Join us for the premiere of Dorrance Dance’s virtual lecture demonstration on the history of tap dance!
As part of their ongoing residency at 92Y, Dorrance Dance has digitized their tap history lecture demonstration. Featuring historical clips with contextual narration written and recorded by Dorrance Dance Company Members, the hour-long event will include a virtual screening with Q&A to follow.
Rooted in Black American culture, the history of tap dance is a history of resistance, innovation, and transcendence. Why then, are the white stars of the movie musical era some of the most widely known tap dancers in America? Black legends like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers may be a part of America’s collective memory but musical innovators like John Bubbles and stylistic innovators like Raymond Winfield of “Tip, Tap & Toe” may not. Black women are almost entirely erased from dance history and they are some of tap dance’s fiercest pioneers — The Whitman Sisters, Jeni LeGon, Cora LaRedd, and Lois Bright to name a few! Exploring the legacy of these visionaries (and many more) will give students, educators, and parents a deeper understanding of the incredible impact that Black tap dancers had on American culture and the world.
The program will be followed by a live panel discussion and Q&A session with the artists of Dorrance Dance.