Dust Off Those Tap Shoes - Today's a Holiday!

That's right, all you Fred & Ginger wannabes - today is National Tap Dance Day! It's no coincidence that today is also the birthday of Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson who was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1878. Bojangles is often credited with changing the style of tap dancing - from a flat-footed shuffle to an on-the-toes precision. He's also remembered for coining the phrase "everything's copacetic" . . . which is probably how his audience felt while watching his performances!

As a girl I took tap and ballet lessons and have taken tap again as an adult. Luckily, I never had aspirations of being a professional (if you saw me dance, you'd know just how lucky!), but I still love to tap. Perhaps tap dancing will emerge again as a popular entertainment . . . there must be lots of movie-goers who would prefer to see a rousing Gene Kelly number over another teen-age haunted house flick.


So, who's your favorite tap dancer? How about your favorite dance movie? I can't really choose a favorite, but am especially fond of all the Fred & Ginger films. In honor of National Tap Dance Day - here's a great clip from Swing Time.



Happy Tapping~~~~~ shuffle, ball, change~~~~~~shuffle, ball, change~~~~~~~ remember, everything's copacetic when you're dancing!