TAP DANCE CLASSES

History of TAP Dance

During the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the best tap dancers moved from Vaudeville to cinema and television. Prominent tap dancers of this period included Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Shirley Temple. In the 1950s tap dance declined, while rock and roll and pop music and the new jazz dance style emerged. Many believe that what is now called jazz dance evolved out of tap dance, so both styles of dance have many moves in common. But jazz dance evolved separately from tap dance to become a new form in its own right. No Maps in My Taps, the Emmy award winning PBS documentary of 1979, helped begin the recent revival of tap dance. National Tap Dance Day in the United States, now celebrated May 25, was signed into law by President George Bush on November 7, 1989. (May 25 was chosen because it is the birthday of famous tapper Bill "Bojangles" Robinson).

Register Now! Learn fun tap dance routines from the best American tap dance faculty this summer at our summer dance training camp!

Tap Dance at ADTC Overnight Camps

Tap Dance at ADTC ULTIMATE Overnight Camps

The four core dance classes at our ULTIMATE Overnight Dance Camps are in hip hop, jazz dance, Broadway dance & contemporary or lyrical. Although tap dance is NOT offered as one of the four core classes each session-week at our ULTIMATE Overnight Dance Camps, tap dance is often offered as a dance elective during free time at these camps. So if you have tap dancing shoes, you should bring them! At ADTC ULTIMATE Overnight Camps, we always have excellent tap dancers on staff - sometimes even Radio City Rockettes! If tap dance is your think, you'll also want to show off your stuff during our "American Dance Idol" competition each week!. Click an ADTC ULTIMATE camp location below for more details!

Overnight Tap & Broadway Dance INTENSIVES

Tap and Broadway dance are the main focus at our Broadway/Tap Dance INTENSIVES. Our INTENSIVE Broadway/Tap Dance Camps differ from our ULTIMATE Overnight Dance Camps only in that the dancing focuses on Broadway & tap dance styles alone (as compared to Broadway in combination with other dance styles like hip hop, jazz and lyrical). At our Broadway & Tap Dance INTENSIVES, campers take four dance classes per day that explore the many variations of Braodway & tap. Click on an ADTC INTENSIVE location below for more details (we even offer a special TEEN TRAVEL session where campers get to spend one week at each ADTC Jazz INTENSIVE and travel with our awesome staff between locations):

ADTC Tap Dance Instructors

Here are just some of our amazing Broadway Dance Instructors (click picture to read bio):

Custom Tap Dance Camps & Custom Tap Dance Choreography

American Dance Training Camp offers a team of renowned tap dance instructors worldwide who teach at our ULTIMATE and INTENSIVE dance camps. Our tap dance instructors can also choreograph pieces for that big recital, competition or event you have coming up &/or travel to your studio, school or private location for customized boot camps!

Complete our custom camp/choreography questionnaire if you are interested in a Custom Tap Dance Camp or Custom Tap Choreography with one of our amazing Tap Dance Instructors; your responses will help us to better understand your needs. Conversations with your personal Camp Designer &/or ADTC Instructor will follow as you refine your camp &/or choreography needs together.

ADTC Tap Dance Videos

See the fun in action! Watch this video of ADTC campers performing their tap elective piece for family, friends and visitors at our North Carolina ULITMATE dance camp:

Are YOU the Next ADTC Dance Idol?!

Our April 2010 Dance Idol Competition is underway! Do YOU have what it takes? Here's how to participate:

1. Become our fan on Facebook:

2. Upload your dance videos to our Facebook page

3. Vote on your favorite videos

Competition Rules: All dances must be less than 3 minutes long (ANY dance style). Participants must indicate whether they choreographed the dance themselves (if not, you must give credit to the original choreographer). American Dance Idol has three categories: group dances (3 + dancers); pair dances (2 dancers) and solo dances (1 dancer).

Prizes: In each category, first runners-up receive a $25 iTunes gift certificate; and winners receive an iPod Nano (plus the chance to have their dance video, bio and an interview featured on the ADTC website!)