National Tap Dance Day

Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson was one of the greatest tap dancers in history. Born Luther Robinson in Richmond, Virginia in 1878, he became a headliner in 1920s-30s vaudeville. He was the first African-American to headline a major Broadway show, 'Blackbirds of 1928'. His tap was precise, light, elegant; he called it 'dancing up the stairs' (one of his famous routines). He made 14 Hollywood films including 'The Little Colonel' (1935) with Shirley Temple, where he became one of the first African-American performers in a mainstream Hollywood role. Robinson died in 1949; his funeral was one of the largest in Harlem history, with 32,000 mourners.

The 1930s-40s golden age of Hollywood tap was defined by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Astaire's tap was balletic, elegant, seemingly effortless. His 1935-1939 RKO films, "Top Hat," "Swing Time," "Carefree" are considered the peak of Hollywood tap, though his partnerships with Rogers were foundational. Gene Kelly brought a more athletic, balletic version of tap in the 1940s-50s, "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) is the iconic tap performance. The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold), Black tap dancers, outperformed most white tappers in their films, though Hollywood racism limited their opportunities.

Modern tap dance renaissance was led by Gregory Hines (1946-2003), who brought tap to new audiences in 'White Nights' (1985) with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Savion Glover (born 1973), tap choreographer and dancer, starred in Broadway's 'Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk' (1996) and revolutionized contemporary tap with his hip-hop-influenced rhythmic style. Modern tap combines jazz, funk, hip-hop, and traditional influences. Michelle Dorrance (born 1979) has extended modern tap further. Tap dance is evolving, still a distinctly American art form, still joyful in motion.

American tap across four generations:

Where American tap has flourished: