Dance has been around as long as humans have existed. Different styles of dance have been created around the globe. Now, many of those styles are deeply bound into the culture and the country of which they were created. So it’s taken up until now in time to see people take different dance styles and mash them together to create something completely new.

This tap dance troop took a risk and did just that.

Traditionally, tap dance has been set to jazz music. Tap dance was created during the 1800s, and tap dancers were considered jazz musicians based on the rhythms they envoke. Following the jazz mentality, improvisation was a key element.

Breaking away from the improv, these kids have a clear and rehearsed idea of what they were gonna do. Set in front of a large audience, they seem to shake any nerves and get right into their performance. They get into line formation, which is typical for country line dancing.

Based on their outfits of cowboy hats and vests, the audience is sure they are gonna see a country line dance. And it starts just so. Set to the song “Country Road” the dancers take a couple of stomps and a few claps. They perform at a slow pace initially, but then the drums pick up and so does the dancing.

All the guys start to tap and then swiftly all the girls join in as well. The music changes and the song then transforms from its original, into a modern house beat version. The dancers come together and fancy footwork is off and running.

These kids can really move.

At this point, the dancers are focusing on the sub-genre of tap, clogging. In clogging you maintain tapping while your arms remain at your side. This is important for the visual, as it puts the footwork as the main attraction. They are well-practiced as each of the dancers are perfectly in sync with each other.

The routine continues with more and more action. They keep themselves on the beat and don’t seem to miss a step. Halfway through, some of the dancers finish, take a bow and leave the stage. They make way for another part of the group and they have all dressed in bright red clothing with black accents.

Like a bull to a cape, this outfit really gets your attention.

The first part of this dance was a focus on individuals all working in unison. In this portion, the dancers join into couples and show how they can move as two. While they dance to the song “Tell Me Ma”, you can see a lot of the same moves, but dancing as a couple is a totally different challenge. No bother to the dancers, they have it nailed.

This performance took place in 2013 and since it was uploaded to YouTube it has been viewed over 500k times. You don’t have to be a fan of country music or tap dancing to enjoy these kid’s wonderful dance routine.

Watch the video of the entire performance below and enjoy!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Michel Dailloux