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The
Changing Face of Tap
In this article (reproduced here of courtesy
of the Dancing Times) Paddy Hurlings takes us on a whirlwind
tour of Tap’s history
One
cannot fail to be stirred by good, well choreographed
Tap dancing, whether it is undertaken by a talented
young competitor in the local dance festival, a virtuoso
performance by a professional dancer or 20 pairs of
feet drumming out a breathtaking routine in a stage
spectacular.
There are obvious questions that need to be answered.
What is Tap dancing and what are its roots and origins?
Literally hundreds of books have been written on the
subject, which in the main only succeed in reiterating
the same facts. Where differences occur they mostly
relate to definition and anecdotal content. One publication
will tell the readers that Tap dancing is a feeling
in the innermost soul that is expressed through the
feet as an exotic language. Flicking through the pages
of another book, the reader may learn that Tap is a
special blend of sound, rhythm and movement.
Eleanor Powell, one of the tapping greats, tells us
that as a teenager she had an overriding love of Ballet
and a loathing of Tap dancing, looking down on hoofers
with distain. On moving to New York to find work, she
very soon realised that to support the habit of eating,
she had to learn to Tap.
Ellie, as she was known, enrolled at the Jack Donahue
School of Dance for Tap lessons and after about a week
she was told by Donahue: “Honey, you are too aerial,
Tap is all about hitting the boards.” To keep
her down he tied sandbags round her waist and taught
her the quick transference of weight that is so essential
for a Tap dancer. As history records she benefited from
his tuition and with hard work became one of the most
famous female artists of all time.
At the age of 64 she was still Tap dancing every day
and she wrote that being a rhythm dancer had brought
her a long way. She defined Tap by what it had given
to her. The feet of a percussion instrument and the
soul of a violin, who could have asked for anything
more?
A
uniquely American product, Tap is considered by many
to be one of the United States’ most significant
contributions to the world of dance. Why did it develop
in this country? The quick answer is migration.
In the 17th century the world saw events unfold in two
hemispheres. Irish, Scots, English and many other North
Europeans migrated to the New World in search of a better
life whilst the unfortunate African Negroes were being
transported to America to be sold as slaves. Both groups,
having arrived for totally different reasons, had one
thing in common.
They
brought with them their own culture and traditions,
which importantly included dance; intricate well developed
‘shoe dancing’ in one case and frenzied,
percussive dance in the other.
In
the mid 1800s the potato famine in Ireland caused thousands
of families to leave their homes, they set sail for
America and landed in the New York area, where many
of them put down roots. Although slavery was not abolished
until much later a number of Negroes managed to reach
this region and lived alongside the Irish migrants.
Their co-existence was fraught with bitterness and they
lived in extreme poverty. Dancing and singing were often
the only forms of recreation.
Conscious of the fact or not, the dance culture of the
various groups merged. Tap dancing was on its way! It
is clear that the two different ethnic cultures played
a major role in its birth. Its parents were the African
tribal rhythm beaten out with the hands and stamping
shuffling feet, and the intricate footwork of the European
folk dances. Clog dancing, Hornpipes. Reels and Jigs
merged with the dancing of the former slaves to create
the Juba.
On its as yet unfinished journey Tap moved from the
sidewalks of New York to the more formal requirements
of the minstrel shows and vaudeville and has been successful
in meeting the sophisticated demands of the stage spectacular
and the silver screen, each challenge adding a little
more to the overall picture.
The changing face of popular music has always been a
factor in Tap’s evolution. From the penny whistle
that accompanied the jig, through ragtime to Dixieland
and the big band sound, all have had their part to play.
This rhythmic, uncluttered music gave way to the syncopation
of modern jazz, which gave birth to the style now known
as Rhythm Tap.
It developed from the interaction with the jazz musicians,
the constant need to improvise and the tradition of
constant trading and challenging between the dancers.
From
the middle of the 1930s, the long road that Tap dancing
had followed, become littered with personalities. Mostly
associated with Hollywood films, they owed their success
to the fact that they were all exceptional ‘hoofers’
and possessed the individual style and flair that gave
them star status.
Bill
‘Mr Bojangles’ Robinson was one of the first
to make the transition from a ‘live performer’
to the picture house. A legend before he came to Hollywood
at a late stage in his career, his relaxed style and
mature image contributed to making him one of the first
greats.
Fred
Astaire with his smooth sophisticated style and elegant
appearance brought Tap to an adoring public. He was
a perfectionist, with a wonderful sense of timing and
an ability to combine his many talents. Once seen, who
could ever forget him tapping with immaculate fluid
beating whilst juggling props or whirling one of his
very feminine leading ladies?
The 1930s and 1940s saw Tap riding high, but after the
death of 'Bojangles' Rhythm Tap became less popular.
Even Tap in the musicals diminished, as the big stage
productions of the time, turned to Modern and Classical
forms of dance.
The popularity of television and the appearance of pop
stars did nothing to help the cause and during the dearth
of employment in America many entertainers crossed the
Atlantic to dance in Europe. Among the most famous were
Will Gaines, the Clark Brothers and the Nicholas Brothers.
Time is a great healer and all was not lost. In the
1970s Tap dancing received the kiss of life when the
1920s musical No No Nanette was revised starring Ruby
Keeler. Public reaction to this production ensured that
Tap would enjoy a new lease of life. Mention only has
to be made of such productions as My One and Only, Crazy
for You and 42nd Street to know that the old art of
‘hitting the boards’ was alive and kicking.
Thriving Tap classes for children and students had long
been part of the scene, however, these brilliant revivals
not only sent the professionals to dust off their shoes,
it inspired a whole new breed of dancer; the amateur.
Housewives, bankers, waitresses and in fact people from
all walks of life, flocked to dance studios. They saw
the activity as a new type of recreation. It provided
physical exercise and gave them a high level of satisfaction
as they gained knowledge of the step vocabulary. Most
of all, it was fun!
In the 1980s and 1990s many films and shows contributed
to the continuing popularity of Tap. Gregory Hines featured
as a dancer in five Broadway shows and three films and
Savion Glover was the leader of a new breed of dancer,
who combined Rhythm Tap with the strong percussive beat
of hip-hop music. His record breaking show, Bring in
the Noise, Bring in the Funk introduced a style of Street
Tap, as yet unseen on the Broadway stage.
For
some time there has been a thriving import-export business.
In Europe we have been lucky enough to see such American
artists as the Jazz Tap Ensemble, Laine Alexander and
Brenda Bufalino and from Australia the Hot Shoe Shuffle
and Tap Dogs. Ireland exported the Riverdance, which
combined traditional steps with lavish theatrical presentation
and caught the imagination of audiences wherever it
was performed.
In the UK leaders in the art have set out to promote
and nurture interest in Tap by organising festivals,
concerts and special events, which bring together leading
artists who perform and conduct classes. Hundreds of
local dance schools and colleges provide Tap tuition
on a regular basis. They offer classes for a wide range
of talents and experience, young children, teenagers,
adult amateurs and vocational students.
Paddy
Hurlings |
