Tap, also known as tap, is an American style of dance, in which the feet move rhythmically while a musical “zapateo” is performed.

The stopper originated from the fusion of the clog dances of Ireland, the north of England and Scotland, combined with dances practiced by African Americans such as the juba, between the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1739, black slaves were forbidden to use percussion instruments. This fact motivated them to perform percussion with their feet and hands. After the American Civil War, competitions between immigrants from various groups, the combination of dances created the American cap. The dancers relaxed their rigid Irish postures, their arms and shoulders served to mark and new steps were included. Improvisation was paramount in this dance.

After its boom in the 30s and 40s, when it gained great popularity for its presence in several Hollywood musicals with artists such as Fred Astaire, the cap moved away from American stages until resurfacing in the 70s. The “zapateo” was always located within the “show business”, rather than in the circuit of the “serious dance”. Despite this, today there are great companies that do seasons in theaters, which before was unthinkable to dedicate the whole show just to stop dancing.