Tap dance was developed in the United States during the 1900s, and has become popular world-wide. This style is a fusion of British Isles clog dancing & step dance with African drumming. Legends Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly maintained the dance styles popularity through their own interpretation that are still used today. Mainstream popularity of Tap dancing came about through dancers performing with Jazz bands in lounges as well as the musical theatre production 42nd Street. The name comes from the tapping sound made by the specific shoe of the dancer designed with metal plate affixed to the ball and heel of the sole. When the small metal plates on the dancer’s shoes touch a hard floor the sound is expressed and the dancer can move with the rhythm of the sound. This lively, rhythmic tapping makes the performer not just a dancer, but also a percussive musician!

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