VLVL soft-shoe dancing

[pynchonoid]

If the shoes have metal taps, they're not soft-shoes.
The dance techniques evolved separately, too. More
important, as Michael and Paul have noted (not the
first in this venue, of course), jbor is the one tap
dancing around Pynchon's text in the present
discussion.

Please continue Dueling Googles without me, if you
feel compelled to have the last word on this.


tap dance

style of theatrical dance characterized by precise,
rhythmical patterns of foot movement and stamping on
the floor. The main historical sources of tap dancing
appear in the traditional clog dance of northern
England, in the jigs, reels, and flings of Ireland and
Scotland, and in the rhythmic foot stamping of African
dances. In 19th-century minstrel shows American blacks
and their white imitators stylized and fused these
elements into a popular style of dance and satire.
Among noted minstrel performers were Ralph Keeler,
Daniel Emmett, and the dance team of Lynch and
Diamond.

In the late 19th century two distinct techniques
emerged, buck-and-wing and soft-shoe. Buck-and-wing
was active and fast and was danced in wooden-soled
shoes; soft-shoe was relaxed, smooth, and danced in
soft-soled shoes. In about 1900 George Primrose was
famous for his soft-shoe dancing; Jimmy Doyle and
Harland Dixon were known for their buck-and-wing.

By 1925 the two varieties had largely merged, and
metal taps were attached to heels and toes to produce
a more audible tap. The foot technique remained much
the same; a great variety of leg movement was added to
the footwork, and handclaps and body slapping were
occasionally used. Dancers of this period included Pat
Rooney, George M. Cohan, the Four Fords, Johnny Boyle,
Tom Patriola, and the great Bill (“Bojangles”)
Robinson.

Tap dancing after 1940 developed even more complex
footwork and incorporated many of the sophisticated
elements of ballet and modern dance. Dancers who
developed this form included Fred Astaire, Ray Bolger,
Eleanor Powell, Paul Draper, and Gene Kelly.

"Tap Dance." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2003. 
Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
20 Oct, 2003 
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=73081.


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