Tap Dance Day: Dancers put their best foot forward

Tap dance, a popular dance form that originated in the US, remains on the margins in India. On National Tap Dance Day, artists talk about the dance form, its popularity and future prospects in India.

Tying the laces of her specially-designed Tap shoes, 23-year-old Mrigya Tiwari gets ready for her daily dance rehearsals. She, unlike other dancers and performers, not only has to carry her shoes and costume, but also a giant wooden block that will enhance the quality of her performance on stage. Based in Haryana, Faridabad, Tiwari has to go an extra mile in order to perform on stage.

“I even use a block of wood for practice at home. We cannot perform Tap dance on any stage. It has to be designed specially, in accordance with the dancer’s demand. It has to be made of metal sheets, special tiles, or plywood in order to assist a Tap dancer. Otherwise, we cannot perform or any carpeted floor or ordinary concrete floors,” says Tiwari who has been learning the dance form for the past nine years in a dance academy in New Delhi.

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