BBC - Tap America

Subject: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 20 May 18 - 02:06 AM

Very interesting programme on BBC4 on Friday night:

Tap America: How a Nation Found Its Feet

Although, I was a little disappointed that the only clog dancing mentioned was Irish.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 20 May 18 - 05:08 AM

As you say a very interesting programme but unless I missed something I was surprised that there was no mention or example of Appalachian styles, but I guess the programme was only meant to deal with professional dancers rather than recreational.

It has also been my belief that the term Clogging came from the North of England where the mill workers wore wooden clogs.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: Will Fly
Date: 20 May 18 - 05:38 AM

My thoughts exactly.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 20 May 18 - 09:47 AM

There was clearly an agenda here but I think we can forgive the programme that. A partial history is better than no history but it would be good have the whole story one day.

Northern clog dancers certainly turned up in all corners of the world.

Did anyone see the Craig Revel Horwood episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" where he discovered that one of his ancestors was a champion clog dancer who had emigrated to Australia from Ashton under Lyne? If I remember correctly, he took out an advertisement in an Australian newspaper challenging all-comers to a dance off.

Harry

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: leeneia
Date: 22 May 18 - 02:52 PM

Cloggers aren't tap dancers. Tap dancers have metal cleats on their shoes, and they click.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 22 May 18 - 03:09 PM

Thank you for sharing that knowledge with us Leenia.

Did you see the programme ? I suspect NOT

Do you know that part of it was explaining how tap dance developed and where it's origins lie? I suspect NOT.

Did anyone here say that Cloggers were Tap Dancers? NO.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 23 May 18 - 01:37 AM

Clogs often have metal tips and heels. Blakeys.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: leeneia
Date: 24 May 18 - 12:38 AM

Why complain because a show on tap dancing concentrates on tap dancing?

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 24 May 18 - 02:46 AM

Leeneia,

Although the programme was broadcast in the UK by the BBC on Friday 18 May, it was a joint production and I'm sure it will be available worldwide.

The programme looked at the origins of tap dancing and related the belief that American Tap Dancing was influenced by Irish Clog Dancing.

The programme was only 80 minutes long, it could never be a comprehensive history of Tap Dancing. In fact, the title itself is a little misleading in that the programme was essentially about Afro-American tap dancing; Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were dismissed as copyists and there was no mention at all of Eleanor Powell. Shirley Temple was covered because of her collaborations Bill Robinson.

The programme had an agenda and I have no complaints about that.

My (very) minor disappointment that English Clog Dancing was ommitted does not amount to a complaint either.   

It was a very interesting programme; watch it if you can then come back and tell us what you thought of it.

Harry

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 24 May 18 - 03:19 AM

Harry, it mentioned Irish dancing only in passing, and the whole premise was that Tap dancing was derived from African influences. That may be true, and certainly people do argue that, but my reading is that it is a subject of academic debate.

Subject: RE: BBC - Tap America
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 24 May 18 - 03:21 AM

David,

I know.

Harry