2016 December
Bob Hope Tap Dancing With James Cagney
The younger generation only knows Bob Hope as a stand-up comedian but
he was also an accomplished tap dancer and actor who appeared in many
films in the 1930's and 1940's before he ever appeared on television as
a stand-up comic. In this video he is tap dancing on a table with
tough guy actor James Cagney in the 1955 film "The Seven Little Foys".
Nick Condos Dancing Without Brothers (Chef at the end )
Nick Condos of the famous tap dancing Condos Brothers appeared in the
1936 film "Dancing Feet" without his brothers. This free online video includes the
entire film. Nick Condos is the chef dancing near the end of the film.
Shirley Temple Dancing the Shim Sham
Child star Shirley Temple dancing the Shim sham with legendary tap
dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the 1935 film "The Littlest Rebel":
2016 November
Giant Tap Dancing Noses
Tap dance routine featuring an ensemble of giant tap dancing noses
performing on the stage of the Royal Opera House in London.
Original Mouseketeers Tap Dancing
The original Mouseketeers dancing the introduction to
the "Mickey Mouse Club" a young people's television
program produced by Walt Disney between 1955 and 1959.
Tap Dancing With a Brass Band
Tap That Brass" is a New Orleans based performing
ensemble featuring 5 tap dancers and a 5 piece brass band.
This video introduces the ensemble, it documents their in-studio
recording process, and it includes a clip of the group performing
outdoors against a backdrop of New Orleans, Louisiana to the
original song "Eight Bar Day".
Tap Dancing on a Pier
video featuring New York tap dancers Geoffrey Goldberg and
Danny Gardner tap dancing on a New York City pier. This is the
first of three videos in the "Tap Stalker" series of dances
choreographed by Goldberg and Gardner.
2016 October
Tap Dance of the Marionettes
A Halloween tap dance presented by Tap Overload Productions of Southern California
(http://www.tapoverload.com). The dance was performed for the first time on
October 29, 2016 at the Robert Moore Theater, at Orange Coast College,
in the Orange County town of Costa Mesa.
Film About the Nicholas Brothers
Free, online version of the 1992 Arts and Entertainment Network documentary film
"We Sing, We Dance" about the life of the legendary Nicholas Brothers tap dancing
duo, Fayard Nicholas (1914-2006) and his younger brother Harold Nicholas (1921-2000).
The film is about 40 minutes long.
Still Teaching Tap Dancing at Age 90
90 year old tap dancing teacher Maxine Ross of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada has no plans
to hang up her tap shoes any time soon:
2016 September
10 Minute Tap Lessons Taught by the Masters
This video collection of thirty 10-minute tap dancing lessons and demonstrations,
features many of the most expert and well-known tap dancers and instructors in the
United States. The collection has something for everyone, from absolute beginners
to professional dancers. The videos were produced and collected by Fred Strickler,
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the University of California at Riverside
for his "Masters of American Tap Dance" program. Professor Strickler taught dance
at UC Riverside for 40 years, between 1967 and 2007.
Immigrants Brought Tap Dancing to America
The roots of U.S. style tap dancing can be traced back to the people who immigrated
to North America in the 1700's and 1800's - by choice or by force - from several
regions of the British Isles and Africa. One of the earliest styles of step dancing
in the United States was Appalachian flatfoot dancing. This video montage of master
flatfooter D. Ray White is an excerpt from the documentary film "Talking Feet:
Solo Southern Dance: Buck, Flatfoot and Tap".
Cagney the Musical
A new tap dancing live stage production entitled "Cagney the Musical"
celebrates the life of actor James Cagney through music, song, and tap
dancing. The musical opened on Broadway in New York City in May of 2015.
It has been playing at the off-Broadway Westside Theatre in New York
since March of 2016, and is expected to remain there until at least
early January 2017
Sammy Davis Jr Dancing as a Small Boy
Video of Sammy Davis, Jr. tap dancing at age 6 or 7 in the short film
"Rufus Jones for President", a 1933, twenty-one minute, pre-code film
in which he starred with the great Ethel Waters:
Tap Ole of Barcelona
Barcelona-based ensemble of tap dancers and musicians
who specialize in blending the cultures of two countries by
combining Spanish guitar music with American U.S. style tap dancing.
This video features clips of several of their most popular performances.
August 2016
One Legged Tap Dancer Evan Ruggiero
8-1/2 minute video telling the story of a tap dancer who lost one his legs
but kept right on dancing.
Inaugural Odessa Tap Festival
Video introducing the Inaugural Odessa Tap Festival held August 23-27, 2016
in the Black Sea Coast resort town of Odessa in Ukraine,
Eastern Europe. Faculty and guest artists included Daniel Borak,
Jason Janas, Sarah Reich, Aleksandr Ostanin, and Sergey Ostapenko.
Tap Dancers Doing the Moon Walk
The first dancers to do the "Moon Walk" were tap dancers,
not Michael Jackson. Moonwalkers featured in this video
include Fred Astaire, Bill Bailey, Buck and Bubbles, Cab
Calloway, Clark Brothers, Sammy Davis Jr., Daniel L. Haynes,
Rubberneck Holmes, Patterson and Jackson, Eleanor Powell,
Bill Robinson, Three Chefs,Tip Tap and Toe, and Earl "Snakehips" Tucker.
Tap Dance in "The Artist" Film
Audition and grand finale tap dance from the 2011 Oscar winning
French film "The Artist". That was an amazing film because even
though it was almost completely silent (except for music, the
sound of tap shoes and a few other noises), it was nominated
for 10 Academy Awards, and it won 5, including best picture of the year.
Tap Dancing vs. Irish Dancing
On-stage performance of dualing Irish dancers and tap dancers.
Legends of Tap Dancers Remember Sammy Davis
The Nicholas brothers and other legendary tap dancers performing in
a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1987 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC
in 1987.
