History of the Shim Sham Tap Dance

Information about the history of the "Shim Sham" tap dance. See also About the Shim Sham, other Classic Tap Dances and more online Tap Dancing Videos.

The Shim Sham is a popular dancing routine believed by many dancers to have been co-developed by vaudeville dancers Leonard Reed and his partner Willie Bryant. The dance was created in the 1930's when Reed and Bryant devised a new finale for their eight-minute show that consisted of simple heel-and-toe combinations danced to four eight-bar choruses. It was often danced to tunes such as Tuxedo Junction, Ain't What You Do, and Turkey in the Straw

In early years, the Shim Sham was sometimes known as the Goofus, because a dance routine similar to the Shim Sham was performed by the Goofus Dance Trio at Connie's Inn, a New York whites-only, African-American performers night club hosted by Connie Immerman. The dance later became known as Shim Sham after the club where it was often performed.

The Shim Sham has endured over the years, and today it is popular as both a tap dance and a line style swing dance. The Shim Sham is considered by many to be the "Anthem of Tap".

Articles About the Shim Sham
- Wikipedia Introduction to the Shim Sham
- Short Story of the Shim Sham

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