Tapdancin' (1980)

In a highly entertaining overview of what is considered the first, genuinely all-American dance form, Christian Blackwood's Tapdancin' illuminates the New York driven renaissance of the once-flourishing art form. Blackwood shows how the triumphs and defeats of many great dancers from the past were mingled with the rejuvenation of this art form by a class of talented newcomers. A series of heartwarming interviews, which shed light on the history of the discipline as well as on the racial misgivings of the entertainment world in America, are mixed with beautifully captured footage of the tap masters in action that will have you tapping your own feet along to beat. The whimsically fast-feet of the Nicholas Brothers, Honi Coles, John Bubbles, the Copasetics, and many more tap legends, make this a film that is not only a pleasure to watch but that offers a glimpse into the past, present, and future of an authentically American art form.