in that they are a visual form of self-expression. At the end of the day dance isn’t something that is just performed, it is created and treated as living, moving art.
The most common form of dance is ballet. It is the foundation of all other types of dance. I studied ballet for about seven years. It …show more content…
Originating in the United States, tap is a very percussive, rhythmic form of dance. Its influences are mostly African and Irish. It didn’t take long for tap to become a common talent of all performers from musicians to actors. In fact, many musicians were inspired by tap dancers. They became a sort of muse for many drummers with their unique rhythms. People like Fred Astaire made tap dancing really popular with the routines that appeared in his films. I studied tap for about seven years as well. It was my favorite style. It’s an exciting,fun, and challenging experience learning to match or create beats with just a pair of tap shoes. The training for tap is somewhat different from that of ballet. Tap training focuses mostly on how to get different sounds and patterns out of a student’s tap shoes. Students learn things like how to scuff their shoe to get a certain sound and how to shuffle their feet to make a rhythm. Like ballet, tap includes some core strengthening and other exercises to help dancers build …show more content…
Jazz originally comes from the type of music people were listening to and the way people’s bodies responded to that music. It comes from African American vernacular. Bob Fosse was one of the first people to really make a name for jazz dancers. His unique, groundbreaking choreography is what made him stand out. He choreographed many Broadway shows that still run to this day. The movements in jazz are both reflective of ballet and tap. The movements tend to be sharper than in ballet, and less rhythmic than in tap. Along with ballet and tap, I studied jazz for many years. It’s one of the more fun styles of dance. It can be slinky and sexy, or just fun and high-energy. Jazz isn’t easy, but it was easier for me to learn and pick-up. I would say the same goes for other dancers as well. Most jazz dancers have a ballet background making the technique and movements easier. The training for jazz dancers is much like that of ballet. However, jazz tends to emphasize leaps and turns more than