Tap Dancing

It is the fusion of African and Irish, Scottish, and English dances. Tap dance began in the United States. The common belief was that slaves from Africa and indentured servants from Ireland created tap dancing by combining their own ethnic dances while working on plantations. It was said to have began as “Juba” which was an African slave dance. Current research suggests that tap did not stem from plantations but in crowded, urban environments such as New York City. The fusion of cultures that originated tap dance influenced American culture by bringing different societies and ideas together. Master Juba or William Henry Lane was considered the “inventor of tap dancing.” In the late 1800s, dance competitions or “cutting contests” entertained people and also helped to develop tap dancing. These dances were performed in minstrel shows. White men would blacken their faces and mimic African dances. Master Juba also had to wear blackface while performing in minstrel shows. Master Juba
Tap dancing was an integral part of these vaudeville variety shows and later became a common skill. Tap dancers needed to be unique to stand out. During this time, tap dancing was in nightclubs, vaudeville, musicals, and basically everywhere a person went. Challenging or dueling other dancer’s also became a necessity in tap dancing skills and in performances, like the cutting contests of the previous era.
Dancers kept changing and shaping tap dance to form what we know as it as today. These dancers also influenced the evolution of American music. The innovative rhythms inspired drummers and their rhythmic patterns. Many different styles of tap dancing formed in the 20th century. These styles include: flash, novelty, swing, class, military, and comedy tap dancing. Even within these different styles, dancers all had their own interpretations. An example of an innovator of tap dancing is John Bubbles, or the “father of rhythm