soft-shoe
dance
Quick Summary
Soft-shoe is a style of tap dancing performed in soft-soled shoes without metal taps. It is a relaxed and graceful dance that became popular in vaudeville.12
Tap dance itself originated in the United States from a blend of West African and European percussive dances. Early forms were showcased in minstrel shows and evolved through competitions and the merging of styles like buck dancing and buck-and-wing. The addition of metal taps to shoes in the early 20th century led to the development of modern tap dance.2
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