10 Famous Tap Dancers of All Time

10 Famous Tap Dancers of All Time

The world has seen several forms of art in history and tap dancing is one that dates back in days having been performed centuries ago. The dance dates back to as early as the seventeenth century featuring some of the best ancient tap dancers. This art has gone through transformation and revolution over the years to become one of the most loved dances in the modern world. Both men and women take part in tap dancing because it is a nondiscriminatory art. Even those who have never watched or participated in tap dancing are bound to fall in love with the art for several reasons. Tap dancing is characterized by energetic performances that follow certain rhythms. The dances have been performed in Africa and other continents where it has been transformed into modern dance. Tap dancers are as entertaining as any other type of dancer in the world and therefore have attracted global attention for years. Delving deep into the history of tap dancing helps us reveal some of the biggest names in the history of this beautiful art. Whether we are talking about Chloe Arnold, Ann Milner, or the Nicholas Brothers, several tap dancers changed their art over the years. These tap dancers have popularized the dance making it part of the art culture through their extraordinary talents.

The following are the ten most famous tap dancers in history:

1. Chloe Arnold

Chloe Arnold is an American dancer, actress, and director whose career has inclined to tap dancing. She is arguably the best tap dancer in the United States of America in the modern world. Beginning her dancing career at a young age, Chloe Arnold had a breakthrough in the industry as a teenager. She was part of the movie called Brothers of the Knights in which she displayed her talent to the world. She is also remembered for participating in the television show So You Think You Can Dance which was a creation of FOX. Being in movies, television shows, and dance crews made Chloe one of the greatest tap dancers of all time.

Also see: Top 20 Dancers of All Time

2. Ann Milner

Trailer Screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ann Milner was one of the best tap dancers in America and is remembered for her speed during performances. Born in 1923, she ventured into art including acting, and dancing. However, tap dancing made her popular because she was thought to make more than five hundred taps in a minute which was more than all other tap dancers. Milner took part in the episode Dances with Tools in which she let the world know her skills. Milner died in 2003 after having a successful career in dancing and acting.

3. Vera-Ellen

Vera Ellen was born in 1921 in America where she became a star in tap dancing. She developed an interest in dancing when she was a young girl. She began training at the age of ten years and would soon become a dancing master. She developed quickly and took part in a junior competition where she won easily. She was part of the Major Bowes Amateur Hour when she was a teenager and began her career. She also appeared in several music in the early twentieth century through dancing and acting.

4. Lady Di

Born in 1951 as Dianne Walker, Lady Di is an American tap dancer and model who has become popular in the world because of her dancing skills. She began her dancing career in Massachusetts in the 1970s. She went on to win several personal accolades and group awards in her career. Her career has spanned for more than three decades which helped her to appear in several television shows and movies around the world.

5. Eleanor Powell

University of Washington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Eleanor Torrey Powell is an American tap dancer whose career was at its peak in the twentieth century. Powel was a star during the 1930s and the 1940s during which she was involved in dancing and acting. Her career conceded with the Hollywood golden age and she became a highly sought-after actress. She died at the age of seventy after cementing her name in history as one of the greatest tap dancers in history.

6. Savion Glover

Savion Glover is considered by many as the greatest tap dancer of all time because of his unique style. Born in November 1973, the American tap dancer realized his talent at a young age. He attended Newark Arts Secondary School where he enhanced his talent. Glover uses a unique style where he uses traditional styles and transforms them to suit his modern tap dancing style. He has risen to become a legend in the tap dancing category because he always learns from the best teachers. Being a quick learner has also helped him to learn and integrate new styles into his tap dancing style collection. He is a living legend.

Check out: 10 Things you didn’t know about the Moulin Rouge Paris Dancers

7. Gregory Hines

Gregory Oliver Hines was an American singer, songwriter, and tap dancer whose skills transformed tap dancing in the twentieth century. As a tap dancer, Hines was known to improvise dance moves and rhythms throughout his career. He could make tap steps sound like drums. In his signature tight shirts and fitting pants, Hines would recreate tap steps at all times depending on the sound that was produced. His creativity and determination in the industry made him a legend of tap dancing,

8. Fred Astaire

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Fred Astaire is a nineteenth and twentieth-century tap-dancing legend, singer, actor, and choreographer. Fred had a long dancing partnership with Ginger Rogers in the mid-1900s. The two were on top of the tap dancing list of the best dancers for a long time. Fred is remembered for his unique style and for always persisting in perfection. He could use tap dancing to get to people’s hearts as he was able to express both deep emotion and adventure in his dancing style. Before he died in 1987, Fred Astaire had cemented his name among the greatest tap dancers as well as creating works such as I Want to be a Dancin’ Man.

9. Sandman Sims

Howard Sandman Sims was an American tap dancer who went against all odds to become one of the greatest black tap dancers in America and the world. Born in 1917, Sandman Sims adapted a unique tap dancing style in the wooden sandbox. His tap dancing career earned him an ambassadorial position. He was the man that represented the United States of America in dance performances around the world. He also featured in several films as a tap dancer, teacher, and main character because of his skills. He challenged many tap dancing stars such as Gregory Hines and Savion Glover.

10. The Nicholas Brothers

National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Nicholas Brothers were the greatest tap dancing team that people witnessed in the industry. They were a team of two brothers named Fayard and Harold. They had a long tap dancing career spanning more than six decades which made them legends in tap dancing. The brothers were known for their flexibility and special techniques called flash dancing. Emerging from Philadelphia, the Nicholas Brothers became famous quickly around the world because of their unique style and talent. After ending their career in 1991, the two brothers were honored by a documentary that explains their tap dancing journey.

Tap dancing is one of the oldest dancing styles and arguably the most admired by old-school people. The people who popularized tap dancing for centuries are remembered today for their unique dancing styles and innovations. Famous tap dancers in the world had remarkable careers in tap dancing, making it a popular style in the world. Even though some people know little about tap dancing, it is as good as any other style of dancing in the world. However, all credit is to all men and women who used their talents and skills to make sure that tap dancing was a globally recognized art. Through their dedication to the art, their rhythmic brilliance and timeless performances serve as a timeless reminder of the sheer joy and beauty that tap dancing brings to our lives.