Tap
Dance

Origin: America

History: Started by Irish step dancers. Then
African Americans started tap dance to use as physical codes.They
combined their footwork with Irish and British clogging steps to create a style
called "Buck and Wing," which is now called Tap Dance. Started in
mid-1800s.

Importance:

1. Tap
   dancing helps dancers on their rhythm.

2. Builds
   Ankle Strength.

3. It
   is entertaining to do and to watch

Techniques/Moves:

Toe: tap the ball or pad of the foot
against the floor, use your ankle not your whole leg.

Heel tap: strike the heel of the foot on
the floor and release it immediately.

Step: place the ball of the foot on the
floor with a change of Weight.

Pullback: standing on the
balls of one or foot, jump up, hitting the ground with the ball of the foot,
and land on the same foot.

Riff: standing on one leg, swing the other
leg to the front, first hitting the ground with the ball of the foot, then with
the heel.

Ball change: two steps on alternating
feet. The first step does not get full weight.

Toe stand: stand on one or both tips of
the feet. This requires fairly stiff tap shoes.

Hop: standing on one foot, jump up and
land on the same foot.

Leap: standing on one foot, jump up and
land on the other foot.

Jump: standing on one or both feet, jump
up and land on both feet.

Facts:

• In 1915, metal taps for
  shoes were introduced

• Gene Kelly was the first
  one to combine dance forms to create tap dance

• Tap dance is usually
  danced to jazz music

• Steve Condos and Fred
  Astaire are one of the best tap dancers in history

• National Tap Day is on
  May 24th

 by African Americans.

Then African Americans used it as physical code