National Tap Dance Day

National Tap Dance Day is commemorated on May 25th every year to honor one of America’s original art forms.

Whether you're an aspiring Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers or you simply enjoy celebratory dancing, National Tap Dance Day is going to be a great annual celebration. This is your chance to put on your dance shoes and enjoy this traditional form of dance, literally.

History of National Tap Dance Day

National Tap Dance Day was created thanks to the idea of ​​Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen. It was first presented to the United States Congress on February 7th, 1989, and then President George H.W. Bush signed it into the United States Law of the United States on November 8th, 1989. It was first officially observed on May 25th, 1989. This date has another interesting history. May 25th is actually the birthday of Bill 'Bojangle' Robinson, a man who has made a significant contribution to dance.

There are several theories regarding the origin of machine dance. Machine dancing is believed to have originated in the 19th century in the United States when slave owners took away traditional African percussion instruments. To express themselves, the slaves turned to percussion dancing. These dance styles together with clog dance from the British Isles created a unique form of rhythm and movement.

After that, tap dancing has evolved significantly. In the early 20th century, it became a key feature of popular Vaudeville variety shows. Tap dancers begin to incorporate complex inversion rhythms into their movements. Some other talented tap dancers include Fred Astaire, Gregory Hines and Ginger Rogers. These characteristics have made tap dance extremely popular and over the years it has become one of the most beloved forms of dance.

It made its way into Hollywood between 1930 and 1950, where machine dance became a staple in film and on television. In fact, Shirley Temple made her tap dance movie debut at the age of 6. Tap dance has become so popular that from 2016 on, it generated more than 27 million mentions on social media.

Some facts about Tap Dance

• Use the soles of the feet

When percussion originated, African-American slaves would use the soles of their feet to practice dancing.

• First dance shoes

Before proper shoes were invented for tap dancing, people glued coins to their shoes to make a knocking sound.

• Musical instrument

Shoe percussion can be considered as musical instrument.

• Secret language

Hopping can be used as a secret language to communicate with Morse code.

• Click dance styles

This dance form comes in various styles such as Broadway, classical, rhythmic, funk and jazz.

Some reasons for National Tap Dance Day being loved

• Tap dance teaches rhythm and music

Tap dancing requires skillful footwork in sync with the musical notes. It's a great way to find your inner rhythm and develop and enhance your musical sense of rhythm.

• Tap dance is an interesting sport

If you're health-conscious and want a fun way to incorporate fitness into your life, machine dancing is a great choice. The different difficulty levels provide a great workout and you still have fun moving your body. Hopping is essentially an aerobics activity and can help you tone up.

• Anyone can practice dancing

Think twice before convincing yourself that you can't dance. That's the best part about this American form of dance, for anyone and everyone. With a little practice and concentration, you can master this dance and show off your moves. It's a great day for someone who loves to dance.

How to celebrate National Tap Dance Day

When Congress was developing legislation for National Tap Dance Day, they developed some fun and flattering ways to describe it. Quotations from the original senate text show how leading lawmakers saw the faucet as a fun and powerful aesthetic and how it was an "expression of cultural heritage."

There are many interesting ways to celebrate this day significantly. Several cities have celebratory performances and machine dances to mark the occasion, so if you want to join the celebration, come along and join the fun. Here you can participate in major events designed to bring people in the local community together and learn a lot about the art form. Instructors and enthusiasts will often offer free lessons and tutorials to anyone who wants to join. There are also live performances from the good and great on public stages, as well as occasional lectures on the history of the dance.

Alternatively, take a beginner tap dance class and get your toes touched. You can go to your local dance studio and encourage them to perform, perhaps recreating a scene from an iconic movie or show.

Learning tap dance can be a rewarding experience. Most people need about a hundred hours of practice to progress and feel capable of it, but everyone learns at their own pace. This is a great workout, so after about 20 minutes you're already sweating.

The trick to learning well is to learn a few basic moves and then string them together. Therefore, drills are an important part of training. You want to feel confident doing certain movements. Once you've learned the fundamentals, you can easily improvise on the dance floor and show off to your friends. The best way is to keep repeating the basics and then add a new move each time you do a workout.

You can celebrate National Tap Dance Day by combing with a healthy lifestyle and family bonding to others. Thus, Tap Dance can easily become part of a wellness push. It helps with coordination, rhythm, cardiovascular endurance, and even flexibility.

Another fun way to celebrate National Tap Dance Day is to dress up, practice your routine, and surprise and delight viewers with your skills. Traditional dance costumes are quite conservative. But in recent years, they have achieved a certain level of sophistication. It's not uncommon for women to wear frills, complete with canes and headgear. Traditionally, men wear long clothes with and without a hat.

In recent years, many people have used social media as a means to celebrate National Tap Dance Day. You can make a video showing off your faucet jumping skills or just for fun. You can even host a live stream with tap dancing allowing everyone to join. Your how-to videos can encourage more people to participate in this exciting and special day.

Tap Dancing is a true cultural phenomenon and has association with great events in history. For generations, people have used the art form to get out of some of life's difficulties and enjoy themselves, even under dire circumstances. So, National Tap Dance Day is an occasion not only to celebrate aesthetics, but also the lives of the people who first made it popular. While legends like Bill "Bojangle" Robinson dominate the occasion, it's also important to reflect on the lives of the millions of people who helped dance flourish throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.