The History of Tap
The American tradition of tap dancing has its roots directly intertwined with that of blues and jazz music in the 20th century. Tapping without music is absolutely possible, but the art of tapping and expressing yourself through music came into play when blues and jazz music became mainstream. Ever since the debut of Hollywood musicals, tap dancing has been linked to many great performers such as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and the Nicholas Brothers. The tap movement was set into motion when African slaves were transported to America in the 17th and 18th centuries. Prohibited from cultural expression by religious beliefs, their exuberant dance moves were replaced by low shuffles, sweeps, and stomps, and drums were replaces by foot tapping and claping. During the mid-1800's many Irish immigrants arrived in America, fleeing from starvation, bringing with them their own dance rhythms and steps. The next 60 years would see a fusion of cultures; the development of blues and jazz music alongside percussive dance.
The Tap Shoe
In the early days of tap dancing, pennies or hobnails were hammered into the balls and heels of shoes to make the tapping sound as dancers tapped and shuffled their feet. Before 1910, tap shoes had leather uppers and wooden soles. After 1910, metal taps came into the picture as "top of the line" material for producing maximum sound. By the time that Bill Robinson became famous as "Bojangles" and his partner was Shirley Temple, tap shoes had come full circle as far as development goes. Bill wore wooden-soled shoes with a stacked heel, and Shirley made the eyelet-style tap shoe famous among many. After Bill and Shirley came the infamous Fred Astaire and his partner Ginger Rogers. Fred wore a black patent leather shoe while Ginger contended with the new high-heeled taps. The movie industry made tap dancing glamorous, and is in part credited for the popularity of the art. Films set the fashion side of tap shoes into motion because of higher demand for different areas of tap. Traditionally, leather soled flat tap shoes are considered best, especially for beginners. Rubber soles tend to stick. Canvas and synthetic materials are also used in place of leather. Most taps have adjustable screws to create different sound effects, and they should be of equal width as the heels and toe of the shoes. Styles have evolved to include lace-up Oxfords, Mary Janes, the Jazz, the heeled tap, and the tap sneaker.