What:
New York City’s Times Square will come alive with dancing in the street when the U.S. Postal Service officially unveils its Tap Dance Forever Stamps.
The famous Father Duffy Square in the heart of Manhattan’s Theatre District will set the stage for the first-day-of-issue stamp ceremony celebrating this rhythmic stamp series. The ceremony is in conjunction with the Tap It Out, Tap City, New York City Tap Festival. It is free and open to the public.
The stamps showcase five photographs of a different tap dancer performing his or her craft against a brightly colored background that highlights the dancer’s shaping and movement. The photographs were taken by Matthew Murphy and the stamps were designed by art director Ethel Kessler.
News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #TapDance and #TapDancestamps.
Who:
Hon. John Barger, governor, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors
Tony Waag, founding artistic/executive director, American Tap Dance Foundation Inc.
Matthew Murphy, stamp photographer
When:
Saturday, July 10, 2021, at noon EDT
Where:
Father Duffy Square
Times Square
Seventh Avenue and West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
Background:
In Colonial America, dance moves with African origins became intertwined with the rapid footwork of the Irish jig and the percussion of English clog dancing. Whether cultures intermingled in the rural South or in crowded city neighborhoods, the result was a budding new set of hybrid dance forms based on a skilled and ever-changing combination of movement and sound.
From its roots in popular entertainment, tap has grown into a significant art form praised as a major American contribution to world dance. As it continues to evolve through influences from jazz and hip hop, this dynamic form of dance will be equally at home in the most prestigious performance halls and on the streets, building on tradition while staying fresh with the infusion of new cultural influences.