tap dance

tap dance, theatrical dance form in which the dancer, wearing shoes with metal heel and toe taps, beats out complex, syncopated rhythms on the floor.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Beginnings of Tap Dance
• The Heyday of Tap
• Later Dancers and the Combining of Forms
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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