This week, our NGSB Company tap classes got a fun lesson in tap dance history! Miss Emily had the students draw a name of a famous tapper, research the dancer, and demonstrate one of their signature “moves” or tap steps.
Some of the famous dancers chosen were The Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines, Chloe Arnold, and Fred Astaire. Who are some of these tap legends?
The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold) were two of the greatest dancers and entertainers of the 20th century. Self-taught, these inspirational dancers were known for their incredible musicality and acrobatic entertainment style. If you haven’t seen their “Greatest Dance Sequence” yet, you are in for a treat! Click here to watch the Nicholas Brothers in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNKRm6H-qOU (Make sure you watch the flying leaps down the stairs towards the end!)
Gregory Hines was an American dancer and one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. He also appeared as an actor in the dance film White Nights with famous ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. Check out a clip from the movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImzkWZkaIIM
Chloe Arnold is an internationally known dancer and choreographer and founder of the all-female tap group, Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies. She often appears on Instagram doing fun dance duets with ballerina Tiler Peck. Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QzM9df0KBIE
Fred Astaire is known as one of the greatest dancers in film history and had an incredible career spanning 76 years! See some of his best moments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQFamAFNALE&t=372s
Want to see some more fabulous tapping? Look up some more famous tap dancers like Shirley Temple, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Savion Glover, Ginger Rogers, or Eleanor Powell.
We have been super inspired by these fantastic tap legends and enjoyed incorporating them into our dance education. Like we always say, it's about #morethanjustthesteps!
