Where Did Tap Dancing Originated?

Initially a fusion of British and West African musical and step-dance traditions in America, tap emerged in the southern United States in the 1700s. The Irish jig (a musical and dance form) and West African gioube (sacred and secular stepping dances) mutated into the American jig and juba.

Is tap dancing Irish?

Tap dance originated in the United States in the early 19th century at the crossroads of African and Irish American dance forms. When slave owners took away traditional African percussion instruments, slaves turned to percussive dancing to express themselves and retain their cultural identities.

What culture did tap dance come from?

Like many things American, tap dancing evolved from a mixture of cultures and peoples, specifically African American slaves and Irish indentured servants.