Famous Tap Dancers

The Appeal of Famous Tap Dancers

Everyone loves a good tapper. How can you not? This peppy spin on traditional dance breathes new life into an art form often overshadowed by music and visual masterpieces. From community productions to the big screen, tap dance has captured the hearts of millions of Americans, and this has never been more proven than through the fan base found in the careers of several influential tappers.

Mostly men, with a few exceptions, America’s tapping stars in the golden era of Hollywood enjoyed extensive careers and continue to be noted today for the fun entertainment they provided. Below are just a few of those who truly reigned as “tap’s tops!”

Fred Astaire

Perhaps there is no other name as synonymous with tap dance as Fred Astaire. With his countless American films, including those with gorgeous sidekick Ginger Rogers, Fred revolutionized the tap world’s presence in movies. Many people recall “Singin’ In The Rain” as one of modern history’s best tap performances, and it truly gave Fred a place as an entertainment legend. His killer combination of handsome suaveness and peppy dance made him one of Hollywood’s most cherished musical stars.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

Before he hung out with Shirley Temple both onscreen and off, Bill Robinson could be found in numerous theatre productions. He is known for reigniting the tap craze during the 20th century, and bringing it up to an elitist level not before seen. He often challenged competitors in tap competitions, almost always coming out as the victor, and he is also the choreographer of the now infamous stair dance found in the movie The Little Colonel. He inspired and coached the above mentioned Shirley Temple, one of Hollywood’s littlest tap dancers, and she revealed in her autobiography how Bill was like an uncle to her, mentoring her both in dance and in life.

Sandman Sims

Another famous tapper from the golden era of Hollywood, he became notorious for his “sand dancing”, which involved tap dancing in a sandbox. He used to travel across the nation, challenging competitive tap dancers, and he rarely (if ever) lost a dance-off. He is regarded as one of the most creative and innovative tappers of his generation, and will always be regarded as a top tapper, who never conformed to otherwise traditional rules of the dance.

Today’s Stars

There are also plenty of famous tap dancers from today’s generation, as well as those still up and coming in the dance arena. Below are a couple of tappers worth mentioning, as they continue to take the modern tap world by storm.

Gregory Oliver Hines

Tapping his way into the 21st century, Hines started dancing in New York City as a young boy, and was regarded as his generation’s greatest tapper before he passed away from cancer in 2003. He appeared in a wide variety of films, including Running Scared, The Cotton Club, and Tap. He also had his own TV show while appearing on popular network favorites such as Will and Grace. A Tony award winning tapper, Hines captured the hearts of a generation, and perfected his craft, setting the perfect example for future tappers to follow in his footsteps.

Savion Glover

Savion Glover was discovered, performed the lead in a Broadway play, and was nominated for a Tony award, all by the time he was 12 years old. He also choreographed for “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk”, which continues to be a theatre hit, filled with revolutionary tap routines that other artists envy. He has the honor of being one of the youngest men ever nominated for a Tony, and also received a Martin Luther King Jr. Outstanding Youth Award when he was still a relatively young child.

Glover has a bright future in the entertainment industry, and continues to create and amaze in all tap arenas today.