TAP DANCE IS BLACK HISTORY

night Show in a segment where she performed multiple popular TikTok dances, almost all of which were choreographed by young Black dancers, without crediting the original creators.

Nevertheless, the online dance community has its unique beat, and Arnold is extremely familiar with and enthusiastic about it. She is a member of Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies, an all-woman tap dancing band started by her sister, Chloe, that has accumulated over 100 million views across all their social media pages—and was once reshared by Beyoncé. Maud’s dancing was also spotlight, which her older

While Arnold, Larivée, Dutremble-Rivet, and Nyiligira all had varying opinions on the role of social media compared to physical spaces in the dance world, they all believe that in-person performances create an irreplicable level of connection and engagement with audiences.

“For me, it’s about being present. So, with COVID and in general with time on the internet, we have less concentration, we’re always moving and moving,” Larivée said.

“And I do think that going to see shows and exhibitions like this is challenging us to rethink how we are with each other, and being there in the present, and putting all your energy into watching something, witnessing something,

Perseverance of Black history and community

Regardless of the medium it is viewed through, tap dance can always be a number of things: Joy. Strength. Creativity. Expression. Continuing to teach not just the physical movements of tap dance, but its historical roots in African-American communities is vital so that we can continue to uplift Black art and experiences in the present.

“When you give something no context, no history, you lose so much value,” Arnold said. “Even when I talk to my students now and tell them where [tap] comes from, they’re like ‘wow,’ they have no idea. It means so much more, it’s so much more impactful, and when you don’t tell the history of anything that you’re teaching, you lose a lot of the connection, you lose a lot of the pride for it, and

Beyond just looking at the global history of Black oppression during Black History Month, we must acknowledge the sources of pride for Black communities—the amazing art, films, novels, exhibits—that highlight different manifestations and expressions of Black elation. Tap is just one of many. McGill’s Black Student Network (BSN) launched an Instagram story series titled “28 Days of Black Joy,” with each day of February spotlighting a different project or artist. One day highlighted where to , the 2014 biopic of James Brown starring the late Chadwick Boseman, and another centred on FairyHair, a mobile hairstyling service in Montreal that specializes in Black hairstyles—to celebrate Black histoMany people consider tap dance a lost art, or a style that is not as visible and popular as other classical styles— Arnold at one point referred to tap as “the step-child of dance.” But for me, tap is, and has always been, something that I associate with dance—and with history. The privilege in having the means to take dance classes, as well as the honour of having teachers like Arnold, who centred the history of dance in addition to the steps themselves, has never been lost on me. As long as we continue to discuss and teach the history of tap dance, it will never

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