Tap dancers tip their rodeo hats and take over stage starting with incredible “Country Road”
Even if you’re a music or dance enthusiast, you may not know that tap originated in 1845, becoming the “it” dance for Jazz. This particular dance is a unique combination of styles. Those include African Rhythms, Clog, European Jig, and Reel Steps. The master of this was a man named William Henry Lane.
Still today, tap is a popular form of dance. You see it performed in schools at local community theaters, on the big stage, and of course, on television and in movies. Usually, dancers do a routine to the original style of music…jazz. But recently, a group of tappers chose something completely different — country. That’s not a common combination.
The video went viral
Thanks to a video posted online, you can see this unique dance for yourself. With more than 450,000 views, it’s received a ton of attention. In this case, the video showcases dancers from 2013 who dressed up in their finest cowboy/cowgirl duds, complete with hat, to perform a sensational tap routine.
Getting into the music
As the song “Country Road” begins to play, the line of dancers takes a step forward. Then in unison, they do a few foot stops while clapping their hands. At first, the dance looks pretty subdued. But then you hear a drumming beat to the song, which changes things up.
First the guys
That’s when the male dancers start tapping, soon followed by the ladies. But the music changes again. This time, it goes into a fast-paced version of the song. Then you hear the words, “Are you ready to party” and to that, the dancers respond with amazing tap footwork.
They use clogging moves
As you can see in the video, these dancers initially use clogging technics. In particular, they tap but keep their arms perfectly still by their sides. Remember, clogging is part of the tap genre so that makes complete sense. No matter what you want to call it, they’re all on point.
These dancers get better and better
With each passing second, all these dancers just get better. Their moves are in perfect synchronization. Even though they’re of different heights, their kicks and body positions remain aligned. For any dance genre, that’s not an easy feat to accomplish. But they did it.
What…another group of dancers?
Halfway through the video, the first set of dancers finish their routine. That’s when a second group of country tappers takes the stage. Dressed in red and black, the audience cheers them on. These dancers choose an even livelier song as they tap away in fast succession. Wow, just amazing.
Somewhat different dance styles
Although a lot of the steps are similar, one big difference between the first and second group is the second set of dancers do a lot of couples’ moves. For tap, that makes the routine even more challenging. But for these guys and gals, it wasn’t a problem. They kept up with the music without missing a single step.
You don’t have to love tap or country music for that matter to enjoy a video like this. It’s one of those that automatically puts a smile on your face. To see for yourself, check it out below.
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Source: YouTube
