ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Rachel Herman
I have been tap dancing since I was 4 years old. I knew that I wanted to showcase this form of art, as it has become increasingly less common as a dance form. Tap has always been my strength and brought me joy and I can't wait to share that with all of you.
Question/Issue
In my project, I wanted to explore tap dance in a more in depth way. I have tap danced all my life, but never learned about it. I wanted to explore the older style/history of tap dance by choreographing a piece in that style. However, due to COVID-19 and other space/time restraints, that original plan was changed. Instead, I learned about old style tap, then am recreating a dance in the old style. I chose a dance that showcases 1930s style tap dancing.
History and Distinction
Tap dance has a rich social dance history that is often overlooked. While many people think of tap just as the dancing on Broadway, it is so much more than that. I chose a piece that showcases the style of tap that was prevalent in the 1930s as that was when tap dancing really began to gain popularity in media/pop culture. Click the tab below to learn more.
Approach
Due to constraints while being home, my original project idea had to shift. Instead of choreographing my own dance, I will be replicating a dance done by the 2011 cast of Anything Goes. I have no place in my home that I can tap wearing tap shoes because it would have either damaged the shoes or the floor. So by recreating a dance, I am able to dub the audio from the video over my movement so you don't lose the rhythmic precisions of the dance, since sound and rhythm are such vital components of tap.
Audience
The audience for my project is those who don't know much about the history, styles, and music of tap dance. I am excited to share the dance form that is most special to me with the (online) Arts Scholars community. The song and style that I picked are one of many in the world of tap. I hope that this opens people up to explore more about this less popular dance form.
Impact
I hope to expand people's knowledge and exposure to tap dance and the rich, rewarding, and enjoyable dance form it is.
References/Acknowledgment
Thank you to Becky Hill for providing inspiration for this project, and Heather-Erin Bremenstuhl for being an incredible advisor and helping me to adapt this project to be manageable at home.
“Anything Goes Performance on the 2011 Tony Awards.” Youtube.com, 13 June 2011,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo6lPifGnGA.
“From Margins to Mainstream: A Brief Tap Dance History.” University Musical Society, UMS, 5 Oct. 2016,
ums.org/2019/06/21/from-margins-to-mainstream-tap-dance-history/.
Hill, Contstance Valis. “Tap Dance in America: A Short History.” The Library of Congress, 2002,
loc.gov/item/ihas.200217630.