What is tap dance?
Tap is America's percussive dance: metal plates on the heel and toe turn the dancer into a drummer. Rhythm tap focuses on sound, improvisation and conversation with jazz musicians, while Broadway tap emphasizes clean unison steps and showmanship. Shuffles, flaps, paradiddles, cramp rolls and time steps form the core vocabulary.
History
Tap developed in the 19th century as enslaved and free Africans' rhythmic dance met Irish and Scottish jigs. William Henry Lane ("Master Juba") was celebrated in the 1840s. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, John Bubbles, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly made tap a vaudeville and Hollywood staple; Gregory Hines and Savion Glover led its revival. National Tap Dance Day, May 25, marks Robinson's birthday and was signed into law in 1989.
Basic technique
- Toe tap, heel drop, brush, shuffle and flap
- Ball change, cramp roll and paradiddle
- The time step (single, double, triple)
- Clarity of sound and steady tempo
Music & tempo
Swing and jazz standards, Broadway tunes, funk and hip-hop for modern rhythm tap.
Songs for tap dance
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Skinned Gal | Merle Haggard | 100 | F# major | 1970 |
| Corrine Corrina | Merle Haggard | 100 | A# major | 1970 |
| Hurt | Parov Stelar | 100 | D# major | 2009 |
| Neon Lights | Señor Coconut y su conjunto | 100 | A# minor | 2000 |
| How Y'all Doin' | Kyle Eastwood | 100 | D major | 2006 |
| Les Paul, more John | Farmers Market | 100 | A# major | 2000 |
| Trifonov's 5th | Farmers Market | 100 | F major | 2000 |
| Amor unilateral | Bebel Gilberto | 100 | G major | 1991 |
| Bette Davis Eyes | Jazzystics feat. Karen Souza | 100 | F major | 2009 |
| Gimme Gimme Gimme | Kloud 9 | 100 | G# minor | 2007 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
All 1,783 tap dance songs by BPM →
What to wear
Comfortable clothes that let the ankles be seen; tap shoes — oxfords for rhythm tap, Mary Janes or T-straps common in children's classes.
How to get started
Start with a beginner tap class or a local tap festival workshop. Practice on a wooden tap board at home to protect floors.
We list 57 studios that teach tap dance, or browse all dance studios by state.
Notable figures
Sarah Reich
American tap dancer and choreographer
Jeremy Scrivener
Australian actor, dancer and singer (born 1965 or 1977)
John W. Bubbles
American dancer, musician, and actor (1902–1986)
Movies featuring tap dance
- Lady Be Good (1941)
Recent research
- Dance for neuroplasticity: A descriptive systematic review. — Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 2019
- Neurocognitive control in dance perception and performance. — Acta psychologica, 2012
- Readiness for Dancing En Pointe. — Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 2021
- Athletic training in dance medicine and science. — Journal of dance medicine & science : official publication of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, 2010
- Management of Stress Fractures in Ballet. — The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2022
Books about tap dance
- Don't tap-dance on your teacher by Katherine Applegate (2009)
- Mr. Bojangles: The Biography of Bill Robinson by James Haskins, N.R. Mitgang (1988)
- Tasha the Tap Dance Fairy by Daisy Meadows (2007)
- Step dancing by Kenneth Burchill (1935)
- Brotherhood in Rhythm by Constance Valis Hill (2000)
- Tip-Top Tappin' Mom! by Nancy E. Krulik (2009)
Encyclopedia summary
Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance originating from the United States in which the dancers use sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its own music.
Tap is a type of step dance that began with the combination of Black American and Irish dance traditions, such as the juba dance and Irish step dances. The fusion of African rhythms and performance styles with European techniques of footwork led to the creation of tap dance. This fusion began in the mid-17th century but did not become popular until the mid-19th century. In the 20th century, it evolved alongside jazz music.
There are two major versions of tap dance: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely performed in musical theater. Rhythm tap focuses on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the jazz tradition.
The sound is made by shoes that have a metal "tap" on the heel and toe. Different shoes may differ in their sound.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rhythm tap and Broadway tap?
Rhythm tap treats the feet as a musical instrument and favors improvisation close to the floor; Broadway tap uses bigger, presentational movement and clean unison choreography.
When is National Tap Dance Day?
May 25, the birthday of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
What BPM is Tap Dance?
Tap Dance is usually danced to music between 100 and 220 beats per minute. Browse 1,783 songs that fit on our Tap Dance music page.
How many calories does tap dance burn?
About 353 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 4.8 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned tap dance for every body weight.
Related styles
Jazz Dance
African American vernacular dance; theatrical jazz on Broadway and in film
Ballet & Theatrical DanceMusical Theatre Dance
Broadway and London's West End
World & Cultural DanceIrish Dance
Ireland
Country, Folk & Community DanceClogging
Appalachian Mountains
Ballet & Theatrical DanceBallet
Italian Renaissance courts; codified in 17th-century France
Ballet & Theatrical DanceContemporary Dance
Europe and the United States, mid-20th century
Ballet & Theatrical DanceModern Dance
United States and Germany, early 20th century
Ballet & Theatrical DanceLyrical Dance
United States competition studios
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy