Tap dance entered the 21st century at a crossroads. After decades of declining visibility in mainstream entertainment, a new generation of artists reclaimed the form—merging traditional hoofing with contemporary sensibilities, digital technology, and concert-stage intimacy. The result has been a renaissance that honors tap's Black American roots while pushing rhythmic and choreographic boundaries.
These five performances represent the most significant tap achievements of the past two decades. Each demonstrates why tap remains a vital, evolving art form—and where to witness its continued transformation.
Happy Feet (2006)
Why it matters: Savion Glover didn't merely choreograph this animated feature—he performed every tap sequence through motion-capture technology, becoming the physical soul of protagonist Mumble the penguin.
What to watch for: The technical achievement of translating Glover's complex footwork onto an animated body without losing rhythmic nuance. The film's climactic "Boogie Wonderland" sequence showcases Glover's signature power and precision, now accessible to audiences who might never attend a live tap concert. Director George Miller's decision to build the entire narrative around tap—rather than inserting it as novelty—marked a watershed moment for the form's popular recognition.
Where to see it: Streaming on Max and available for digital rental.
Savion Glover's Bare Soundz (2008)
Why it matters: This Joyce Theater production stripped tap to its elemental components: three dancers, wooden floors, metal taps, and silence. No orchestra. No recorded backing. Just the acoustic conversation between bodies and floor.
What to watch for: Glover's mature "hoofing" aesthetic—low center of gravity, intricate rhythmic layering, and deliberate rejection of Broadway's upward, smiling presentation. Sharing the stage with Marshall Davis Jr. and Maurice Chestnut, Glover demonstrated how tap functions as percussion instrument and storytelling medium simultaneously. The work's 2008 premiere (not 2011, as sometimes misreported) confirmed Glover's evolution from prodigy to master architect of rhythmic space.
Where to see it: Limited archival footage exists through the Joyce Theater archives; Glover's subsequent works maintain similar aesthetic principles.
Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed (2016)
Why it matters: This Broadway revival—choreographed by Savion Glover—won the Tony Award for Best Choreography by restoring tap to its rightful place at the center of American musical theater. The production examined the original 1921 Shuffle Along, the first successful Broadway musical created entirely by Black artists.
What to watch for: The opening number's relentless rhythmic complexity, requiring ensemble precision that rivaled any symphony orchestra. Glover's choreography didn't merely decorate the narrative—it was the narrative, embodying the joy, exhaustion, and exploitation of Black performers in the 1920s. The show's premature closure after 100 performances (following cast injuries and financial pressures) makes its documentation particularly precious.
Where to see it: No official pro-shot recording exists; audio album and production photographs capture fragments of Glover's achievement.
Dorrance Dance's ETM: Double Down (2016)
Why it matters: MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance has done more than any artist to expand tap's choreographic vocabulary for contemporary audiences. ETM: Double Down—co-created with Nicholas Van Young—integrated electronic trigger boards that transformed dancers' footwork into live musical composition.
What to watch for: The seamless fusion of acoustic and digital sound. When Dorrance or company members strike specific floor panels, they activate synthesizers, drum machines, and melodic samples—making each performance genuinely improvised. This isn't tap with technology tacked on; it's a reimagining of what tap is: human rhythm interfacing with mechanical possibility. The work exemplifies how 21st-century tap artists treat the form as contemporary music first, dance second.
Where to see it: Dorrance Dance maintains active touring schedule; excerpts available on the company's YouTube channel and PBS Great Performances archives.
Boardwalk Empire — "The Old Ship of Zion" (Season 4, Episode 7, 2013)
Why it matters: Television rarely accommodates extended tap sequences. This episode—featuring a 3-minute solo by Margot Bingham as jazz singer Daughter Maitland—demonstrated how tap could function as dramatic revelation rather than mere spectacle.
What to watch for: The choreography by Jared Grimes, performed in a 1920s Atlantic City nightclub setting with period-appropriate restraint. Bingham's character uses the dance to assert professional and sexual agency; the tap isn't interrupting the story—it advances it. For viewers unfamiliar with tap's dramatic potential, this sequence offered a masterclass in economy and emotional
