Emily Anderson- A One of a Kind Tap Dancer

     This article, posted by The New Yorker, talks about a very prominent tap dancer in our community right now, Michelle Dorrance. It talks about her life and her accomplishments and how they have affected our nation as a whole. For example, you could find someone who wouldn't necessarily watch tap dance, at one of her shows. Being only 37 years old, Michelle Dorrance has accomplished many feats in her lifetime like establishing her own tap company and choreographing and performing in many pieces and shows. One of these shows was very recently performed at the Joyce Theater called "The Blues Project". The neat thing about her current company is that every one of the members has their own signature style. This article was only posted last week which shows how relevant she is to America's entertainment and also history.
     This article also talks about how appreciative Dorrance is for her "predecessors" and how all tap dancers should be knowledgeable in the history of the art form. Tap dance is very American since it was created in American and grew up right along with the minstrel shows up to vaudeville along with jazz bands and Broadway as well. Tap dance now can relate all the way back to the early-mid 1800s when Juba, said to be the creator of tap dance itself, performed in minstrel shows that were very popular in the southern culture of the United States. The performers would dress up in "blackface" where they would physically make their faces appear to be black. Today, Michelle Dorrance is very popular in today's culture. Not only is she affecting the tap dance community, but also bringing in people who wouldn't normally go and watch tap. It's amazing how this rhythmic, American art form has stayed with us for so many centuries.


http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/12/05/a-tap-dancer-like-no-other