Tap Dance Day

Cool to know:

• Tap dance is considered a “percussive dance” which means that the dancing itself provides drumming sounds
• Before there was what we know as tap dance, percussive or stomping dances like Scottish step dancing, Juba dance, English clog dancing and Irish jigs have been performed since centuries or longer.
• Modern tap dance reportedly began to become popular in the mid 1800 where it was developed in minstrel shows and later also in Vaudeville theater.
• Bill Robinson was said to be the trend setter in performing tap dance as a solo act.
  Complete with dressing up in a nice suit and using the stairs to enhance the effect of his dance moves.
• The soles of tap shoes can be hard leather, wood or metal.
  Some advanced tap shoes even have the soles constructed to be a soundboard that can be tuned by tightening or loosening the screws with which the hard layer is attached.
• Contrary to popular rumors, the song “Mister Bojangles” from Bob Dylan is NOT about Bill Robinson.
  The song describes a homeless man whom Bob Dylan met in jail when arrested for intoxication.
  The man had named himself after the famous dancer and earned a little cash as street performer dancing on the streets.
  Mister Bojangles told his sad story, which moved his cell mates so much that he decided to lighten the mood with an impromptu tap dance.
  It remains unknown if Mister Bojangles was real and if he ever received royalties from the song using his story.