Brian Medavoy, an independent talent manager in Los Angeles, California, has worked in the entertainment industry since childhood. A former tap dancer, Brian Medavoy still appreciates the form and enjoys dancing when he has the opportunity.
Tap dancing grew out of a combination of traditional African rhythms and the clogging styles of Ireland and England. The first tap dancers were primarily of African descent and performed in the buck and wing style, which emphasizes movement below the waist and features intricate footwork and kicks.
The soft-shoe tradition is smoother and more graceful in its movements. Performed with more delicate tapping sounds and even rhythms created without any taps on the shoes, it acquired the nickname “sand dance.” The style is markedly different in its appearance from classical tap, also known as swing or flash tap, which incorporates acrobatic stunts and upper body movements with wild movements of the legs.
The class act style developed in the early 20th century and eliminated the showier aspects of classical tap. Jazz tap also made steps smaller and more precise, although this style features more syncopated rhythms. Broadway tap, made famous by musical comedies such as 42nd Street and Anything Goes, retained the showier styles of earlier forms with an emphasis on upper body formations and performance.
The concept of tap as a sound- and rhythm-focused dance has persisted in rhythm tap and hoofing. Artists in both forms emphasize dancing into the floor, rather than up and away from it. The aesthetics of these and other tap styles continue to evolve, while new forms such as funk tap let the genre expand even farther.
Tap dancing grew out of a combination of traditional African rhythms and the clogging styles of Ireland and England. The first tap dancers were primarily of African descent and performed in the buck and wing style, which emphasizes movement below the waist and features intricate footwork and kicks.
The soft-shoe tradition is smoother and more graceful in its movements. Performed with more delicate tapping sounds and even rhythms created without any taps on the shoes, it acquired the nickname “sand dance.” The style is markedly different in its appearance from classical tap, also known as swing or flash tap, which incorporates acrobatic stunts and upper body movements with wild movements of the legs.
The class act style developed in the early 20th century and eliminated the showier aspects of classical tap. Jazz tap also made steps smaller and more precise, although this style features more syncopated rhythms. Broadway tap, made famous by musical comedies such as 42nd Street and Anything Goes, retained the showier styles of earlier forms with an emphasis on upper body formations and performance.
The concept of tap as a sound- and rhythm-focused dance has persisted in rhythm tap and hoofing. Artists in both forms emphasize dancing into the floor, rather than up and away from it. The aesthetics of these and other tap styles continue to evolve, while new forms such as funk tap let the genre expand even farther.
