Best Tap Dancers of All Time
National Tap Day is May 25!
By Danna Bananas... actually Danna as DB is taking a break | May 2026 | 2 min read
I have been taking tap since 2020. It's hard... especially when you have breaks in between sessions but really especially since it is something you should learn when you're four.
Despite thatm, it's great to go out, let loose and learn with a great bunch of women once a week. And it's fun!
My tap teacher this past week said to us, "I don't want to overwhelm you with this step." I said if I were overwhelmed, I would not be still taking tap six years later.
Another person chimed in, and said Tous chez!
I’ve added Eleanor Powell performing a tap solo in 1943 to the Best Tap Dancers of All Time list.
Scroll to the last one if you’ve already viewed the list, or just click play if you haven’t. You won’t be disappointed. These performers are incredible.
Hope National Tap Day (May 25) falls on class night... I haven't checked yet. 🕺
Best Tap Dancers of All Time
The tap dance world has been home to extraordinary talents for multiple generations. Who are some of the best tappers of all time? Here are 13 tap dancers sure to inspire you.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
Bill Robinson—yes, Mr. Bojangles himself—is, of course, at the top of our list. His legacy inspires dancers to this day. Not only did he make his mark on Broadway, but also had a starry career in vaudeville, Hollywood, radio, and television. He may be most recognized for dancing alongside Shirley Temple in several films.
John W. Bubbles
Vaudeville star John W. Bubbles (born John William Sublett) is known as the inventor of rhythm tap, and performed alongside fellow innovator Ford L. “Buck” Washington as Buck and Bubbles.
Eleanor Powell
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Eleanor Powell’s dazzling footwork earned her roles in Born to Dance, Broadway Melody of 1938, and Rosalie. She was even named the World’s Greatest Tap Dancer by the Dance Masters of America in 1965.
Charles “Honi” Coles
The elegant Charles “Honi” Coles was a standout tapper by the 1930s, had a successful vaudeville act with fellow standout Charles “Cholly” Atkins in the ’40s and ’50s, and went on to become one of the leading figures of the 1970s tap renaissance. (You might remember him as Tito in Dirty Dancing.) He was awarded the National Medal of Arts by president George H.W. Bush in 1991.
Ann Miller
During the 1940s and ’50s, the electric Ann Miller was one of the tap queens of Hollywood. From On the Town to Dames at Sea to the iconic “Too Darn Hot” number in Kiss Me, Kate, her legacy is, thankfully, well-documented on film.
The Nicholas Brothers
The Nicholas Brothers were a world-famous “flash act,” astonishing audiences with their signature combination of charm and jaw-dropping acrobatic tricks. Fred Astaire called their show-stopping routine from Stormy Weather “the greatest dance number ever filmed.”
Gene Kelly
Perhaps one of the best-known dancers ever, Gene Kelly had, to put it mildly, some serious tap skills! A titan of both Broadway and Hollywood, he starred in and/or directed such classics as Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, and Hello, Dolly!
Fred Astaire
Speaking of the most famous dancers in the world: Everyone from Mikhail Baryshnikov to George Balanchine to Jerome Robbins to Bob Fosse has cited Fred Astaire as an influence. Over his 76-year career, Astaire starred in more than 10 Broadway musicals and made 31 musical films, including Top Hat, Shall We Dance, The Band Wagon, and Funny Face.
via dancespirit
