Tap dancing was more or less an absolute must in vaudeville and theatres back in the glamorous era of American show business during the golden age of pre-jazz and jazz. A percussive dance based on rhythm, timing and balance, where the executor is also a frontline musician. Popularised all over the world in thousands of Hollywood movies with dancers such as Betty Grable, Ruby Keeler, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Bill Robinson.
Origin: various places and time periods all over the U.S. starting from late 1800s into the first half of the twentieth century.
Music: primarily different forms of pre-jazz, jazz and jazz related music in general.
Synonyms: Hoofing, Clogging, Jig, Stomp and Buckdancing.
Film clips: Varsity Show (1937), Down Argentine Way (1940) and Pin Up Girl (1944).
A beginner level is of course meant for dancers without any previous experience of the dance form in question, and the tap program in Herräng is no exception. All it takes to participate is good spirit, a desire to learn and a pair of tap shoes or a pair of general shoes with preferably hard and not too sticky soles. For ambitious proselytes feeling inspired on Sunday afternoon, there are often possibilities to prolong your Herräng visit by registering for the BeginnersIntermediate one-week full-time programmes starting on Sundays.
Available: 21 July - 23 July
For more detailed information about the Beginner Weekends, please click here.
This level is of course meant for tap dancers with good and solid experience in tap, and a genuine interest to move on into more complex rhythms and combinations. Dancers following this programme will most likely have several years’ worth of regular practice around tap and might feel very comfortable in jam circles as well as other slightly more demanding situations.
