Have you ever witnessed a school play in which the students perform a tap dance?
Maybe you’ve tried your hand at it as well. If you have, you are well aware that tap dancing is a fun and upbeat dance style that anyone can learn.
After slave owners forbade them with the use of their traditional African percussion instruments, slaves switched to percussive dance to preserve their cultural identities. Combined with clog dancing from the British Isles, tap dancing was born.
During this period, the soles of tap shoes were created out of wood.
Metal plates — referred to as “taps”, were attached to the heel and toe of shoes in the early twentieth century. It has grown in popularity in recent years.
In history, Master Juba, original name William Henry Lane, was known as the master of tap dancing.
Up until now, tap dancing is still an in-demand dance technique. It’s been used in movies, classrooms, plays, and a variety of other settings. Dancers typically perform a routine to jazz music.
However, a group of tappers made a different decision.
They made it country-themed dancing.
By performing a tap dance to country music, a group of tappers provided an interesting show.
It’s even gone viral!
The video has over 1.85 million views on YouTube, 10 thousand likes, and 220 comments as of this writing.
In this amazing video from 2013, tap dancers dressed in their best cowboy and cowgirl outfits, white boots, and hats perform a stunning routine.
The start of their presentation
The tap dancers bow their hands as they wait for the song to begin, with everyone watching them
The tap dancers take a step forward as soon as the song “Country Road” starts playing.
They do some foot stops while clapping their hands with a smile on their faces. The steps and the beat were a little toned down at first. The girls made way for the guys when the drum started to beat.
The gentlemen perform first
As they moved forward and backward, the male dancers began tapping and clapping. The ladies were the next to move. The song switches to a fast-paced rhythm, the dancers displayed incredible tap footwork.
Clogging footwork starts
The guys began doing the clogging technique when the music changed. With their hands on their side, the ladies were also in sync with the guys. Their movements were flawless, and it was a joy to see them perform as a group.
Despite their differences in height, their kicks, hand movements, and body positions were all in harmony. That is a difficult task for any dance genre to accomplish. They, on the other hand, did a fantastic job!
The tap dancers made a sequence of dance routines, from a simple holding every partner’s hands or arms and twirling.
It was entertaining to watch them clap and shape various formations.
But wait, there’s another group of tap dancers?
Following the first group of dancers’ awesome choreography, another group of tappers took the stage. They were dressed in red and black long-sleeved shirts and skirts.
This group of dancers chose a song that was both upbeat and vibrant. When they began tapping and performing their routine, the audience erupted in applause.
It was incredible to see them perform on stage with a smile on their faces. They danced in pairs and groups.
There are two distinct routines
It was absolutely breathtaking to watch the first and second groups. The only difference is that the second group’s routine consisted mostly of couples’ moves.
This increases the difficulty of tap dancing. They made it look so easy, though.
One of the online viewers commended the group performance:
“I really enjoyed that …. a mixture of line dancing, tap dancing and Irish dancing. Well done guys xxx”
Watch the amazing performance of country music tap dancers in the video below!
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Sources: YouTube/Michel Dailloux, Wikipedia/Tap Dance
