Top Ten Female Tap Dancers (Part One)
World of Dance has featured its fair share of amazingtap dancersover the years. Tap dancing is a classic, timeless, and requires incredible skill and precision. So enjoy part one of our Top Ten Female Tap Dancers.
Eleanor Powell
She may not be a household name, but in her heyday almost no one could match Eleanor Powell’s talent. Faynard Nicholas, of the Nicholas Brothers,famously remarked, “Eleanor Powell was one of the very greatest, period, bar none.” She choreographed all her routines but was rarely paired with male dancers as there were “few in her league.” Even the legendary Fred Astaire conceded that she was “in a class by herself” after starring with her in Broadway Melody of 1940. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn0-l69kzC8
Lady Di
Lady Di, real name Dianne Walker, has worked with everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. and Gregory Hines to Leon Collins, and Savion Glover. She is known for her powerful yet elegant style of tap, with the New York Times commenting that she is a “tapper from whom steps and moves flow like music, she has an easy warmth of presence that makes her dancing incandescent.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_DkBAs17mQ
Shirley Temple
This multitalented, curly haired child won the hearts of America seemingly overnight,with many claiming that her film Bright Eyes (1934) singlehandedly saved the Fox Film Corporation from bankruptcy. During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised the young star for boosting the countries morale, stating, “As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJB2GOR7Gho
Sarah Reich
Sarah Reich is an international tap sensation. She firstgained notoriety after appearing as a featured dancer in Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukeboxvideos andDance Spirit Magazine namedher one of the“20 Hot Tappers Under 20.” Known for her incredible musicality, Reich even put out a jazz album last yearwhere she incorporates her tapping directly into the songs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGYajdMIRKw
Rita Hayworth
American bombshell Rita Hayworth grew up dancing and performing at her parents nightclub in Brooklyn. Known for her stunning beauty and long legs, Hayworth was a very talented dancer who could effortlessly keep up with the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUhhKELUxB0
