Wikipedia claims that tap dancing may have derived from the African Welly Boot Dance. Can anybody find information about welly boot dancing that is not in Wikipedia's articles on tap dancing and the welly boot dance itself, or has the online encyclopaedia fallen for a hoax?

peasypod

Most of the sites on Google repeat, word for word even, the same information that Wiki has. Annoys me when they do that, however, getting back to this, I found one site that did have the liberty to use their own initiative and make up a few lines themselves.... http://www.dance4.co.uk/eandc/stampingground/StampingGround02/azstyles.html Jan 03 05, 10:00 PM

gmackematix

Aha! Thank you Peasy. If I had remembered that wellies are known elsewhere as gumboots I might have gotten somewhere in my search! http://www.bollar.org/travel/essays/africa89/images/GumbootDance.jpg Jan 04 05, 2:28 AM

Baloo55th

Tap dancing is also believed to be a descendant of step dancing as practised in North West England. This is done in clogs with plain wooden soles (as opposed to having rubbers or irons fitted) and the rhythm is very important. Irish dancing is also quoted as being an ancestor of tap, but this is done with soft shoes. A lot of the movements are common to all three. Jan 04 05, 3:12 AM