During the Renaissance, artists in Europe experienced a “rebirth”. During the First Great Awakening, New England, along with the rest of the world, returned to the strict morals and high standards of religion that had existed before the Age of Enlightenment had introduced new philosophical ideas to the world. Right now, the dance world is going through one such rebirth, a revival of a great art form that should (in my opinion) come to be known as the Tapaissance.
Tap dancing is as truly American as apple pie and baseball. Derived from Scottish dancing, West African drum beats, and clog dancing popular in the British Isles, tap represents a mixture of cultures as unique as America itself. In the 1920s, the art began to popularize, especially in nightclubs. By the ‘30s, masters, like the Nicholas Brothers, began perfecting flashier tricks. Soon, tap was everywhere, from movies showing off the skills of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly to live performances featuring Gregory Hines.
Soon after tap hit its peak popularity, the spotlight began to shine on other styles. TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance highlighted new styles like contemporary and bollywood. Shaping Sound, a company founded by Travis Wall, Teddy Forance, Nick Lazzerini, and Kyle Robinson, was featured on a reality show on Lifetime in 2012. The contemporary company became famous quickly, furthering the popularity of these new ideas.
Recently, however, tap is making a big comeback. Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, used to be a tapper himself, and has started incorporating the style in the show as much as possible. The winner this year, Gaby Diaz, was a tap dancer, something that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Tap companies are everywhere right now. Rhythmic Souls is Dallas’s own company. Syncopated Ladies is a tap band founded by Chloe Arnold, who trained with prodigy Savion Glover. For the first time since the days of black and white movies, names of tappers are on peoples’ minds. Beyoncé has acknowledged it, even working with the Syncopated Ladies in campaigns for H&M and other brands.
The rhythms and styles of old times are back and better than ever. The tapaissance is a big part of dance history, and we all get to witness it.

Rhythmic Souls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDJLACJXb8M
The Syncopated Ladies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWa-MDA2rYM