Dance HistoryTap DanceBroadway Tap
Tap DanceTAP-BWY

Broadway Tap

Also known as: Show tap

OriginUnited States
Era1900–Present
RhythmShow tunes, arranged 4/4
TempoVaries
CharacterLight, upright, presentational

History & Cultural Context

Broadway tap is the show-dance branch of tap: lighter and more upright than rhythm tap, danced higher on the balls of the feet, and oriented toward visual line, travel, and ensemble choreography in musical theater. Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson's clean, rolling, on-the-toes style is emblematic of this presentational approach.

Cultural Significance

Broadway tap is the tap most audiences know through musicals and film.

Characteristic Movement & Technique

Upright carriage, dancing high on the balls of the feet, clean rolling sounds, and choreography built for travel and presentation.

Signature Figures

  • Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson
  • Fred Astaire
  • Eleanor Powell

Dance Lineage

Evolved from:Soft Shoe

Broadway Tap Music & Tempo

Drawn from 15 Broadway Tap tracks in the LODance music library.

Example tracks at practice tempo

  • Shaking the Blues AwayMegan Lawrence & Holiday Inn Original Broadway Ensemble96 BPM
  • Shuffle Off to BuffaloOriginal Broadway Cast of 42nd Street77 BPM
  • Getting Out of TownOriginal Broadway Cast of 42nd Street108 BPM
  • King of New York (Full Song With Dance Break) [Bonus Track]Ryan Breslin, Kara Lindsay & Newsies Original Broadway Cast168 BPM
  • Go Into Your DanceOriginal Broadway Cast of 42nd Street80 BPM
  • Lullaby of BroadwayOriginal Broadway Cast of 42nd Street183 BPM

Legends of Broadway Tap

Dancers, choreographers and teachers whose work shaped this style.

Casey NicholawLegend of DanceChoreographed · Won the 2023 Tony for Some Like It Hot's tap-driven choreographySavion GloverTap's Young ThunderChoreographed · used tap choreography to carry Black history on BroadwayTommy TuneBroadway's Tallest StarChoreographed · choreographed and starred in the tap-centered Broadway musical My One and OnlyWarren CarlyleLegend of DanceChoreographed · centered tap and jazz in major Broadway musical stagingBill "Bojangles" RobinsonThe Stair Dance KingPopularised · made tap a story-carrying force in Broadway revuesAnn MillerLegend of DancePerformed · carried high-velocity precision tap from Hollywood musicals to BroadwayCharles Honi ColesLegend of DancePerformed · Brought elegant tap performance to Broadway across multiple productionsDianne Walker, widely known as “Lady Di”Legend of DancePerformed · made women's hoofing authority visible in Black and BlueDonald OconnorLegend of DancePerformed · joined tap rhythm to character and comedy in screen and stage musicalsDormeshia Sumbry-EdwardsLegend of DancePerformed · featured tap artist in landmark Broadway productionsGregory HinesTap's Modern AmbassadorPerformed · centered tap in major Broadway leading rolesMable LeeLegend of DancePerformed · brought tap performance to Broadway musical productionsThe Nicholas BrothersGravity-Defying Flash DancersPerformed · carried virtuosic jazz tap from Broadway revues into landmark stage and screen musicalsVera EllenLegend of DancePerformed · Performed tap in major Hollywood musical partnerships

Broadway Tap on screen

Films and television where Broadway Tap appears, with the sequences worth watching for.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)6 sequences indexedFit as a Fiddle · chor. Gene Kelly; Stanley DonenSingin' in the Rain title number · chor. Gene Kelly; Stanley DonenDignity flashback and Fit as a Fiddle · 00:04:46 · chor. Gene Kelly; Stanley Donen (uncredited)Top Hat (1935)4 sequences indexedNo Strings solo · chor. Hermes Pan (dance direction; Fred Astaire collaborated)Opening-credit feet and cane chorus · chor. Fred Astaire (uncredited); Hermes PanNo Strings (I'm Fancy Free) · 00:08:18 · chor. Fred Astaire (uncredited); Hermes PanAn American in Paris (1951)3 sequences indexedI Got Rhythm · 00:26:36 · chor. Gene KellyTra-la-la (This Time It's Really Love) · 00:46:17 · chor. Gene Kelly'S Wonderful · 01:20:24 · chor. Gene KellyChicago (2002)3 sequences indexedNowadays / Hot Honey Rag · chor. Rob MarshallBilly's courtroom tap dance · 01:30:31 · chor. Rob Marshall; Cynthia Onrubia (Richard Gere's tap steps)Hot Honey Rag finale · 01:42:58 · chor. Rob Marshall; John DeLuca (choreographic supervisor)Swing Time (1936)3 sequences indexedPick Yourself Up lesson · chor. Hermes Pan (dance direction; Fred Astaire collaborated)Pick Yourself Up lesson and reveal · 00:22:48 · chor. Hermes Pan (dance director)Bojangles of Harlem · 01:12:43 · chor. Hermes Pan (dance director)The Gay Divorcee (1934)3 sequences indexedDon't Let It Bother YouDon't Let It Bother You reprise — identity-proving solo · 00:06:39 · chor. Hermes Pan (dance director)A Needle in a Haystack · 00:17:47 · chor. Hermes Pan (dance director)Billy Elliot (2000)2 sequences indexedTap lesson and frustration · chor. Peter DarlingI Love to Boogie private-lesson montage · 00:42:19 · chor. Peter Darling; Lynne Page (associate)Hail, Caesar! (2016)1 sequence indexed“No Dames!” sailor tap number · chor. Christopher GattelliLa La Land (2016)1 sequence indexedA Lovely Night · 00:32:23 · chor. Mandy MooreOn the Town (1949)1 sequence indexedPrehistoric Man museum numberTap (1989)1 sequence indexedBob Wythe’s Broadway solo audition · chor. Henry LeTang; Gregory Hines (improvography)The Band Wagon (1953)1 sequence indexedBy Myself · 00:06:17 · chor. Michael Kidd

Poster artwork and title data from TMDB. This site uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.

Sources & Further Reading

Cultural & Historical Context

Broadway Tap emerged from United States during the 1900s—present day. Understanding the cultural roots, musical traditions, and social circumstances of this era enriches appreciation for the dance's characteristics and significance.

Formative Influences

Signature Movement Vocabulary:

Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell

Primary Source Documents

The Library of Dance contains public-domain primary sources for dance history. Copyrighted modern syllabi are indexed with purchase links to their respective copyright owners. Search by dance name or codifier to discover primary source documents.

Last reviewed: September 2026 — This dance profile synthesizes historical research, cultural documentation, and contemporary practice knowledge to provide authoritative context.

Tap Dance in art

Browse the gallery →

Works from the wider Tap Dance tradition — we have not yet identified enough that depict Broadway Tap specifically.

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