Tap Dance Research Paper

Much of the early history of tap is dependent on oral history and contextual awareness. In the 1600s English sugar plantations in the Caribbean were worked by indentured Irish servants and enslaved West Africans. This forced fusion of two cultures resulted in a blend of music, dance and

Irish step dancing has existed since the 1700’s, over 300 years. Families in Ireland have passed down Irish step dance from generation to generation as a way of preserving their culture. While the meaning of the dance remains the same, the performance and showmanship has changed dramatically. From girls and boys with pale skin and natural hair to girls with fake tanned skin, huge curly wigs, and thousand dollar dresses and boys with fake tanned skin and outlandish outfits. Irish dance has become more of a spectacle—such as “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance.” Those dances are some of the most enjoyable and respected around the world. Over time this type of dance has taken on a life of its own and changed

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

One of the primary ways in which Tap, swing and jazz dance deviate completely from ballet are how the styles organically developed into social dances. Ballet started as a social court dance however at it’s inception was segregated from it’s roots as something purely performative. Jazz dance forms on the other hand such as tap dance kept many of the swing vernaculars which created them in their performance. That is to say that when watching a tap dancer perform on stage (with a traditional deportment) and then watching a swing dancer in a dance hall, one can see the similarities in movement qualities and even certain steps (such as the “shim sham” or “Attack Annies”). From this it can be argued that Tap dancers (as well as all vernacular jazz dancers of the day) question what dance is by keeping its social roots alive even after it had transitioned onto the stage. The fact that tap dance was a part of the vernacular dance of the day (and still had a casual culture about it) allowed that the Nicholas Brothers to learn to dance without ever taking a class (Frank 67). Where as a ballet dancer may spend long hours training at the bar and in class Fayard Nicholas learned to tap dance purely through watching

Back in the ninteenhundreds this was the time period where different styles and techniques of dance were created among people with different backgrounds and experiences. During this time period dance styles like tap and Jazz were created and had many people to influence this kind of dance in order for this style of dance to become as popular as it did. However, people have a controversy whether if jazz or tap dance is considered an art or an entertainment. In society, people viewed Jazz either as art or entertainment because where and when people performed there and how their personality is shown in the dance and what interpretation people get out of the performance. Tap on the other hand people had the same views as they did for jazz and most people say tap and jazz relate to each other because many of the techniques are very similar and they are all American dances that eventually evolved into different styles and how it's portrayed on the dance floor. Therefore even though these both dances have different significance in style, they both have the same journey of beginning as a form of entertainment to an art, but still having that aspect of entertainment in mind.

After hundreds of years of evolution and development, tap dancing has become a truly authentic American artform. However, no two people can agree on exactly how or where the discipline began. Emmy-award winning tapper Jason Samuel Smith still holds an enormous amount of respect for the history of his artform. “Tap culture is all about celebrating the past and accumulating its vocabulary over time,” he says. “If we don’t maintain our history, we lose what is valuable about tap.” Despite the questionable and often debated origin of tap, the discipline stems directly from African roots due to articulate rhythmic and stylistic patterns of African dance, techniques consisting of gliding, shuffling and dragging steps, and the introduction of

Whether you are dancing for passion, to get into shape or to just attain some mental peace, jazz is an excellent option to choose. This highly energetic dance form is unique and has revolutionised the way we look at dance.

As a child of newcomers to the United States, the importance of our Hispanic heritage was embedded into my mind. In order to portray my love for my culture, I have performed in a Folkloric Mexican dance troupe known as “Fiesta Mexicana” since the age of three. Envision the ambitious ambiance of people witnessing you perform the historically rich machete dance. The sound of the music constantly piercing your

“It was once believed that the name came from the stomping down of the terrain; however, legend tells that the dance was created by a handicapped Northern Plains boy who wished to dance” (Legendsofamerica.com,

In this ethnographic research paper, I will illustrate the background and origin of flamenco music and dance. By observing Miguel Bernal and his group 's performance of flamenco music and dance on Feburary 25th at the Culver Center of the Arts, I will demonstrate the characteristics of flamenco music and dance and it 's influences to people 's cultural identities and values. I will also interview one of the audiences from the performance about her point of view to the flamenco music and dance.

On Wednesday, November 18th, I had the pleasure to attend and watch the Dance Plus’s Fall show. The Dance Plus was performed at the Douglass Theatre, Victoria Mastrobuno Theater. When I entered the show the theatre seemed a little small for such big crowed. I immediately thought there would not be enough seats for all the audience, but somehow it fitted everyone. As everyone got settled down, the dance performance had started. I chose to write about the first performance that was choreographed by the amazing director, Jessica Lange her work was simply wonderful! I loved every little piece of the play. It put a smile on my face watching this amazing work of art. So with that said, I would now like to talk about the dance performance. There were

Kecak dance dancer in motion do not have to have to always follow the rules of dance accompanied by "gamelan" orchestra. So in this Kecak dance gestures of dancers more relaxed because whichever comes first is the way of the story and the combination

Throughout my life I have never really been interested in the dance until last year where I started to accept it. why? Why do we put ourselves through the physical stress to call ourselves dancers? Why do we love it so? I simply found those answers when I started dancing as I saw the potential it gave, showed the importance of teamwork, and the courage it taught.

I am a tap dancer. I have been trained in all other forms of dance, of course, but I have always considered myself a tap dancer above all else. To most people, this talent seems to be a pretty straightforward thing, however there is much more to it than meets the eye.

The history of tap originated in the United States from many styles of dance forms from different ethnicities such as African Tribal, Scottish Dance, Irish and English clog dances and jigs. Ever since then tap has been updated in many types of styles. Tap is a form of dance using tap shoes (shoes with metal plates in the heel and ball of the foot) striking the floor as a form of percussion. It is believed that African slaves and Irish servants had watched each other dancing on the plantations and combined them together to invent tap dancing, before it was believed that tap dancing came from an urban environment such as the Five Points District in New York City, where many ethnic groups lived together. Tap started between the mid and late 1800’s,