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Story summary
- Tap dancing originated in the eighteenth century among enslaved people in the southern United States, blending African, Irish, and English dance traditions.
- Dancers initially produced sound with nails or coins before metal plates became standard, creating a distinct percussion during performances.
- Tap gained early twentieth-century popularity through vaudeville and films, featuring Bill Robinson and Gene Kelly, and later persisted through Gregory Hines and Savion Glover.
