Tap Shoes

Tap dance is a type of dance characterised by using the sounds of metal taps affixed to the heel and toe of shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion, coupled with both characteristic and interpretative body movements. Its roots were in minstrel shows, it gained prominence in Vaudeville, then emerged into an art form and means of expression alongside the evolution of jazz.

There are several styles of tap dance, including rhythm (jazz), classical, Broadway, and post-modern. Rhythm tap, the most celebrated and best known, focuses on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the jazz tradition and as such, improvisation is essential to their work. Many influential rhythm tap dancers were members of the Hoofers Club. Soft-shoe is a close relative of rhythm tap dancing that does not require tap shoes. Rhythm is generated by tapping the feet, and also by sliding the feet (sometimes using scattered sand on the stage to enhance the sound of sliding feet). It produced what is currently considered to be modern tap, but has since declined in popularity.[citation needed] Classical tap has a similarly long tradition which marries European "classical" music with American foot drumming with a wide variation in full-body expression. Broadway tap often focuses on formations, choreography and generally less complex rhythms; it is widely performed in musical theatre. Post-modern or contemporary tap has emerged over the last three decades to incorporate abstract expression, thematic narrative and technology.