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Home > Tap Dance
National Tap Dance Day: May 25th!
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The United States Congress has officially deemed May 25th; ‘National Tap Dance Day’! This US legislative action was based on Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson’s actual birth date. Many cities across the world now celebrate this day with tap dance performances. Choreographers, teachers, studio owners, dancers: Mark this day on your calendar and let’s make our contribution to tap dancing by scheduling our performances or special class events for inner-city children on this day. Let’s petition all the local PBS stations to play tap dance movies hosted by famous tap dancers. This day was reserved for tap dancing so let’s do our part to make it special!
Tap Day Bill
The passage of US Joint Resolution declaring May 25th National Tap Dance Day, was the result of hard work by Nicola Daval, Carol Vaughn and Linda Christensen of the Tap America Project. It was introduced and shepherded through the process by Congressman John Conyers and Senator Alfonse D'Amato and signed into law by President George Bush on November 7, 1989. {The next project for TAP is a commemorative stamp.}
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 131
Introduced by John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI)
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 53
Introduced by Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY)
TO DESIGNATE MAY 25 AS NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY
Whereas
the multifaceted art form of tap dancing is a manifestation of the cultural heritage of our Nation, reflecting the fusion of African and European cultures into an exemplification of the American spirit, that should be, through documentation, and archival and performance support, transmitted to succeeding generations;
Whereas
tap dancing has had an historic and continuing influence on other genres of American art, including music, vaudeville, Broadway musical theater, and film, as well as other dance forms;
Whereas
tap dancing is a joyful and powerful aesthetic force providing a source of enjoyment and an outlet for creativity and self-expression for Americans on both the professional and amateur level;
Whereas
it is in the best interest of the people of our Nation to preserve, promote, and celebrate this uniquely American art form;
Whereas
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson made an outstanding contribution to the art of tap dancing on both stage and film through the unification of diverse stylistic and racial elements.
Whereas
May 25, as the anniversary of the birth of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson is an appropriate day on which to refocus the attention of the Nation on American tap dancing: Now therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that May 25, 1989 is designated "National Tap Dance Day." The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
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