Information about Toe Tap Dance Style

Toe Tap is a style of dance that is performed on the tips of your toes, in hard shank pointe or ballet shoes with metal plates on them. It is not performed very much anymore, but it has been around since the early 1900s.

It originated during the days of vaudville and was a way for dancers to amaze audiences with unexpected ways of dancing. Many dancers did tricks such as tapping up and down stairs, doing very fast turns on the tips of their tapped-toes, executing backbends on their toes and tapping out known rhythms such as Edgar Allen Poes “the Raven.

Some famous dancers that did toe tap routines include Ethel Norris, Dick and Edith Barstow (brother and sister both did toe tap), Vera Ellen, Joyce Murray, Gloria Gilbert, the Chester Hale Girls, Harriet Hoctor and Marie Gambarelli. There are many others as well but there is limited footage of performers doing toe tap available, and little has been recorded about this unique style of dance and who may have performed it. The musical “Broadway Melody of 1929” has some toe tapping in it and you can find a few vintage videos to watch online at www.efootage.com (search for “nightclub tap”) and www.britishpathe.com (search for “toe tap”). Occasionally you can also find footage posted on video sharing sites such as YouTube.

These days toe tap is primarily seen on stage as a novelty act. Talent shows, dance recitals and nightclub events may showcase toe tappers, but it is generally not taken very seriously in the dance field.

There are a handful of teachers that teach toe tap dance classes. The yahoo group “we love toe tap”,at

Shoes that can be worn for toe tap are usually adapted pointe shoes. Freeds of London has made them in the past and you may be able to contact the company to find out if they are still selling them privately. Otherwise, you will need to find someone that can custom make you a pair. The yahoo group is currently the best way to connect with someone that could make you a pair. The company Sansha does make a pointe shoe with taps on it (the T-Perina model), but the metal plates are on the bottom of the shoe. This would allow you to tap dance normally, and then go up on pointe without sound.

Even though toe tap isn’t seen very often, there are still many fans of the art and the style is likely to stay around for a while.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeLoveToeTap/, has a list that you may find helpful if you are looking to learn. Because of the danger of dancing on pointe you should have training and strength before attempting toe tap. The standard requirements of years of ballet training, strong ankles, good posture, developed bone structure (kids should not do pointe) and a qualified instructor should be adhered to.