Tap dance has come a long way since its early roots in the streets and on vaudeville stages. While the Golden Age of Tap in the 1930s and 1940s brought tap dance into the spotlight, the modern era of tap has continued to evolve, adapt, and thrive, blending the traditional with the new. From Broadway to hip-hop, today’s tap dancers are pushing boundaries and redefining what tap can be.
Let’s dive into the modern era of tap dance, exploring how it has transformed and who the major influencers of this exciting time are.
1. The Resurgence of Tap in the 1970s and 80s
After the decline of tap dance in mainstream media following the 1950s, the art form saw a major revival in the 1970s and 1980s, thanks to dancers like Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. These dancers not only kept tap alive but brought it into the modern age with a fresh, improvisational style that made tap feel new and relevant again.
Gregory Hines, a celebrated tap dancer, actor, and choreographer, is credited with bringing tap back to the big screen and Broadway. His fluid, expressive movements and ability to blend traditional tap rhythms with a jazz influence created a signature style that captivated audiences in films like Tap (1989) and White Nights (1985). Hines’ contributions to the tap world extended beyond performing—he worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the art form and mentored many up-and-coming dancers.
Why It’s Important: Hines showed that tap could be more than just a performance—it could tell a story, express emotion, and connect deeply with audiences, bridging the gap between the old and new eras of tap.
2. Savion Glover and the Birth of "Rhythm Tap"
If Gregory Hines reignited interest in tap, Savion Glover redefined it. Known as the "man who saved tap dance," Glover brought a new, percussive energy to the art form. His style, often called “rhythm tap,” focuses on the deeper, more complex rhythms that the dancer’s feet can create. Rather than smooth, elegant movements, Glover’s tapping is raw, powerful, and heavily influenced by jazz and hip-hop.
Glover’s work in Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk (1995) was revolutionary. This Tony Award-winning production mixed tap with the sounds and themes of African American history, jazz, and funk music, breaking away from the traditional, polished routines of earlier tap performances. Glover emphasized tap as a form of expression and musicality, using his feet as instruments to create complex rhythms that mirrored the sounds of modern music genres.
Why It’s Important: Glover’s work pushed the boundaries of what tap dance could be, taking it from the Broadway stage to street culture and blending it with contemporary music, paving the way for future tap dancers to experiment and innovate.
3. Tap Dance in Hip-Hop Culture
In the modern era, tap has found a home in hip-hop culture. The rhythmic, percussive nature of tap dance makes it a natural fit for hip-hop beats, and many contemporary dancers are blending these two styles to create something entirely new.
Dancers like Chloe Arnold, founder of Syncopated Ladies, have embraced this blend of tap and hip-hop. Arnold’s group, an all-female tap crew, has gone viral with their powerful performances that mix traditional tap footwork with modern hip-hop music. Their dynamic choreography to hits by artists like Beyoncé and Rihanna has brought tap to a new generation, proving that it’s as fresh and exciting as ever.
Why It’s Important: Tap is no longer just a nostalgic art form—by blending with hip-hop, it’s proving to be versatile and adaptable, appealing to younger audiences and keeping tap relevant in modern pop culture.
4. Tap in Film and Media Today
While tap dance may not dominate Hollywood films the way it did during the Golden Age, it’s still making an impact in modern media. Films like La La Land (2016), starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, included tap routines that brought back the charm of classic tap dance, albeit with a contemporary twist. Shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars also frequently feature tap, keeping the art form in the mainstream spotlight.
Beyond these mainstream performances, tap dance is thriving in the online world. Social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have given tap dancers a global stage to share their talent. Dancers like Michelle Dorrance and Sarah Reich have embraced these platforms to reach wider audiences and create innovative, experimental tap performances.
Why It’s Important: In the modern era, tap is accessible to everyone. Through digital platforms, tap is being shared globally, allowing dancers to collaborate and push the boundaries of the art form in ways that were never possible before.
5. Innovators of Contemporary Tap
One of the leading figures of modern tap is Michelle Dorrance, a dancer, choreographer, and founder of Dorrance Dance. Dorrance is known for blending traditional tap with avant-garde concepts, often collaborating with other musicians and artists to create performances that challenge the expectations of tap dance. She has won numerous awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship, for her work in pushing the boundaries of the art form.
Another influential dancer is Jason Samuels Smith, an Emmy and American Choreography Award winner who has worked to revive the classic style of tap while adding his own modern twist. Smith’s performances are known for their speed, precision, and ability to draw from jazz music’s complex rhythms.
Why It’s Important: Innovators like Dorrance and Smith are proving that tap is still evolving, blending the art form with new influences and keeping it alive for future generations.
6. Tap Dance and the Future: What’s Next?
Tap dance continues to evolve as new generations of dancers incorporate their own influences and styles. The versatility of tap means that it can continue to blend with new genres of music, from jazz to hip-hop to pop, ensuring that it remains a vibrant and relevant part of the dance world.
The modern era of tap is all about innovation, experimentation, and expression. Dancers are taking what was established in the Golden Age and moving it forward, creating performances that are not only entertaining but also reflective of contemporary culture.
Whether you’re watching a classic Broadway tap routine or a viral video on TikTok, tap dance remains one of the most dynamic and exciting forms of movement.
Ready to Try Tap Dance?
At Theative Performing Arts, we teach tap dance classes that embrace both the history and the future of this incredible art form. Whether your child is a beginner or an experienced dancer, they’ll learn how to express themselves through rhythm, movement, and sound.
Sign up for a free trial class today and tap your way into the future! Visit theative.co.uk/book-a-trial to learn more.
Tap dance classes in Streatham
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